Extended highlights of Ross County v Celtic, Hearts’ trip to Aberdeen
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00:30Good evening, a triple bill of sports scene delights for you tonight, the dynamic duo of
00:45Niall McGinn and Cammy Bell with us to enjoy it. How would Celtic respond after their drubbing
00:51in Dortmund, a midday away day at Ross County, the next stop. Commentary comes from Alistair
00:57Lamont.
00:58From Dortmund to Dingwall, Celtic aim to get the bandwagon back on the rails. Peel is in
01:06the Premiership, they'll try to re-assert their authority against the Ross County side,
01:11hoping to catch them on another off day and become the first team to take leap points
01:15from them this season. County are unbeaten in three, and their only change to the side
01:22that drew at Tynecastle is to stiffen up the middle of the park with Aidan Denham coming
01:26in to replace Jordan White. No drastic changes for Brendan Rodgers, more of a freshening
01:33up with Alex Bailly starting for the first time in the league, Ray Hotati into the midfield
01:38and Adam Ida who has four goals in five as a sub, given a chance from the off. Bernardo
01:43and Kiyoko are on the bench.
01:46CELTIC HAVE WON THE LAST 11 MEETINGS BETWEEN THE SIDES, INCLUDING THE LAST SIX, ENDING
01:55WELL 3-0 HERE ON THEIR ONLY VISIT LAST SEASON, SEE IF COUNTY CAN UPSET THE ODDS THIS AFTERNOON.
02:06They've set it all up to get quickly back into their own groove.
02:21Here's Koon, inside of Williams.
02:27Breaks for Maida.
02:30Bailly with the effort, now come to Johnstone.
02:35Ida, couldn't get the accuracy on the header.
02:39CELTIC DOMINATING THE ATTACKING PLAY AS YOU'D EXPECT.
02:44These early exchanges, difficult one for Ida to guide on target.
02:59That's a good interchange, Maida's through, good save from Laidlaw.
03:03Good free kick, giving a fake for handball against Maida,
03:07trying to bring the ball under control.
03:10A lovely interchange here from Celtic, McGregor for Ida.
03:14Not sure Laidlaw made the save anyway.
03:19Yeah, probably does come off the bicep there of Maida.
03:24Gives it to Bailly, slides it forward for Maida,
03:28who's in a good position for the comeback!
03:30Terrific challenge from Campbell.
03:33This was a really important intervention from Campbell.
03:38Looked like it was gonna be a tap-in for Koon.
03:42He wasn't content enough, you'd imagine.
03:45Long way to go, though.
03:48He'll do well against Trusty.
03:50He gets the ball back and he's gone for goal.
03:52Schmeichel pushes it away, only as far as Chilvers,
03:55who responds on the rebound with a decent enough effort.
03:59There's a couple of yards wide of Schmeichel's post.
04:03Schmeichel looking to get back to clean-sheet ways
04:09over the course of this afternoon.
04:13To concede in the Premiership.
04:18Scoreline, no worse, certainly.
04:21Celtic looking to ensure that doesn't happen.
04:24Johnston to the back post, Maida with the header!
04:27Again it's off target from Celtic.
04:30Brilliant ball in from Johnston to pick out Maida.
04:36Hattati's ball forward.
04:41Ede has charged his pass down and now finds Engels
04:46into the body off-lead logo.
04:49Difficult for Engels to put a team-mate in there,
04:53it's just forced a little bit wide here from Ede.
04:57Flick from Engels, Hattati for Ede.
05:01Hattati now blocked, danger not clear though.
05:05Ede's shot again, charged down,
05:08which makes it a comfortable take for Bladelaw in the end.
05:14This county working ever so hard to try and keep Celtic out,
05:19which they've managed to do thus far.
05:22Randle, it's a good ball for Nisbet.
05:25Back off the heel of Efeiti, now Efeiti does pick up.
05:28That came off a hand in there, that's the claim.
