Match Report: Aberdeen 0-1 Hearts

Eva Olid made one change from the side that drew with Rangers last weekend as Rebecca McAllister replaced Erin Rennie.

Hearts flew out the traps and Georgia Timms really should have put the girls ahead after four minutes. Similar to a goal she scored against Partick Thistle, a well worked free kick from Ciara Grant found the number nine at the back post, but her crashing effort came back off the post.

The girls in maroon were enjoying the majority of possession with Aberdeen looking to drop balls in behind for the dangerous Bailey Hutchison and that tactic nearly paid dividends when a straight ball through the middle split the Hearts defence, but Parker-Smith was out alertly to deny the Dons striker.

Hearts had another golden opportunity ten minutes before the break when a corner fell to Georgia Hunter, but the skipper couldn’t force the ball home from close range.

Into the second half, and the game continued in a similar fashion.

Timms again came close five minutes after the break when her looping volley caused Annalisa McCann to quickly backtrack, Hearts claimed the ball had crossed the line, but the officials were unmoved.

The girls continued to huff and puff but the end product just wasn’t there, and Hearts were largely being restricted to efforts from distance.

In a game that was starting to look increasingly like a 0-0, Hearts spurned a huge chance on 66 minutes to break the deadlock. Cailin Michie produced a fantastic pass to pick out Jenny Smith, but that substitute curled her effort wide of McCann’s post.

Often in scrappy matches, it is a moment or magic or a mistake that can end up proving the difference and in this instance it was the former. After Timms was fouled on the edge of the box, Emma Brownlie stepped up and whipped the free kick right into the top corner leaving McCann stranded.

A goal fit to win any game. It wasn’t pretty, but the girls saw the game out to pick up a crucial three points and move eight clear in fourth spot.

Aberdeen: McCann, Urqhuart, Broadrick, Shore, Hutchison, Collins, Stewart, Ogilvie, Christie, Finnie, Hanssen

Subs: Paterson, Bruce, Gover, Sopel, McCafferty, Karkkainen

Hearts: Parker-Smith, Penman (G. Davies, 46), Hunter ©, Brownlie, Grant, Forsyth, Timms, McAllister (Smith, 58), Sampson, Rood (Anderson 82), Michie

Subs: Currie, Smith, Anderson, Rennie, Handley, G. Davies, E. Davies, Connor, Cowan