Experienced Hearts reserves side beaten heavily by Aberdeen

An experienced Hearts line-up were beaten 5-2 by Aberdeen in a Reserve League encounter at the Balmoral Stadium, Cove.

Ben Garuccio featured for Hearts reserves in Cove

Aberdeen won a penalty in the fourth minute when Ethan Ross was pulled down by keeper Kelby Mason. David Dangana converted from the spot.

The Dons doubled their advantage on 14 minutes when Dean Campbell fired home from 20 yards.

Hearts hit back just before the hour as Aidan Keena – scorer of a hat-trick against Morton last week, the treble coming just 24 hours after the young Irishman had opened his first-team account against Auchinleck Talbot – lifted the ball over Dons keeper David Craddock to score. Craddock produced a fine save to stop Keena’s free-kick from 25 yards as Hearts pushed for an equaliser.

Aberdeen moved 3-1 ahead just after half-time, Dangana turning the ball in to the net with the aid of a deflection off Ben Garuccio.

Garuccio had an opportunity on 62 minutes when David Vanecek headed the ball into his path, but the Aussie pulled his shot wide.

Dean Campbell rifled a left-foot shot past Mason to put the Dons 4-1 up, the ball again taking a deflection off a Hearts player – this time Ryan Edwards – before finding the net. Substitute Rory Currie pulled a goal back for Hearts in the 85th minute when he turned in a Bobby Burns cross.

Hearts were then reduced to ten men when Daniel Baur saw red for an off-the-ball kick at Kieran Shanks.

Hearts’ misery was compounded when Shanks rounded Mason and rolled in Aberdeen’s fifth.

The teams meet again in next Monday’s Reserve Cup semi-final.

Hearts Reserves: Mason, Garuccio, Burns, Petkov (c), Baur, Irving, Edwards, Smith (Henderson 56), Vanecek (Currie 66), Wighton, Keena. Unused subs: Silva, Ritchie, Hickey, Logan, Gajda.