05:33Nothing given as Efeiti chips it back in,
05:36Schmeichel could have caught that you can imagine,
05:39looks to punch.
05:41Denham.
05:43That's the better of Koon.
05:45So too does Randle.
05:48So too does Randle.
05:51Denham, well-challenged by Koon.
06:04Well, Kevin Clancy's gonna come across and look at the screen now,
06:07expect that is for the claim of handball.
06:10We could have a Ross County penalty in our hands here.
06:14Yes, that touches Liam Scale's arm.
06:17Which it certainly does, that's got to be a penalty,
06:19his arm's outstretched from Efeiti's cross.
06:23And it is, it's a penalty for Ross County.
06:27Well, well.
06:30Doesn't have any complaints.
06:32Six minutes left in the first half,
06:35Ross County have an opportunity to become the first side
06:39to score against Celtic in the league this season.
06:43It'll be Ronan Hale, Celtic supporter,
06:46to step up and try and continue his fighting start to the season.
06:51Six goals already in a county jersey.
06:55It's Ronan Hale.
06:58Saved by Schmeichel!
07:01The clean sheet record is intact.
07:05Chilvers.
07:08Oh, what's gonna happen here, is that a retake?
07:14Schmeichel can't believe it.
07:18Yeah, he's off his line well before it's struck.
07:21And it will be retaken.
07:23My goodness, what drama.
07:27So, take two, Hale against Schmeichel.
07:31This time he scores!
07:33Ronan Hale!
07:37What nerve.
07:39And Ross County have the lead.
07:42Celtic concede for the first time in the league this season.
07:47And it's a penalty for Celtic.
07:51Celtic concede for the first time in the league this season.
07:56What a massive moment for the striker,
07:59who notches his seventh goal of the season
08:02against his boyhood heroes.
08:05Ronan Hale has Ross County a goal up on Celtic.
08:11More for Brendan Rodgers to mull over.
08:14Petty pushes it forward for Nisbet,
08:17tries to turn away from McGregor,
08:19scales, comes back to help out.
08:22Under pressure, he's lost it to Nisbet,
08:25he'll go for goal, Schmeichel turns it behind,
08:28just seemed to squirm out of his grasp there.
08:32And Ross County threaten a second in first-half stoppage time.
08:37And Ross County threaten a second in first-half stoppage time.
08:45It's gone away by Johnston to Chilvers,
08:48Hale's gone for goal!
08:50Not far away, audacious attempt from Ronan Hale.
08:55And he'll actually be disappointed he's not managed to execute that,
08:59given the form he's been on.
09:02Engels.
09:05Pata wins it but goes down.
09:08McGregor drives into the penalty area,
09:11not too far away from the Celtic captain.
09:16Pata was looking for a free kick but it didn't come.
09:19And McGregor, trying to guide it into the bottom corner.
09:25Trustee, actually finding Bailly.
09:28Bailly.
09:30Now it's Maida.
09:34Matati, back for Maida, big chance, good save, Ross Laidlaw.
09:44He looks to cut himself but he's trying to meet the challenge here,
09:47Maida got goal inside of him.
09:50That is an important challenge in the end by Eiffeti,
09:53helping put Maida off.
09:56He gets enough of the ball there.
10:03Side-beat Rangers towards the end of last season.
10:06This would have to go down with an even bigger scalp.
10:09Bernardo, near post, ball glanced on, Laidlaw's kept it out,
10:12McGregor, it's in!
10:14And it's Johnstone who's got the final touch to level things up.
10:20An unlikely scorer, the Celtic don't care.
10:25Laidlaw keeping the initial effort out.
10:29McGregor's effort, guided home by Johnstone.
10:35And at last, Ross County's resistance is broken.
10:40It's what a piece.
10:44Don't know much Charleston Johnstone knew about that.
10:47Samuel.
10:49And Brown.
10:50Cleaves.
