BBC Sports Hearts ended their run of four defeats with a hard-fought draw against Aberdeen at Tynecastle, but it was not enough to lift them off the bottom of the Scottish Premiership.

 

First-half injuries to Stephen Kingsley and Frankie Kent rattled the Hearts defence, and Aberdeen quickly punished the patchwork backline as Leighton Clarkson slipped in to volley home a Shayden Morris cross.

Hearts were able to comeback, with Musa Drammeh’s header deflecting in off Nicky Devlin to bring them level.

“I’ve only been here for seven weeks, but I’ve been very encouraged by our performances,” Hearts head coach Neil Critchley told BBC Scotland.

“This is only a glimpse of where we are. You have good and terrible spells. The league will not lie at the end of the season.

“We are not quite halfway through; we have a lot of games to play, and the league is pretty congested. Things will turn in our favor if we continue to display the same devotion, enthusiasm, and energy, sometimes with greater quality – and a little luck.”

Aberdeen’s title campaign continues to fade, as a third game without a win puts them four points behind Celtic, who have played a game more.

Hearts are two points below city rivals Hibernian, who are second-bottom.

Despite Aberdeen and Hearts’ vastly divergent domestic seasons thus far, some Dons supporters were pessimistic coming to Tynecastle, and perhaps for good reason: they haven’t won there since 2017.

Hearts had a stronger first half, but injuries to Kingsley and Kent subdued the home crowd, and Clarkson’s goal sent the away end into a frenzy.

Just before halftime, the former Liverpool player came close to adding a second, but Craig Gordon saved him.

Aberdeen had to contend with an injury of their own when goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov was replaced at halftime, and substitute stopper Ross Doohan’s first meaningful action was to pick the ball out of his net.

Blair Spittal’s cross was glanced towards goal by Drammeh, a young Spaniard making his first debut for the club, and the ball deflected in off Devlin’s chest.

The Dons captain made atonement by preventing a potential Hearts goal late on. A long ball into the box fell well for replacement Jorge Grant, who had the goal at his mercy, but Devlin managed to block it.

While Aberdeen’s defence was brave, they were fortunate that Jack Milne did not receive a red card for his lunge on Beni Baningime, which left the Hearts midfielder crumpled on the ground. Following a VAR review, Kevin Clancy was cleared to play.

Grant had one final chance to win it, collecting a cross at the back post and volleying at goal, but Doohan made an excellent stop to ensure Aberdeen took a point.

Hearts count the cost of key points.

Following Hibernian’s unexpected 3-0 victory against Motherwell on Saturday, there was more pressure on this game than Hearts fans could have imagined.

While a point against the club in second place isn’t a bad result, the game had the same unavoidable feel as the last few outings – Hearts would make lots of effort but fail to win.

That was exacerbated by the absence of Kingsley, who was left writhing in agony with a hamstring injury, and Kent, who staggered out with an apparent knee trouble.

With Gerald Taylor already sidelined, Neil Critchley’s defensive choices have been reduced, adding to his difficulty.

However, Drammeh’s performance attracted praise and added real flare to Hearts’ currently limited offensive threat.

Dons’ Tynecastle hoodoo persists.

The two encounters between these teams this season have been intense contests, and for long of the game, it appeared that Aberdeen would win again.

Despite Shayden Morris’ speed, they didn’t cause too many difficulties in the second half, when Hearts should have been on the ropes.

Perhaps this was owing to Jimmy Thelin’s six changes to the side in an effort to keep the players fresh during this hectic season.

The back four have never played together before and may never do again, but Thelin learnt more about his underutilized players.

Aberdeen’s embryonic title bid suffers another setback, as their focus will shift to the clubs behind them rather than leaders Celtic.

What they said.

Neil Critchley, head coach of Hearts, stated to BBC Scotland that the squad started strong and created opportunities. The two injuries have disrupted us and the rhythm of the game.

“We wound up with a makeshift back four. They score on their first shot. We might feel sorry for ourselves, but we shown hunger, desire, and passion in the second half. We got the crowd interested and proceeded with the game.

“The least we deserved was a point.”

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin stated to BBC Scotland: “You can see the players fight for each other.” They are putting in a genuine effort. I appreciated their approach, particularly how much they ran. They continue running.

“We need to reestablish the rhythm and energy of the squad. We have quality.

“When the dynamic is not present, you lose the ball and the opponents gain momentum too quickly. That’s the component we need to enhance, because we’ve already done it.”

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