Aberdeen 1-0 Hearts: Report and ratings, scoring chances, injuries, unbeaten Premiership run ends

Hearts’ unbeaten league run ended in the 13th round of fixtures as Aberdeen closed out a narrow win at Pittodrie. The home side delivered an aggressive and tenacious performance to unsettle their guests and prevailed through Topi Keskinen’s first-half strike. Hearts remain top of the Premiership, but their advantage over Celtic is now four points with the Glasgow club holding a game in hand.

This was only Aberdeen’s second home victory over the season in all competitions. They enjoyed the kudos of being the first team to issue Hearts a league defeat. Keskinen’s goal settled what was a tight affair and pushed his team level on points with Dundee United in seventh place. They remain 16 points behind Hearts in the table.

It turned out a difficult afternoon for those from Edinburgh, who were not like the free-scoring and dominant outfit of earlier in the campaign. That said, they did still finish with 16 shots at goal compared to Aberdeen’s six. Only four of the 16 were on target, however. Keskinen claimed the one that mattered in the end.

With Lawrence Shankland and Eduardo Ageu missing through injury, not forgetting Beni Baningime, Hearts were captained by Cammy Devlin. They reinstated centre-back Frankie Kent and switched to a three-man central defence. Landry Kabore started as the central striker after back-to-back international hat-tricks with Burkina Faso. He was the focal point in a 3-4-3 system designed to carry plenty attacking threat. Aberdeen were missing the Swedish winger Jesper Karlsson after he flew home for family reasons, while Latvian centre-back Kristers Tobers is out until next year injured.

The number of early fouls indicated that the traditionally competitive nature of this fixture wouldn’t be compromised as rain poured into the Pittodrie surface. Hearts struck the crossbar on 17 minutes through Harry Milne and looked dangerous from through balls and crosses. Aberdeen were also passing their way forward as play swung from end to end. Home fans were outraged at the number of decisions referee David Dickinson gave to Hearts, although he generally got most correct. That included a 32nd-minute caution for Claudio Braga for simulation.

The visitors’ afternoon worsened seven minutes before the interval. Dante Polvara’s loping forward pass found Keskinen on the left, and he benefitted from a ricochet off Kent while seeking space inside the opposition penalty area. An extra touch and a crisp low finish past Alexander Schwolow were sufficient to put Aberdeen 1-0 ahead. They reached the interval still in command, leaving Hearts needing to add more creativity to fashion clear scoring chances.

They should have equalised on 55 minutes when Braga directed a deflected Alexandros Kyziridis’ ball back across goal to Tomas Magnusson. The unmarked Icelander had a free header at goal from six yards but his attempt lacked conviction and resulted in a comfortable save for the Aberdeen goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov. The Tynecastle side were certainly pressing forward in numbers in an effort to draw level.

Another opportunity fell to Braga on 76 minutes, but Mitov stopped the Portuguese’s first effort and Jack Milne cleared the rebound inside the six-yard area. By now, Hearts had switched to a formation resembling 4-2-4 trying to force the issue as substitutes, Blair Spittal, Christian Borchgrevink and Jamie McCart entered the fray. They would be followed by James Wilson and Alan Forrest.

The visitors huffed and puffed and sent plenty direct balls forward, but they found Aberdeen rigid in a five-man defence. Shankland’s influence in the final third was conspicuous by its absence. Save for a late Kabore chance which Mitov held, that remained the story until the final whistle.

Here are the Hearts player ratings from Pittodrie: