Full TimeSecond Half ends, Heart of Midlothian 2, Aberdeen 1.Post updateAttempt missed. Lawrence Shankland (Heart of Midlothian) left footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Alex Cochrane.Post updateAttempt saved. Lawrence Shankland (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Barrie McKay.Post updateAttempt blocked. Barrie McKay (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Lawrence Shankland.Post updateAttempt blocked. Josh Ginnelly (Heart of Midlothian) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Aaron Hickey.Post updateAttempt missed. Alan Forrest (Heart of Midlothian) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Cammy Devlin with a through ball.Hearts kept their hopes of a third-place finish in the Scottish Premiership alive as they came from behind to deservedly beat Aberdeen at Tynecastle. Mattie Pollock headed Aberdeen in front, but Josh Ginnelly’s stunning strike and Lawrence Shankland’s 27th goal of the season earned Hearts all three points. In truth, it could and should have been more for Steven Naismith’s side, who passed up chance after chance in a dominant display.
Hearts stayed fourth, but have closed the gap to Aberdeen in third to just two points with two games of the season remaining with the prize of guaranteed group stage European football potentially at stake. If Celtic beat Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the Scottish Cup final, whoever finishes third will be in the Europa League play-off, with even defeat in that resulting in a Europa Conference League group place. Hearts won that prize last term, but it was Aberdeen who started the brighter of the two sides here, pressing high and forcing errors in the Hearts defence.
However, the hosts grew into the contest and should have hit the front. Shankland forced a good save from Kelle Roos, before the goalkeeper showed excellent reflexes to deny Yutaro Oda, who opted not to pass to the unmarked Ginnelly. Hearts couldn’t translate their pressure and possession into a goal though, and found themselves behind on the half-hour, undone by a set-piece. Zander Clark flapped at a Leighton Clarkson corner, and Pollock was on hand to nod in.
The goal didn’t change the momentum of the contest. Hearts continued to pin Aberdeen in their own half, spraying the ball about confidently, roared on by a home crowd hungry for another campaign on the continent. Aberdeen’s impressive back-line repelled wave after wave of maroon attack, throwing bodies on the line, and even when Pollock, Angus MacDonald and Liam Scales were bypassed, they had Roos to bail them out. You sensed that it would take something special for Hearts to get back into the contest, and at the end of the first half, Ginnelly delivered. He picked the ball up on the left and, with options in front of him limited, belted a thunderous, swerving shot into the far top corner from miles out.
After the break, Hearts went up another gear, sucking Aberdeen in and hitting them on the break again and again. When the Tynecastle side need a goal, they look to one man, and it was Shankland that delivered, guiding home Alex Cochrane’s cross from close range. Aberdeen were rattled, unable to cope with the relentless nature of Hearts’ attack. Barrie McKay shot just wide, and Shankland uncharacteristically fluffed his lines as the hosts looked for a third goal to kill the game off. Alan Forrest was the latest Hearts player to pass up a gilt-edged chance, inexplicably shooting wide after being teed up by Cammy Devlin, but Aberdeen were unable to capitalise on their hosts’ generosity, and were well beaten on the day.
Barry Robson’s Aberdeen revival has been built on a fighting, well-structured defence, with MacDonald and Pollock both hugely impressive since they signed in January. Indeed, the last time Aberdeen conceded more than one goal in a game was 18 February, when Celtic triumphed 4-0 at Parkhead. But they were blown away here by Hearts, who on another day could have scored several more. During Aberdeen’s mid-season slump, they were thrashed 5-0 at Tynecastle, but Hearts were arguably more impressive in this win. Shankland, McKay, Oda and Ginnelly exchanged positions at will, dragging defenders out of position and exploiting the gaps that were left. Their fluidity and movement was superb, and reflected in the stats. Hearts turned their 82 final third entries into 30 shots, with 20 of those inside the box.
If they can reach that level of performance in their remaining two league games, away at Rangers and home to Hibs, they will do their chances of finishing third no harm at all.