Aberdeen End 2019 With Disappointing Draw Against Hearts

The last match of 2019 saw the Dons end with a draw against bottom side Hearts at Tynecastle.

Derek McInnes made three changes to the side that won against Livingston at Pittodrie on Boxing Day.

Dean Campbell and Jon Gallagher returned to the starting eleven, with Connor McLennan, Ryan Hedges and Niall McGinn all dropped to the bench.

Bruce Anderson was finally given his first start of the season for the Dons.

Sam Cosgrove was still out serving his second game of his two match ban following the red card he received against Celtic before Christmas.

Our opening chance came in the third minute when the ball broke to Bruce Anderson at the edge of the 18 yard box, but his shot went over on the turn.

Hearts had the closest of chances in the early stages of the game on the quarter hour mark when Meshino fired a shot along the face of goal and thankfully went inches wide.

Aberdeen were struggling and Hearts took more of the opportunities in the first half.  Meshino was nearly on target again in the 22nd minute and fired his shot over from 25 yards.

Uche Ikpeazu went past Dean Campbell in the 25th minute before putting a low cross across the face of goal.  The ball was picked up by Meshino at the back post who shot low beyond Joe Lewis but Scott McKenna managed to clear the ball off the line.

It wasn’t working for the Dons, so Derek McInnes put Shay Logan from right back to left back with Zak Vyner dropping from the midfield three into the right back role and he pushed up Dean Campbell from left back into midfield.

Andy Irving picked up Craig Halkett eight yards out and Joe Lewis denied his attempt in the 37th minute.

Zak Vyner was forced off injured in the 44th minute with an injury to his right arm and Niall McGinn came on as his replacement.

Hearts came out of the blocks in the second half with all guns blazing, and three minutes into the half Ikpeazu went beyond Shay Logan and drilled his shot low to Euan Henderson.  His shot landed on the roof of the net.

Hearts got the opener in the 48th minute when Meshino picked up the ball 25 yards out and hit his shot into the far corner of the net.

And just moments later Andy Irving drove a shot towards Lewis who pushed the ball behind for a corner.

Heart were reduced to ten men, in the 68th minute when Sean Clare pulled back Jon Gallagher, Alan Muir showing the Hearts’ player a straight red.

It was left to Niall McGinn to score the equaliser just moments later, when he stepped up from the free kick, hit the ball over the wall and in off the post to score for the Dons.

Although the Dons had the advantage in numbers, they didn’t make the most of it, and ended the game all square.

A disappointing draw for the 1,790 travelling the Red Army as we finish 2019 in fourth place in the Scottish Premiership.