Hearts fightback to earn a 1-1 draw.

Hearts salvaged a 1-1 draw after going behind in a thrilling encounter at Pittodrie today.

Andrew Driver's second half goal cancelled out a Lee Miller header that had given the home side a first half lead. In the end both sides will be left scratching their heads as to how they didn't take all three points as both passed up numerous chances to secure a win.

With the same eleven that lost to St. Mirren two weeks ago, Hearts started the livelier of the two sides and had the game's first chance after four minutes. Jamie Langfield, when it seemed easier to collect, decided to punch clear a Craig Thomson corner and the ball quickly found its' way back to the young full-back to once again cross into the penalty area. David Obua was first to react and his deflected shot had Langfield beaten but the ball dropped the wrong side of the keeper's right hand post.

Aberdeen responded with chance of their own ten minutes later when Andrew Considine rose highest to meet a Charlie Mulgrew cross from a free-kick but the centre half's header dropped over the crossbar.

Next it was Hearts to create a chance from a set piece on 23 minutes. The move was very similar to what they did in the first minute at New St. Mirren Park a fortnight ago with David Witteveen making a clever front post run to meet a Craig Thomson corner. Unfortunately for the big Austrian striker the result was the same as his header flashed across the face of goal and out for a goal kick.

With five minutes left in the half Hearts went behind. No one picked up Charlie Mulgrew charging down the left wing causing Craig Thomson to take the gamble to close him down but leaving Michael Paton unmarked. Thomson's gamble failed as Mulgrew slipped Paton in-behind whose ball across goal was tipped by Balogh right onto the head of Lee Miller who gave Aberdeen the lead.

For a team short on form and even shorter on confidence, losing a goal that close to half time was the last thing that this Hearts team needed. And they should have been dead and buried five minutes into the second half.

Janos Balogh failed to deal with a vicious front post cross from a Charlie Mulgrew corner and the ball dropped invitingly for Peter Pawlett to extend The Dons lead. With Balogh stranded the young attacker rushed his attempt too much and could only slice his attempt high and wide of goal.

Aberdeen were growing in confidence and it only looked a matter of time before they would double their advantage. And then from nothing, Hearts were level.

An innocuous ball over the top was chased down by Christian Nade who got a toe to the ball ahead of Andrew Considine before accelerating away from the defender. With Hearts at a three-on-two advantage, Nade looked up and slid a perfectly weighted pass through for Andrew Driver who placed a low shot past Langfield and into the far corner of the net.

If Hearts were a little forunate to get the goal from nothing then they were downright jammy three minutes later when Lee Miller failed to put Aberdeen back in front after missing from three yards. The ex-Hearts hitman reacted quickest to stab his foot out at a deflected ball across the face of the goal-line but somehow his attempt lacked enough pace to beat Balogh, who managed to recover just before the ball crossed the line.

Angered by the loss of such a sloppy goal Aberdeen pilled forward and with 20 minutes remaining they had two chances to retake the lead. First Miller produced a fine piece of skill to flick the ball around Lee Wallace and force a fine save out of Balogh from eight yards out. Then from the resulting corner the ball broke to Fraser Fyvie who, from the edge of the penalty area, let fly with a thunderous effort that would have put the home side back in front had it not been for the heroics of David Obua clearing it off the line.

Then it was the turn of Jamie Langfield to produce some heroics at the other end after Ismael Bouzid rose highest to power a Craig Thomson corner towards goal. The Algerian international was denied by a fantastic diving save from the Aberdeen stopper.

Two minutes later with the game begging to be won, Hearts broke again with Driver running down the right. The winger played an excellent one-two with Nade before standing up a beautiful ball for David Obua to attack at the far post to surely give Hearts a vital victory… but inexplicably the winger headed wide. Then less than two minutes later an almighty goalmouth scramble ensued with Goncalves, Obua and Nade all taking mighty swings at the ball but they couldn't force the ball home.

At that was that, a thoroughly enjoyable game of football that in the end was probably a fair result on the balance of play. However, with both sides desperate for a win to kick start their season there will be plenty of frustration all around at the amount of chances each team passed up to win the game.

Aberdeen: Langfield; Duff, Foster, Considine, Mulgrew; Fyvie, McDonald, Kerr, Paton (Maguire 61); Pawlett (Aluko 56); Miller. Subs not used: Bain, Mackie, Young, Megginson, Crawford. Booked: Considine

Hearts: Balogh; Thomson, Bouzid, Goncalves, Wallace; Stewart, Palazuelos; Driver, Suso (Kingston 64), Obua (Jonsson 90); Witteveen (Nade 52). Subs not used: MacDonald, Kucharski, Black, Glen.

Referee: Dougie McDonald

Top man: Jose Goncalves

Hearts World