Hearts into last 16 after beating Aberdeen

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09 Jan 2016

By Tom English BSports Scotland at Tynecastle

A third-minute Callum Paterson goal for Hearts dumped Aberdeen out of the Scottish Cup at Tynecastle.

Paterson headed home from close-range and it proved the pivotal moment of an absorbing cup tie.

The Dons spurned a wonderful opportunity to level midway through the second half when Andrew Considine scooped over from six yards.

In a frantic finale, Aberdeen pushed desperately, piling everybody forward, including goalkeeper, Danny Ward.

Niall McGinn and Ash Taylor had chances during those closing moments but could not execute.

The winner had its origins in a corner, a source of heavy vulnerability for Aberdeen throughout an opening half that Hearts bossed.

You did not need to hear what Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes was saying to know of his horror at watching that early, and ultimately decisive, blow. It was written all over his death stare at his defenders.

Sam Nicholson swung in a corner, Alim Ozturk got the first header and then Paterson got the critical second.

Aberdeen were crazily passive in that moment. For them, it was the ugliest of goals. For Hearts, it was a thing of infinite beauty - their first Scottish Cup goal since Rudi Skacel completed the rout of Hibernian in that tumultuous final of 2012.

Three-and-a-half years is a hell of a wait for a goal, but the way the home team set about the Dons in the minutes after Paterson scored it looked probable that a second was going to arrive in quick order.

They had their visitors surrounded. They hassled and harried them. They put them on the back foot and kept them there for long periods.

Hearts won a succession of corners in that opening spell and from so many of them the Dons had a desperate anxiety.

Hearts dominated the first half at Tynecastle

Hearts looked sure to add to their tally in a strong first-half display

Blazej Augustyn put one in the side-netting midway through the half, then the defender had a free header, from another corner, and failed to put it away. Aberdeen were alive, but they were offering nothing.

The Dons have too many dangerous players for this torpor to last the entire night, though.

Eventually they found something. Some urgency, some goal threat. Adam Rooney forced a save from Neil Alexander, the preamble to their golden chance.

Jonny Hayes created it from the left and it was Considine who was on the end of it. From the edge of the six-yard box, and directly in front of the visiting army of almost 3,500 fans, the big defender lofted his strike over the target.

Hearts came again and Osman Sow, an excellent handful that the Dons never got to grips with, fired three attempts on Ward's goal. One flashed by a post, just.

None of them were put away, but Hearts would not regret their profligacy. They are into the fifth round - deservedly.

Lineup, Bookings (8) & Substitutions (5)

Heart of Midlothian

01 Alexander Booked
02 Paterson Booked
05 Ozturk Booked
04 Augustyn
18 Rossi Booked
14 Pallardo Gonzalez Booked
08 Buaben Abankwah
11 Nicholson (King - 70' )
16 Sutchuin-Djoum
10 Sow (McGhee - 88' )
20 Reilly (Delgado Lloria - 80' )

Substitutes

12 King
13 Hamilton
17 Oshaniwa
19 Delgado Lloria
22 McGhee
27 Buchanan
44 Zanatta

Aberdeen

19 Ward
02 Logan
05 Taylor
06 Reynolds Booked
04 Considine (Goodwillie - 71' )
11 Hayes
07 McLean
08 Flood (Pawlett - 38' Booked )
03 Shinnie
09 Rooney Booked
10 McGinn

Substitutes

14 Smith
15 Robson
16 Pawlett
17 Goodwillie
18 Quinn
20 Brown
23 Storie

Ref: John Beaton

Att: 13,595

Match Stats

Possession 57 43

Shots

12 11

On target

6 6

Corners

11 4

Fouls

12 12

Live Text Commentary

Full time

Full Time Match ends, Heart of Midlothian 1, Aberdeen 0.

90:00 +4:35 Full time

Full Time Second Half ends, Heart of Midlothian 1, Aberdeen 0.

90:00 +4:19

Corner, Aberdeen. Conceded by Billy King.

90:00 +4:03

Attempt blocked. Shaleum Logan (Aberdeen) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

90:00 +3:19 Booking

Booking Neil Alexander (Heart of Midlothian) is shown the yellow card.

90:00 +3:09

Prince Buaben (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

90:00 +3:09

Foul by Ash Taylor (Aberdeen).

90:00 +2:31 Booking

Booking Callum Paterson (Heart of Midlothian) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

90:00 +2:09

Foul by Callum Paterson (Heart of Midlothian).

90:00 +2:09

Jonny Hayes (Aberdeen) wins a free kick on the left wing.

90:00 +1:17

Attempt saved. Ash Taylor (Aberdeen) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.

90:00 +0:58

Corner, Aberdeen. Conceded by Jordan McGhee.

90:00 +0:15

Igor Rossi (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick on the right wing.

90:00 +0:15 Booking

Booking Peter Pawlett (Aberdeen) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

90:00 +0:15

Foul by Peter Pawlett (Aberdeen).

89:52

Attempt saved. Niall McGinn (Aberdeen) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is saved in the centre of the goal.

88:24

Alim Ozturk (Heart of Midlothian) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

88:24

Foul by David Goodwillie (Aberdeen).

87:52 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Heart of Midlothian. Jordan McGhee replaces Osman Sow.

87:23

Attempt missed. Niall McGinn (Aberdeen) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the left misses to the left.

87:00

Attempt blocked. Kenny McLean (Aberdeen) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

86:18 Booking

Booking Alim Ozturk (Heart of Midlothian) is shown the yellow card.