Hungry Hearts prevail over Aberdeen

By MOIRA GORDON
Published on Sunday 9 December 2012 00:00

ONE has been seen as a team performing beyond expectations this term, the other a side still trying to find a way to compensate for its limitations.

Hearts 2 - 0 Aberdeen

Scorers: Hearts - Stevenson (pen 30), Paterson (54)

But, while one group of players overcame their weaknesses yesterday, the other was hamstrung by the historical difficulties which seem to dog them in this fixture.

Aberdeen have been one of the sides to watch this season, shrugging off the woes which have seen them scraping by in recent years and their form on the road has been a contributing factor. They had lost just two of their ten previous away games but it has been a long time since Tynecastle was a happy hunting ground.

Their manager, Craig Brown, refuses to call it a hoodoo but it is six years since they tasted victory in Gorgie and almost four since the north-east side even scored there.

In fact, even with home advantage they have now played more than 13 hours of football without finding the net against the capital side. This term, though, goals have not been easy to come by for Hearts either.

That was why there were cheers when the announcer revealed both John Sutton and Gordon Smith were in the starting line-up and the former’s inclusion was validated by the nuisance he made of himself in the air, dominating the Aberdeen defence any time a high ball was played into the area. The latter was the man who supplied Callum Paterson as he added a second goal to Hearts’ tally and gave his side breathing space as Aberdeen tried to come back at the in the closing stages.

But it was down the right flank that Hearts posed the real danger, especially throughout a first half in which Jonny Hayes had tested waters with a couple of early efforts and Aberdeen pressurised the defence with some long throws, corners and decent deliveries into the area. But the Dons faded as Ryan McGowan and Ryan Stevenson forced their way into the game and began to push the visitors back.

The Hearts duo combined well down the flank and their drive and determination gave the home side impetus. Defensively resolute and getting back to crowd out the Aberdeen forward runs, McGowan also came close to opening the scoring in the 25th minute but his diving header went just wide. He earned a penalty in the 30th minute, though. Hauled to the floor by Josh Magennis, it looked a definite spot-kick, although both managers agreed that if one was awarded every time there was tugging of shirts or jostling in the box then there would be a swathe of them every game.

Stevenson was the man who stepped up to put the ball past Jamie Langfield. The fact he had to go off at half-time after suffering a head knock and still picked up one of the sponsors’ man of the match awards summed up his contribution.

But he wasn’t the only Hearts player who appeared to want this victory more than his counterpart.

It was his second-half replacement who completed the scoring. The goal could have materialised when Andy Driver’s cross was knocked down by Sutton but Paterson blazed his effort over the bar. That was in the 51st minute but two minutes later he made amends. Smith was responsible for the groundwork, his run down the right aided and abetted by a slip from young Joe Shaughnessy and, when Smith delivered the ball in to Paterson, the teenager found the target.

It was a reminder for Hearts that, while they are being linked with a striker from Lithuania, there are others who can deliver, even if not as consistently as the manager and the fans would like. But, if the club cannot meet all the demands of the SPL and ensure all wages are up to date this month, an extension to the signing embargo could leave them with no choice but to continue relying on the men already in the fold.

Defensively, though, they remain sound and, while Aberdeen’s three subs, Rory Fallon, Jamie Masson and Declan McManus all had efforts late on, the home side held on to their clean sheet.

It wasn’t the pick-me-up Aberdeen wanted ahead of Tuesday’s cup replay away to Motherwell.

Missing key players, it is the second week in a row they have spurned good chances and lost their momentum before having to attempt a fightback. With lofty cup ambitions, they won’t want a repeat of that at Fir Park.

Taken from the Scotsman