29th December 2019 Hearts v Aberdeen 1-1
105th and last match of 2019 for me today. Game was kicking off at 14.00 to allow time for Aberdeen fans to have a greater choice of trains home. With Haymarket station closed they would also have to go to Waverley to catch a train and the works at Haymarket may mean some cancellations. I started to watch the Celtic v Rangers match on TV and just as I was leaving Natalie switched the TV from satellite to internet to watch Amazon Prime. I heard the commentary stating Rangers had gone ahead but I never saw the goal as the screen was blank while switching to an internet connection. I left home at 13.10 and walked down to Tynecastle and got there about 13.25. After purchasing a coffee and a sausage roll I took my seat in the Main Stand.
Hearts made a number of changes following the defeat by Hibs on Boxing Day Clevid Dikamona, Oliver Bozanic, Andy Irving and Euan Henderson all started. Christophe Berra and Logic Damour dropped to the bench with Aidy White and Jake Mulraney ommitted from the squad. Interestingly both Connor Washington and Ben Garrucio, returning from injury, were included on the bench. Aberdeen were missing suspended top scorer Sam Cosgrove following his recent sending-off against Rangers.
Hearts started well and Ryotaro Meshino had the first chance after a one-two with Henderson. However from the edge of the box he pulled his shot wide of the keepers left hand post. Meshino had another chance after a break from Uche Ikpeazu. The striker pulled the ball back from the byeline to Meshino beyond the far post about eight yards from goal. He pulled his shot back across goal but the ball was cleared from the line by Shay Logan. Shortly afterwards Meshino was involved in an incident with Lewis Ferguson after the Aberdeen midfielder pulled him back by grabbing his shirt. Both players reacted by pushing and shoving each other and the referee booked them both for ungentlemanly conduct. Immediately after the bookings Ferguson again pushed Meshino as the referee was unsighted preparing for Hearts to take the free-kick. The incident was directly in front of the stand side assistant referee who took no action when I thought he should have brought the referees attention to the further push leading to a second and hence a red card for Ferguson. Just before half-time Aaron Hickey sent in a good cross from the left. Bozanic’s header was pushed away by Joe Lewis. It was however to no avail as a free-kick was awarded for a foul against Ikpeazu as the ball came into the box.
At the start of the second half Ikpeazu broke down the left after a good run and pass from Henderson. Ikpeazu headed towards the goal-line and passed the ball across goal towards the onrushing Henderson. Unfortunately his resulting shot under pressure from a defender flew over the bar. Hearts went ahead after forty-nine minutes when Henderson got ahead of Scott McKenna and laid the ball of to Meshino the left. The Japanese playmaker cut inside and curled a great shot into the top corner of the net from twenty-five yards giving Lewis in the Aberdeen goal no chance making a save. Minutes later Irving had a go from just outside the penalty area following another pass from Henderson. His low shot was pushed around the post by Henderson. Aberdeen had rarely been seen in attack but equalised after sixty-eight minutes. the Hearts side were caught unawares by a quick free-kick and Sean Clare, playing again at right-back, had no choice than to pulled back Jon Gallagher twenty-five yards from goal as he raced towards the penalty area. Referee Alan Muir considered the challenge denied a clear goal scoring opportunity and show Clare a red card. He left the field to tremendous applause from the Hearts fans as he had been having another good game in an unfamiliar role. Clare showed his appreciation to the crowd by applauding them as he trudged off. Worse was to come as Niall McGinn curled the free-kick over the defensive wall and into the net at the near post with Joel Pereira unable to get near the ball. With Hearts now down to ten men Daniel Stendel brought on Damour to strengthen the midfield and Washingn to provide fresh legs up front. Aberdeen had most of the ball for the remainder of the game but were unable to trouble Pereira in the Hearts goal. The Hearts defence with Michael Smith now back in his normal right-back role played excellently cutting out danger before Aberdeen could find space in the penalty area. Washington and Henderson both looked dangerous on the break but with only ten men lacked support from midfield to support their runs. Garrucio came on for the last few minutes playing in a left sided midfield role to provide defensive support for Hickey and looked as if he had recovered well from his cruciate injury.
After the final whistle I walked home in a better mood than I had been after a game at Tynecastle for some time. Hearts had played well against an Aberdeen side who are third in the SPL and but for Clare’s red card would I think have won the match. The three teenagers in the side, Hickey, Irving and Henderson all played well. Irving was my man of the match after an excellent game in midfield breaking forward well and finding players with some really good passes. There is still long way to go but I think on this showing Hearts can look forward to a much improved second half of the season with any thoughts of relegation being banished.