10:52Ross County looking to create something themselves here,
10:54trust he's done well.
11:01The player going to give that one up.
11:04And Bernardo emerges with possession.
11:09Steps Campbell, Cowan, lovely touch.
11:13Then runs into Landau.
11:15Then runs into Landau.
11:18Celtic's way quickly taken.
11:21Three minutes left of the 90 now.
11:23As Johnstone releases Kuhn.
11:25Kuhn up against Leek.
11:27It's Kuhn, who scores!
11:31Nicolas Kuhn has surely won it for Celtic.
11:40Absolute bedlam in the away end.
11:43As Celtic snatch the points late on.
11:47They've done it before in Dingwall,
11:49and they've done it again.
11:51Nicolas Kuhn guiding that into the bottom corner.
11:54Wonderful pass from Alistair Johnstone.
11:57And Kuhn does the rest.
12:00Curling it into the bottom corner.
12:04Laidlaw without a hope.
12:07And Celtic...
12:08And Celtic...
12:11will surely now take maximum points once again.
12:18It was a victory of a different kind for Brendan Rodgers and Celtic.
12:22One they have had to dig out.
12:24Nicolas Kuhn and Alistair Johnstone,
12:27the two goal-scorers as they turned it round.
12:31Ross County will feel the hard work they've put in
12:35might have earned them a point.
12:37Bowden Hills retaking penalty.
12:39Not enough in the end.
12:41It finishes in Dingwall.
12:43Ross County 1, Celtic 2.
12:48I've got to be pleased.
12:49In this spell of games, we've had seven games in 23 days.
12:52We've won six of them, playing absolutely fantastic.
12:55We've lost one against a Champions League finalist,
12:58which we will learn from.
13:01And I think today we'll learn from the game as well,
13:03that there's no easy games,
13:05especially on the back of a European tie.
13:08But what I have to commend the players for
13:10is the mentality that they showed in the second half.
13:13To keep going with that grit and determination,
13:16as well as the talent that they have shown through in the end.
13:20I'm really pleased for them.
13:21We always believe we can score a goal.
13:23We always carry a threat.
13:24And we've done that again today.
13:26We had to sort of bide our time in terms of building into the game.
13:31But I thought as the first half wore on, we got stronger.
13:34Got the goal.
13:36I would have rather we had a bit more of a threat in the second half.
13:39But that's your natural instinct.
13:41You're playing against a top-quality team.
13:43You drop and try and defend.
13:45And we just didn't quite see it out.
13:48All eyes on how Celtic would react after that doing in Dortmund.
13:53Former Celtic winger Niall again.
13:55How impressed were you by the reaction?
13:58Not great, if I'm being honest.
14:00Straight away in the first half, I thought the tempo in general was quite slow.
14:04Watching it back earlier, I think they just need to do things a lot quicker.
14:08One-two touch.
14:09Get the ball wide and try and create chances in behind.
14:12You've seen with Ross County throughout the whole game.
14:15They're very defensive in their approach.
14:17I obviously looked to try and get Celtic on the counter.
14:20But all in all, I think Celtic just need to be a bit more quicker with the ball.
14:23Try and get the ball wide and create chances for the strikers.
14:26Interesting assignment for Celtic today.
14:28Obviously today, midday kick-off, ending Mo Khamie.
14:31It is a difficult place to go for.
14:33We saw the Rangers last season.
14:36If they don't get the attitude right, then on that day, Ross County obviously got the victory.
14:40How impressed were you by the way Ross County made life difficult for Celtic?
14:44Yeah, they did.
14:45Listen, they've been working on it all week.
14:46Don Cowie, they've been making sure that defensively they're set up right.
14:49They know there are going to be long periods without the ball as well.
14:52So you have to be robust, disciplined, work really hard
14:56and make sure you don't give Celtic opportunities.
14:58Because they've got a number of players that can hurt you at the top end of the pitch.
15:02And again, it's just about being switched on throughout the whole game.
