Hearts 3 Aberdeen 0

Apr 1 2012 by Euan McLean, Sunday Mail

HEARTS boss Paulo Sergio hailed Rudi Skacel as world class after the Czech hit a stunning double to seal his side’s spot in the top six.

Ryan McGowan had given the Jambos a 26th-minute lead and after the break Skacel took centre stage to sink a toothless Dons outfit who failed to muster a single shot on target all day.

Skacel’s first was a long-range wonder goal with his right foot, followed by a lovely touch and turn to sweep home the killer third with his left foot at the death.

The win confirms the Edinburgh outfit’s place in the top half of the SPL with a game to spare before the split – and afterwards Sergio hailed his classy Czech.

He said: “Rudi’s first goal was a great strike but we are all used to that.

“I would prefer to speak about his great first touch for his second, it was the kind of thing world-class football players do.

“It was fantastic and it made that goal. It was a good result even if the performance wasn’t great but I am proud of my players to be confirmed in the top six.”

Hearts welcomed some of their more experienced stars back with Craig Beattie, Ian Black, Jamie Hamill and Skacel restored to the starting line-up after last week’s defeat by St Johnstone.

The capital club bossed the early stages without creating clear-cut chances.

Only Black’s early dig from distance came close to troubling Dons keeper Jason Brown, while a wayward Kari Arnason effort was all Aberdeen had to show for their early endeavours.

The Jambos forged ahead in 26 minutes when Danny Grainger’s corner wasn’t cut out by the Dons defence and McGowan sneaked in at the back post to net with a downward header from six yards.

Aberdeen boss Craig Brown will have been disappointed with his side’s attempt to defend Grainger’s delivery though.

McGowan’s goal was a well-deserved reward for a strong overall performance and the Australian full-back was in the thick of it again a minute before the break when Black sent him charging down the right flank. The low ball inside was met by Beattie but his hooked effort lacked the power to trouble Brown.

Which is certainly not an accusation you can level at Skacel’s stunning strike that put Hearts two up just seven minutes into the second half.

Bursting out of midfield on his own the Czech star took just one look up before unleashing a ferocious shot from 30 yards that flew like a rocket inside the sprawling keeper’s left post.

As the stadium announcer said, it was Skacel’s 12th goal of the season – and he won’t score any better than that one.

Aberdeen had lacked punch in attack before that goal and after it they offered practically nothing in terms of creation and possession in the final third.

There was only one team that looked like scoring and they weren’t wearing the white of Dons’ away kit. But then that has been an all-too familiar problem for this toothless lot who have managed only 29 goals in 32 SPL games this term.

The only thing for the sizeable travelling support to cheer was the long-awaited second “debut” of their captain Russell Anderson, coming on as a 75th-minute substitute for Clark Robertson.

The centre-back signed from Derby in January but this was his first run-out after a hamstring problem had delayed his homecoming appearance

But for all his is a welcome return, it’s at the other end of the pitch where shot-shy Dons desperately need strengthening.

There were no such problems for Hearts, however, as Skacel rubbed salt in the wounds at the death when Andrew Driver’s ball picked him out and he took a lovely touch and turn to earn the space to produce a clinical reverse finish.

Skacel’s strike was sheer class and a stylish way to seal a spot in the top six.

Taken from the Daily Record