Aberdeen 0 - 1 Hearts

By: Graham | January 27th, 2008

It’s starting to look like Hearts are becoming a bogey team for the men from Pittodrie. After trouncing them 4-1 at Tynecastle in November, we took another three points off them yesterday. The last team to mug them on their home patch in the league was Celtic. Of course, it may be worth reminding ourselves that, after we last beat Aberdeen, we set of on a run of ten games without a win.

It’s hard to see that happening again. This was a gritty performance. True, the Dons looked out of sorts and really didn’t manage any threatening football until the last fifteen minutes. But Hearts looked like a team. Christian Nade was not only sharp enough to latch on to the defensive mistake that gave us the win, but also had enough stamina left to sprint to the touchline when he was substituted. On a more worrying note, Velicka appears to have picked up some viral infection that is badly affecting his aim as a striker. The first symptoms appeared in the Motherwell game on Tuesday: the disease seems to have hit full stride. Not what we needed just as we’re beginning to find a bit of team spirit and self-belief.

Then again, there’s always Beniusis. For many, the sight of the big man coming on for Velicka with fifteen minutes to go (which turned into twenty when another five were added on at the end), was like a slap in the face. It was like a declaration that we wanted things a little tougher. This was just as Aberdeen were starting to apply more pressure than an oil rig’s drill bit. The last quarter of an hour had the intensity of a cup game - the intensity that was so sadly lacking at Fir Park - and Hearts held on through a couple of great saves from Banks and some stalwart defending and clever midfield play. And listen to this: Beniusis was splendid. He held the ball well, he turned and ran at tired Aberdeen defenders and he spread the play. He even got cheered by the Hearts fans.

So, is this another step forward? Two SPL wins in a row does not a campaign make. We’ve got that semi against Rangers mid-week and then Gretna at home. Two wins there and things might start to look a little rosier.

A quick word about Steve Banks. Hearts fans have known, since he first stood in for Craig Gordon during the latter’s injuries and suspensions, that he is a good keeper. The new keepers Hearts have brought in may also develop into good keepers but this is not the time to experiment and to change things around. After Gordon, Banks. It has a certain ring to it.