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Gary Locke <-auth ROBERT MARTIN auth-> Crawford Allan
[Hamill Jamie og 78]
20 of 024 Ryan Stevenson 62L SPL A

Aberdeen 1 Hearts 1


Aberdeen and Hearts can't find a winner in entertaining end to the season

By ROBERT MARTIN at PITTODRIE
Published: 18th May 2013
5
JAMIE HAMILL’S own goal ended an SPL season to forget for everyone at Hearts.

Now the Jambos face an anxious wait to see if they will even be back there next season.

Gary Locke’s side travelled to Pittodrie unsure of their top-flight future.

League chiefs will meet tomorrow to discuss whether to deduct the club points after UBIG applied for insolvency on Thursday.

That could yet see the club relegated if they are deemed to have broken the rules.

The Jambos looked like a side with that weighing heavily on their minds here.

Ryan Stevenson headed them ahead in the 62nd minute.

But Hamill levelled the game when he turned the ball past the excellent Jamie MacDonald with 14 minutes left.

It means Hearts end the season with their LOWEST points total since they just dodged the drop in season 1998/99.

But it remains to be seen if they do so again this time.

Aberdeen meanwhile, are looking to the future under new boss Derek McInnes.

Earlier this week he told 13 players they would be leaving the club this summer.

Of that group only Gavin Rae and Isaac Osbourne were granted farewell appearances.

Rae was handed the captain’s armband in his final outing for the club.

Hearts boss Locke made three changes to the side that lost last week’s derby to Hibs.

Dylan McGowan, Dale Carrick and David Smith all came in with Darren Barr, Jamie Walker and John Sutton dropping out.

Marius Zaliukas returned to the bench after three months out with an ankle injury.

The Lithuanian skipper had begged Locke to pick him despite being nowhere near fit.

He wanted to pull on a Jambos jersey for one last time before leaving in the summer.

Both sides used the game to promote new kits for next season. The Dons returned to their traditional all red while Hearts wore an all-white outfit.

They had also slashed all ticket prices to a fiver to try and get a big crowd in.

That was good enough to attract a crowd of over 10,000 despite the driving rain.

Some punters in the home end let supremo Stewart Milne know how they feel about his stewardship of the club by unfurling a banner reading “S. Milne: epic fail” — which was promptly confiscated by stewards.

The Dons went close with just five minutes gone.

Andy Webster appeared to have Clark Robertson’s long ball under control but Josh Magennis nipped in to rob the defender. He took the ball around MacDonald but the keeper did well to put him off and the Dons man was unable to get in a shot.

Kevin McHattie flashed a long-range effort over Jamie Langfield’s bar a minute later.

Then Niall McGinn tried a lob over MacDonald that drifted wide of the keeper’s goal.

Carrick forced Langfield into a save with a 20-yard shot in the 12th minute.

Magennis tested MacDonald with an effort from even further out a minute later. And Cammy Smith headed over from a Joe Shaughnessy cross soon after.

It was a decent start from both sides despite the adverse conditions. And Aberdeen should have moved ahead in 18 minutes.

Smith’s ball set Hayes free down the right and he raced towards the Jambos goal.

He then pulled the ball back to McGinn unmarked ten yards out from goal.

But the Dons’ top scorer was denied by a stunning one-handed save from MacDonald.

McInnes’ men went close again two minutes later as they started to dominate the game.

Magennis picked out Smith whose shot was beaten away by MacDonald. The rebound fell to Hayes but his effort was deflected away by Stevenson.

But the pressure was mounting on the Hearts backline and MacDonald pulled off another fine save to keep the score at 0-0 in 39 minutes. Robertson’s cross picked out Magennis eight yards out, with the keeper tipping his half-volley over the bar.

The second half began in a similar manner with the Dons enjoying most of the possession.MacDonald pulled off another superb stop in the 57th minute.

This time Low’s cross set up Smith on the penalty spot. But once again the keeper managed to turn his shot over.

Hearts were struggling to create much going forward but that changed in the 62nd minute when they moved into the lead.

David Smith’s corner from the left picked out Stevenson unmarked ten yards out and he took full advantage to send a header into the top corner.

It wasn’t long before Jambos keeper MacDonald was called into action again, when he had to stop a deflected cross from Hayes looping over him in the 70th minute.

Hamill, Shaughnessy and McHattie were all then booked in quick succession before the Dons levelled after 76 minutes.

Hayes hit the byline and fired the ball low across MacDonald’s goal — and as Hamill slid in to try and clear he instead turned the ball into his own net.

Hamill tried to atone four minutes later with a shot that Langfield beat away.

Zaliukas came on for Jambos goalscorer Stevenson with eight minutes left.

And as the game petered out local boy Rae departed to a generous ovation from the Dons fans two minutes later.


sun


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