Hearts were edged out 3-2 by Aberdeen in a pulsating game at Pittodrie on Sunday.
The Jambos came from behind after Topi Keskinen’s early opener to take the lead through Frankie Kent and Blair Spittal goals. Nicky Devlin got the Dons back on level terms before Jorge Grant saw red, and Ante Palaversa then struck a late winner for the hosts.
Interim Manager Liam Fox made six changes from the side that bagged a fantastic midweek UEFA Conference League win against FC Dinamo-Minsk in Azerbaijan. Stephen Kingsley, Daniel Oyegoke, Jorge Grant, Malachi Boateng, Yan Dhanda and Kenneth Vargas all came into the starting line up, with James Penrice, Adam Forrester, Beni Baningime, Barrie McKay, Cammy Devlin and Alan Forrest moving to the bench.
Aberdeen gained a huge slice of luck to open the scoring inside three minutes. Keskinen’s shot from inside the Hearts box took a huge deflection off Kye Rowles, wrongfooting Craig Gordon and resulting in the ball dropping into the back of the net.
The home side nearly gifted the Jambos an equaliser only moments later. A misplaced pass inside their own box fell to Lawrence Shankland, but his low drive was stopped by Dimitar Mitov.
Dhanda, the hero in Azerbaijan, got in on the action soon after, cutting in from the left before pulling the trigger from distance but he could only drag his effort wide of the target.
Hearts went close again on 10 minutes after a quick, attacking break saw Spittal swing a ball to the back post and although Shankland got there ahead of Mitov, he couldn’t keep his effort below the bar.
At the other end, Slobodan Rubezic rose to meet a Leighton Clarkson corner, only to head clean over the target.
Another incisive Hearts breakaway presented an opportunity for the equaliser. Grant sent Oyegoke on the overlap, his cross was blocked by an Aberdeen defender, only for the ball to ricochet off Grant and into Mitov’s arms.
Frankie Kent was inches away from a certain goal just after the half-hour mark. Dhanda’s free-kick was whipped into the six-yard box, agonisngly just over the big defender’s head and out the other end.
Minutes later, Mitov was forced to tip Dhanda’s looping cross over his crossbar. From substitute Penrice’s resultant corner, came the deserved equaliser. Mitov flapped at it, allowing Shankland to send a first-time ball to the back post for Kent to stoop and rifle a header into the back of the net.
Hearts continued to pile on the pressure in what was an impressive first-half performance. Boateng was first to reach a loose ball 20-yards out and he pinged a half-volley just wide of Mitov’s right-hand post.
Dhanda was wreaking havoc down the left, and before the half was out he floated a ball into the box for Rowles to meet but the Aussie defender couldn’t steer his header on target.
The Jambos passed up a glorious chance to take the lead eight minutes into the restart. Vargas latched on to a long ball that had been misjudged by the Aberdeen defence to go one one-on-one with Mitov, but he as he ran in on goal he lifted over both the keeper and the crossbar.
Just after the hour mark came Hearts’ second goal and it was so richly deserved. Penrice’s corner was punched out only as far as Spittal, and from 25-yards out he expertly arrowed a curling shot into the keeper’s right-hand corner.
And yet, two minutes later it was all square again. Rowles cleared Keskinen’s cross to the edge of the box but Nicky Devlin was on hand to send a first-time effort into the far corner of the net.
With 15 minutes remaining, Hearts were reduced to ten men. Grant flew into a challenge on Duk and referee John Beaton gave him his marching orders.
The cruellest of cruel blows was struck with two minutes to go. Duk raced to the byline and cut back for the unmarked Palaversa to slam home to make it 3-2 to Aberdeen.
The ten men of Hearts continued to battle but a final goal eluded them in what was a devastating end to the game.
Aberdeen: Mitov, Devlin, MacKenzie, Shinnie, Nilsen, McGrath (Morris, 71’), Nisbet (Sockler, 61’) Clarkson (Duk, 61’), Molloy, Rubezic, Keskinen (Palaversa, 71’). Subs: Doohan, McGarry, Besuijen, Milne, MacDonald.
Hearts: Gordon, Kent, Kingsley (Penrice, 19’), Oyegoke (Forrester, 69’), Grant, Shankland, Rowles, Spittal, Boateng, Dhanda, Vargas. Subs: Clark, Halkett, Baningime, McKay, Devlin, Forrest, Boyce.
Referee: John Beaton