15:06You can see here how many players Ross County have got back defensively.
15:09Eight or nine players in their own box.
15:11Defending shots, blocking shots.
15:13Their goalkeepers are going to have to make saves as well.
15:16But you know that before you play Celtic.
15:17You know you're going to have to have a big defensive performance.
15:20You're going to have to make last-ditch challenges.
15:22And ride your luck as well, Jonathan.
15:24I think that's one of the things.
15:25Here it was a brilliant goal-saving challenge.
15:27Ball across the box.
15:29But yeah, and this challenge here I think just sums it up.
15:33How Ross County defended the whole game.
15:35It was a last-ditch challenge from Mufeti.
15:38Brilliant save as well from Laidlaw.
15:40But again, it just summed up how they were today.
15:43They were really hard to break down as well.
15:45Yeah, for years and years and years we've had torturous sports scene.
15:49Trials over handballs and all the rest of it.
15:51I think this one falls into the clear-cut category, Niall.
15:54And no doubt about the right penalty award.
15:58A fair bit of drama afterwards.
15:59But these handballs are about as clear-cut as they get, aren't they?
16:03Yeah, alright.
16:04First of all, Liam does well to dig it out and try and close down the cross.
16:08Obviously his arm has come up from a side.
16:11And yeah, looking here you can see obviously the ball clearly hits his hand.
16:14And unfortunately for Celtic it was a penalty.
16:17So thankfully that's not the controversial bit.
16:19There was plenty more to mull over with this one, Cammy.
16:22And the dark arts of goalkeeping would come to the fore once the penalty got awarded.
16:27What's your take on this sort of hacking away at the penalty spot?
16:31Well, that's a little bit of gamesmanship there from Kasper Schmeichel.
16:34Just making it as uncomfortable as he can for Rohan Raheel,
16:37who stepped up and takes this penalty.
16:39Again, a good initial save from Kasper Schmeichel.
16:42But as we can see here, he's clearly off his line.
16:45So the retake was going to be given.
16:48Although Kasper wasn't too happy about that.
16:50But it takes real nerve when you've missed a penalty to step up again.
16:54Especially a pressure penalty like this.
16:57And it's a brilliant finish from Rohan Raheel.
16:59Absolutely smashes it into the corner. Fantastic.
17:01And Niall Rohan Raheel, it looks like he's going to become a Northern Ireland international
17:05once all the red tape and all the rest of it gets sorted out.
17:09How big a player could he be on the international scene?
17:12Yeah, he could be important.
17:13I think even sort of listening to Michael's interviews,
17:16he's just a big believer in players playing regular football.
17:19And obviously you see now he's playing at a good level.
17:22He's scoring goals. He's a confident boy.
17:24So that was a big moment for him scoring against his boyhood team in Celtic.
17:27I played against him a lot in the Irish League in the last couple of seasons.
17:31And he's always the type of player who plays on the shoulder.
17:34Always creates chances.
17:35And you've seen even early in the game, he was getting his shots away whenever he could.
17:38And now he's stepped up.
17:39And big pressure penalty to obviously step up a second time and score.
17:42Obviously it wasn't a great first half from a Celtic point of view.
17:44In the second half, though, the attitude did come together, obviously.
17:49And it's maybe not the most exquisite goal ever,
17:53but a flexing of Alistair Johnston's thigh and it was the equaliser.
17:58Yeah, listen, this was a type of goal Celtic needed in this game.
18:01It was a scrappy goal.
18:03Yes, it's a corner.
18:04It was well dealt with by Ross Laidlaw.
18:06A difficult one where he has to scoop it out in a difficult position.
18:10It's a good hit.
18:11And Alistair Johnston just kind of makes that slight movement and guides it towards a goal.
18:15But not the greatest goal of the score,
18:17but absolutely so important for them to get that goal at that moment in time.
18:20It kind of just hits often.
