Hearts 3 - 0 Aberdeen: Home side leading from the front

AN ULTIMATELY comfortable victory for Hearts was down to the home side's lethal quality in front of goal in a match where Aberdeen created chances but simply could not score.

New Hearts manager Paulo Sergio has his side playing decent passing football and, in John Sutton, they have found a player who can lead the line, perform as an old-fashioned centre-forward, and take a sniff of a chance. His confident performance and the class of David Templeton, Scott Robinson and Adrian Mrowiec augur well for the men in maroon.

As they prepare to face Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final qualifying round's first leg on Thursday at Tynecastle - what an atmosphere the old place will have that night - Sergio was enigmatic: "It will be a huge challenge but we will have some cards to play."

Let's get the non-football idiocy out of the road first: the chanting from a minority section of the Aberdeen support about the awful events that befell Hearts during the summer and disgraced former player Craig Thomson was utterly disgusting. Manager Craig Brown said afterwards: "I don't approve of that at all. It is unacceptable. The vast majority of our supporters were great."

Back to football: Danny Grainger was selected for Hearts after a week of missing training on compassionate grounds and there was a special cheer for Rudi Skacel when the teams were announced, the fans' favourite having signed on for another six months. He started on the bench, however, as did Peter Pawlett of Aberdeen whose place went to another talented youngster, Fraser Fyvie.

Another youngster, Scott Robinson, was quite superb in a holding midfield role - "he works hard and is talented and hard work will get you opportunities " said his manager - as Hearts played an adventurous formation with three or four men up front for long periods.

The back four pressed upfield and compressed play, and while the visitors had a more orthodox 4-4-2 line up, they were able to make inroads into the Hearts defence at times.

As Brown said afterwards: "Goals win games and I don't think Hearts missed a chance while we missed five, which is why I think it was a more even game than the score suggests."

His side have still to score a goal in this season's SPL, so it's clear where the problems lie. Brown admitted he had been in England looking at possible signings last week now that their Premier League sides have finalised their rosters. With all due respect to Scott Vernon and Darren Mackie, a striker must be a priority.

Aberdeen actually had the better of the opening exchanges, winning the first corner of the match after six minutes. That one came to nothing but a second corner five minutes later saw Robert Milsom's cross headed firmly by Kari Aranson, Marian Kello tipping the ball on to the crossbar. The Icelander shot just wide after 20 minutes but, after an opening in which they barely featured as an attacking threat, it was Hearts who took the lead on 24 minutes.

After good work by Robinson, the ball went to Arvydas Novikovas on the right of the penalty area. For the second week running Aberdeen captain Ricky Foster was at fault for a goal, failing to close down the young Lithuanian who had time to pick his spot low to the unsighted David Gonzalez's right.

Gonzalez saw Danny Grainger's free kick three minutes later in plenty of time to save it comfortably, before Vernon and Mackie both sent headers off target at the other end.

On 35 minutes, Templeton brilliantly created a second for Hearts, skinning Rory McArdle and hitting the by-line in textbook fashion before drilling the ball to Sutton who couldn't miss. It was his first competitive goal for Hearts and if he plays till he is 50 he will never score an easier one.

Templeton had a go himself before half-time but his shot curled over the bar. Goalscorer Novikovas turned an ankle and went off at half-time to be replaced by Skacel, while Peter Pawlett came on for Darren Mackie as Craig Brown tried to freshen things up for Aberdeen.

Seven minutes into the second half, after he had already put a header wide, Sutton scored his second and Hearts' third.

While Youl Mawene and others in the Aberdeen defence dithered, Robinson managed to get the ball through to Sutton who was all alone and made no mistake. "It was a little bit surreal finding myself in front of goal on my own," he admitted.

To their credit, Aberdeen never gave up trying, and Fyvie missed a very good chance at the back post - "I could have run from the dugout and put it in myself," said a frustrated Brown.

Gonzalez held a crisp volley from Skacel after 76 minutes, but by then the result was in no doubt and the match was played out tamely.