[DavidMc]

Heart Of Midlothian 4-1 Aberdeen
Scottish Premier League
Sunday 11th November 07

A blistering start from Hearts combined with some dreadful Aberdeen defending saw the home side leapfrog the Dons into sixth place in the SPL.

Hearts were two goals up inside 14 minutes through strikes from Andrew Driver and Andrius Velicka.

The hosts were pegged back eight minutes from the break through Jeffrey de Visscher's opportunistic strike.

But second-half goals from Ibrahim Tall and Christian Nade wrapped up an emphatic victory for rampant Hearts.

The match kicked off at an incredible pace, with half chances at both ends.

Rampaging midfielder Michael Stewart was only inches away from connecting with Robbie Neilson's long throw as Hearts looked for an early breakthrough.

But they had to look smart at the other end as Barry Nicholson had his shot blocked by the Hearts rearguard.

In the third minute Hearts took the lead with a nightmare goal for the visitors' defence.

Ricky Foster made the first mistake in failing to clear under pressure from Driver and, with the Dons rearguard in disarray and the ball ricocheting around the box, Driver forced it over the line from barely a yard out.

Eleven minutes later Aberdeen found themselves two goals behind after another disaster at the back.

Driver and Audrius Ksanavicius worked a short corner and, when keeper Jamie Langfield flapped at the goal-scorer's cross under pressure from Nade, Velicka bundled in from close range.

Nothing was going the visitors way and they were struck a huge blow when Nicholson limped off to be replaced by Chris Clark.

The substitute almost hauled his side back into contention in the 27th minute as he cushioned a pass on the edge of the box and skimmed the top of the crossbar with an excellent volley.

However, Hearts maintained their iron grip on possession and on the half-hour mark came close to the third goal that would have put the match beyond doubt.

Velicka's chipped pass was brilliantly controlled by Nade 12 yards out but when his delicate touch took him past Lee Mair he could not quite get his toe-poked shot on target.

Yet, just as Hearts looked to be seeing out the half comfortably, Aberdeen grabbed a goal against the run of play.

Former Jambos midfielder Scott Severin launched a diagonal ball over the Hearts defence and when De Visscher cut inside Jose Goncalves he drove a left-foot shot past Steve Banks in the home goal.

The harem scarem football continued in the second half with Aberdeen looking for an equaliser and Hearts in the hunt for the decisive third goal.

And it was the hosts who extended their lead after 54 minutes when Tall brilliantly headed Stewart's inswinging free-kick high past Langfield.

The goal gave Hearts some breathing space again and they responded by pitching Ghanaian international Laryea Kingston into the fray in place of Velicka.

And the richly-talented midfielder had a hand in Hearts' fourth in the 62nd minute when he fed Andrius Ksanavicius and the little Lithuanian in turn found Nade.

When his first shot was blocked by Zander Diamond it fell fortuitously back to the French striker and he stabbed the ball through a ruck of players past the hapless Langfield.

Nade's goal meant that Hearts climbed above Aberdeen in the SPL table on goal difference.



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Hearts: Banks, Neilson (Zaliukas 39), Tall, Berra, Goncalves, Driver, Jonsson, Stewart, Ksanavicius, Nade (Beniusis 80), Velicka (Kingston 58). Subs Not Used: Basso, Wallace, Palazuelos, Elliot.

Booked: Goncalves.

Goals: Driver 3, Velicka 14, Tall 54, Nade 62.

Aberdeen: Langfield, Hart, Diamond, Mair, Foster, Young, Severin, Nicholson (Clark 24), De Visscher (Lovell 70), Miller, Maguire (Aluko 58). Subs Not Used: Soutar, McNamara, Touzani, Considine.

Booked: Young, De Visscher, Severin.

Goals: De Visscher 38.

Att: 17,122