18:21But you were giving him the benefit of the doubt, Niall.
18:23Kind of guiding it in there with his thigh.
18:26I think he's reacted very well.
18:28He's more shocked than anyone, but right place at the right time.
18:32And a fair play to Callum.
18:33He's always up in the game.
18:34He's getting a shot away.
18:35And he's actually caught it quite clean.
18:37Although it seems to be that it is going wide.
18:39For Alistair Johnston, he's in the right place at the right time.
18:41And he gets his team back into the game.
18:43He's been a great performer for Celtic so far this season.
18:45Rewarded with a goal there.
18:47In terms of the actual winner, Celtic would leave it late.
18:50Don Cowie, Cammy, not happy about this.
18:53He felt that it wasn't a foul, Jordan White on Luke McCown.
18:57Your take?
18:58No, I think it is a foul.
18:59I think he's impeded him.
19:00There is contact there.
19:01I think because Luke McCown doesn't go over there,
19:03he maybe feels a little bit hard done by.
19:05But listen, after that, Cal McGregor, hand on the ball,
19:07wants to get play underway.
19:08He does that brilliant ball from Alistair Johnston
19:10up to Nicholas Kuhn,
19:11who does fantastic checks inside onto that left foot.
19:14And it's a fantastic finish.
19:16Absolutely.
19:17He's been a big player, Nicholas Kuhn, hasn't he?
19:19This season especially, obviously for Celtic.
19:21He was a bit quiet when he first came to the club.
19:23But he looks like he could be really important this time.
19:26Yes, massively.
19:27I think even initially in pre-season,
19:29I watched a few of the games.
19:30A couple of his assessing goals,
19:32he was sort of playing on the front foot.
19:34And that's what you want at a time,
19:35playing on the front foot, getting that defenders.
19:37And once he came in on his left foot,
19:39there's only one place he was going to put it,
19:40and that's the bottom corner.
19:41And you've seen the likes of James Forrest coming on,
19:43Luke McClan, Bernardo coming on.
19:45I think the M3 players had a big influence in the game as well.
19:48The game got played at a better pace
19:50and they started to create more chances.
19:52And there was Kuhn in the right place at the right time,
19:54cutting in and finishing it.
19:55Yes, and Celtic get the three points.
19:57Next to Pataudry, Aberdeen were aiming to make it
19:59an incredible 13 wins out of 13 this season.
20:03Would it be unlucky for Hearts,
20:04who'd endured a miserable start to the season
20:06before finally getting that first win on Thursday night?
20:12The Dodgers supporters in complete dreamland this season.
20:15What a start to the season it has been for the Red Army.
20:20Goes down the outside, it's Morris, cuts it back,
20:22it's dismissed!
20:27He rushes away.
20:30Maffigay, oh, it's a stunning finish.
20:33I think they're just going to take it from game to game
20:35if they get to the next international break.
20:37Having not dropped a point in the league then,
20:39they'll just look to the next target.
20:41So it's a great start.
20:43Hearts never say die attitude.
20:45Landed them with a point.
20:47They'll still be bottom of the Scottish Premiership.
20:50And Hearts' miserable win restaurant ends in Azerbaijan.
20:54Hopefully that's one that can kind of kick-start
20:56their domestic campaign.
20:59Well, some might have marked this game
21:01as Aberdeen's biggest test so far
21:03as last season's third force visit Petardry.
21:06But Hearts are rock-bottom of the league
21:08and a little jaded from their 6,000-mile round-trip
21:11to Azerbaijan.
21:13Plus, they haven't won here at Petardry since 2016.
21:16It all points to a 13th win in a row for Aberdeen.
21:19But will that victory against Minsk
21:21jolt Hearts' season into life?
21:24There's no tinkering with a winning team by Jimmy Toline.
21:27It's the same XI which won at Denz last time,
21:29Papi Habib Gueye.
21:31The league's top scorer is out until January.
