Aberdeen 2 Hearts 0

Veteran gaffer Brown was desperate to claim a win in his last home game before handing over control to Derek McInnes.

McGinn duly delivered with a goal in either half, to take his total for the season to an outstanding 20.

Brown made one change to the side that lost to Celtic a fortnight ago for his final home game in charge of Aberdeen.

Clark Robertson came in to replace the injured Stephen Hughes in midfield.

The big news for the Jambos was the return to the bench of Jamie Hamill after a year out with a cruciate injury.

Jambos gaffer Gary Locke also made one change to the Hearts side that lost the League Cup Final to St Mirren.

Callum Tapping replaced Darren Barr in the centre of the park.

Before yesterday Brown’s men had won just four league games at Pittodrie all season — a shocking return.

But it was clear from the very start they wanted to give their departing boss a positive send off.

Aberdeen went close in the second minute when Josh Magennis found Scott Vernon in the Hearts box. He laid the ball off to Gavin Rae, whose shot flew over Jamie MacDonald’s bar.

Danny Wilson headed well over from a Kevin McHattie corner a minute later.

Robertson’s mistake then allowed Michael Ngoo a clear sight of goal.

Jamie Langfield raced off his line to narrow the angle for the Jambos striker.

Ngoo looked short of confidence as he hit a weak effort straight at the keeper.

Hearts would rue that miss when the Dons moved into the lead on the counter attack with ten minutes gone.

Ryan Jack started the move by springing the Jambos defence with a perfectly timed through ball.

Magennis held his run for fear of being offside, but Hayes timed his perfectly and raced through.

Rather than shoot he squared the ball across goal and McGinn was there to stroke the ball home for his 19th goal of the season.

Vernon saw a shot deflected wide a minute later as the Reds looked to add to their lead. Vernon then headed over from a Magennis cross as the pressure continued.

But at the other end keeper Langfield did well to tip away Ngoo’s header from a Mehdi Taouil cross in the 18th minute.

MacDonald saved from McGinn in the 23rd minute after good play from Vernon.

Dylan McGowan was booked for deliberate handball two minutes later.

Then Magennis fired the ball wide after the Dons again beat the Jambos’ offside trap.

Hearts could easily have found themselves back on level terms just before the half hour. Ngoo’s pass picked out Jamie Walker, who pulled the ball back across goal towards John Sutton.

His volley came back off Langfield’s left hand post before the keeper gratefully grabbed the rebound.

Magennis then headed wide from a Hayes corner under pressure from Sutton.

But Langfield was again involved five minutes before the break, this time beating away a Walker shot from close range.

Having survived that scare Aberdeen should have gone in at the break two up.

Mark Reynolds’ through ball found Magennis ten yards out with no one wearing white anywhere near him.

He blazed over with only MacDonald to beat and with seconds of the half to go McGinn headed wide from a Hayes cross.

Walker tested Langfield again with a shot from the edge of the box six minutes after the restart.

Magennis then saw a goal chalked off for offside at the other end two minutes later.

But it was the spark the Dons needed to get themselves going again.

In the 55th minute they moved further into the lead.

McGinn picked up the ball from Robertson’s throw on the left hand touchline and skinned McGowan.

He then cut inside Danny Wilson to open up a sight of goal.

From ten yards out McGinn brillkiantly curled the ball past MacDonald with the help of a deflection off Tapping.

McGowan then had to throw himself at another McGinn shot to stop him claiming his hat-trick.

Locke then threw on Hamill for McGowan with his side really under the cosh.

McGinn was booked for diving on the hour mark by ref Willie Collum as he looked for a penalty after a challenge by Wilson.

At the other end Hayes popped up on his own line to block Wilson’s goalbound shot following a McHattie corner.

But an Andy Webster mistake let Magennis in and MacDonald did well to save the striker’s effort.

In the closing stages keeper MacDonald did well to hold on to a Rae volley as the Dons looked for another.

And with two minutes to go Langfield ensured the Dons would take the points with a good save from Ngoo.