Draw for evenly-matched sides

Published Date: 17 October 2009
By Colleen Paterson
A SECOND-HALF strike from Andrew Driver saw Hearts come from behind to claim a share of the spoils at Pittodrie this afternoon.
Mark McGhee's men had taken the lead through a Lee Miller goal just before half-time after Hearts passed up a string of chances.

But they hit back in 63 minutes, Driver drilling the ball low into the net beyond Jamie Langfield after being teed up by substitute Christian Nade.

Hearts boss Csaba Laszlo fielded the same line-up as the side which lost to St Mirren in their last league outing a fortnight ago, with fit-again Eggert Jonsson again taking a seat on the bench as Craig Thomson continued at right-back.

The visitors had their first chance inside the opening four minutes when David Obua got on the end of a corner from Thomson.

He spun round in the box to get a shot in but his powerful effort took a deflection that was enough to send it wide of Langfield's right-hand post.

The Dons won a free-kick wide on the left just a couple of minutes later and Charlie Mulgrew swung the dead ball in to the area where it was met by the head of Andrew Considine but the defender was under it and could only send his effort high over the bar.

Hearts played their way through the Aberdeen defence in 19 minutes when Michael Stewart picked out Suso in the middle of the park. The little Spaniard ran from the halfway line towards Langfield's goal and stabbed the ball to Witteveen. He should have taken the shot on himself but instead opted to try to pick out Driver on the right flank and the ball was cut off before it could reach him by the Hearts defence.

Hearts threatened again from a corner in 23 minutes and it was again Thomson who swung the dead ball into the area, this time it was Witteveen who got his head to it but sent it inches wide of the keeper's right-hand post.

It was all Hearts but without reward and they pushed forward again just before the half hour when Lee Wallace ran almost the length of the park to find Suso. He laid the ball into the path of Witteveen, who side footed it to David Obua, who had hared up the left but, as had been the case throughout, his attempted cross was cut out before it could reach its intended recipient.

Thomson then did well to break down the right and lay it off for Driver but, as the Hearts winger tried to to cut into the box at the byline, he was forced off the ball after some clever play from Charlie Mulgrew.

Hearts were made t pay for their missed chances five minutes from the half-time whistle when Mulgrew produced a great ball into the box. Gary McDonad's initial effort was palmed away by Balogh but there was nothing the keeper could do to stop Lee Miller from heading his side in front from the edge of the six yard area.

After the break Balogh was called into action, to tip Fraser Fyvie's corner over the bar, just as it looked set to dip under and into the net.

The youngster caused chaos in the Hearts defence with a similar effort just a couple of minutes later, this time Balogh pushing the ball back out to the edge of the box where Peter Pawlett was lurking. He looked a cert to double the Dons' advantage but instead sliced his shot well wide.

However Hearts levelled in 63 minutes and it was no more than they deserved. Substitute Christian Nade got the better of Andrew Considine to stab the ball to his left and just a yard ahead of Driver, who gratefully latched on and drilled it home.

Hearts almost had their point snatched away with 15 minutes to go when Fyvie's shot looked goalbound, only for Obua to somehow get in front of the ball and header it away almost on the goal line. The visitors themselves were then denied twice as stoppage time approached by desperate defending in the Aberdeen box, chances from Obua and Nade both being blocked by a host of legs.

Aberdeen: Langfield, Mulgrew, Foster, McDonald, Considine, Kerr, Fyvie, Pawlett (Aluko 58), Miller, Duff, Paton (Maguire 63). Unused: Bain, Mackie, Young, Megginson, Crawford.
Hearts: Balogh, Wallace, Goncalves, Palazuelos, Suso (Kingston 67), Driver, Obua (Jonsson 90), Witteveen (Nade 55), Bouzid, Stewart, Thomson. Unused subs: MacDonald, Kucharski, Black, Glen.
Referee: Dougie McDonald.

Taken from the Scotsman