Teams
Hearts: Pereira, Smith, Bozanic, Clare, Ikpeazu, Halkett, Dikamona, Irving, Henderson, Hickey, Meshino.
Subs: Damour, Washington, Garuccio.
Aberdeen: Lewis, Logan, McKenna, Main, Taylor, Ferguson, Gallagher, Ojo, Campbell, Anderson, Vyner.
Subs: McGinn, Wilson, Hedges
Hearts started well and Ryotaro Meshino had the first chance after a one-two with Henderson. However from the edge of the box he pulled his shot wide of the keepers left hand post. Meshino had another chance after a break from Uche Ikpeazu. The striker pulled the ball back from the byeline to Meshino beyond the far post about eight yards from goal. He pulled his shot back across goal but the ball was cleared from the line by Shay Logan. Shortly afterwards Meshino was involved in an incident with Lewis Ferguson after the Aberdeen midfielder pulled him back by grabbing his shirt. Both players reacted by pushing and shoving each other and the referee booked them both for ungentlemanly conduct. Immediately after the bookings Ferguson again pushed Meshino as the referee was unsighted preparing for Hearts to take the free-kick. The incident was directly in front of the stand side assistant referee who took no action when I thought he should have brought the referees attention to the further push leading to a second and hence a red card for Ferguson. Just before half-time Aaron Hickey sent in a good cross from the left. Bozanic’s header was pushed away by Joe Lewis. It was however to no avail as a free-kick was awarded for a foul against Ikpeazu as the ball came into the box.
At the start of the second half Ikpeazu broke down the left after a good run and pass from Henderson. Ikpeazu headed towards the goal-line and passed the ball across goal towards the onrushing Henderson. Unfortunately his resulting shot under pressure from a defender flew over the bar. Hearts went ahead after forty-nine minutes when Henderson got ahead of Scott McKenna and laid the ball of to Meshino the left. The Japanese playmaker cut inside and curled a great shot into the top corner of the net from twenty-five yards giving Lewis in the Aberdeen goal no chance making a save. Minutes later Irving had a go from just outside the penalty area following another pass from Henderson. His low shot was pushed around the post by Henderson. Aberdeen had rarely been seen in attack but equalised after sixty-eight minutes. the Hearts side were caught unawares by a quick free-kick and Sean Clare, playing again at right-back, had no choice than to pulled back Jon Gallagher twenty-five yards from goal as he raced towards the penalty area. Referee Alan Muir considered the challenge denied a clear goal scoring opportunity and show Clare a red card. He left the field to tremendous applause from the Hearts fans as he had been having another good game in an unfamiliar role. Clare showed his appreciation to the crowd by applauding them as he trudged off. Worse was to come as Niall McGinn curled the free-kick over the defensive wall and into the net at the near post with Joel Pereira unable to get near the ball. With Hearts now down to ten men Daniel Stendel brought on Damour to strengthen the midfield and Washingn to provide fresh legs up front. Aberdeen had most of the ball for the remainder of the game but were unable to trouble Pereira in the Hearts goal. The Hearts defence with Michael Smith now back in his normal right-back role played excellently cutting out danger before Aberdeen could find space in the penalty area. Washington and Henderson both looked dangerous on the break but with only ten men lacked support from midfield to support their runs. Garrucio came on for the last few minutes playing in a left sided midfield role to provide defensive support for Hickey and looked as if he had recovered well from his cruciate injury.
After the final whistle I walked home in a better mood than I had been after a game at Tynecastle for some time. Hearts had played well against an Aberdeen side who are third in the SPL and but for Clare’s red card would I think have won the match. The three teenagers in the side, Hickey, Irving and Henderson all played well. Irving was my man of the match after an excellent game in midfield breaking forward well and finding players with some really good passes. There is still long way to go but I think on this showing Hearts can look forward to a much improved second half of the season with any thoughts of relegation being banished.
Teams
Hearts: Pereira, Smith, Bozanic, Clare, Ikpeazu, Halkett, Dikamona, Irving, Henderson, Hickey, Meshino.
Subs: Damour, Washington, Garuccio.
Aberdeen: Lewis, Logan, McKenna, Main, Taylor, Ferguson, Gallagher, Ojo, Campbell, Anderson, Vyner.
Subs: McGinn, Wilson, Hedges
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