21:33Nicky Devlin's consistency has been rewarded
21:36with a maiden Scotland call-up.
21:40After their lengthy travels,
21:42Hearts freshen things up with six changes.
21:44Jan Danda's winner against Minsk
21:46earns him a starting place.
21:48Kingsley, Oyegoke, Grant, Boateng and Vardar.
21:51Kingsley, Oyegoke, Grant, Boateng and Vardar.
21:54Kingsley, Oyegoke, Grant, Boateng and Vardar.
21:56are the others to come into the starting XI.
22:00Shinney.
22:02Under pressure from Spital, Rubicic.
22:04And Aberdeen have worked it nicely.
22:06Back to their captain, Graham Shinney,
22:09who chips one forwards.
22:11Header from McGrath.
22:13Clarkson under pressure, loses out to Boateng.
22:16Kingsley dispossessed.
22:18Clarkson.
22:21Now McGrath.
22:23Gives it to Topi Keskanen.
22:25And it's on!
22:29Deflected pass Gordon from Topi Keskanen.
22:34And Aberdeen leads,
22:36after only two minutes of Petaudry.
22:40Well, it feels like everything
22:42has just gone right for them so far this season.
22:45And Keskanen is such a threat.
22:48Hart's caught in the middle of the park initially.
22:50Clarkson, McGrath, Keskanen all involved.
22:54And the Finnish winger just lashes one goalwards.
22:57And it's come off Kai Rolls.
22:59And deceived Greg Gordon.
23:02It's a huge slice of fortune for Aberdeen.
23:06But they don't care as they hit the front.
23:09And Hart's trail early on.
23:12And Gordon may have had it covered,
23:14but not with that touch from Rolls.
23:19Here's Shanklands.
23:24Well, that was a chance for the Hart's captain.
23:28Aberdeen, really slack.
23:31At the back, it's closed down.
23:32Breaks for Shanklands.
23:34Hits it straight at Miethoff.
23:38And it's in.
23:40And it's in.
23:42And it's in.
23:44And it's in.
23:46And it's in.
23:49Liam Fox.
23:51Brief spell here at Petaudry under Barry Robson, of course, as a coach.
23:54Before returning to Hart's.
23:59Vargas.
24:01Comes infield.
24:03Nisbet battling.
24:04Back to Vargas, though.
24:06Danda.
24:08For Spittel.
24:09Bends one in and Shankland was there!
24:13Best chance so far for Hart's.
24:15And just signs that Lauren Shankland is starting to get back into better form in the last few games.
24:20He's lurking at the back post.
24:22McGrath puts some pressure on.
24:25And it's a difficult one to take.
24:27Unsighted, perhaps.
24:28And it's into the Richard Donald stand.
24:37Now Oyegoke.
24:40Vargas.
24:41Knocks it to Oyegoke.
24:42He's made a good run.
24:43Oyegoke!
24:44And then the sliding challenge by McGrath.
24:47Almost diverted into his own net, but Dimitar Mitov claims it in the end.
24:54Good run from Oyegoke.
24:55Trying to pick out Grant.
24:57Just a few signs Hart's starting to get into the groove a wee bit.
25:02McKenzie steps in and then McGrath is robbed by Vargas.
25:07Now Spittel for Hart's.
25:08Danda.
25:10Penrise.
25:11Danda.
25:13Penrise making the overlapping run.
25:14He gets it.
25:15Low cross from Penrise!
25:16And there's Shankland lurking.
25:19And Malloy just rolls it behind.
25:22Felt he had no option there, Gavin Malloy, but it's good play from Hart's.
25:25Penrise straight into the game.
25:28Grant was at the front post.
25:31Mitov.
25:33Pings that to McKenzie.
25:34Lovely flick round the corner from Jack McKenzie to Jamie McGrath.
25:38And he's up to the edge of the box.
25:39McGrath still going.
25:41And then it cannons back off him as Boateng got back.
25:47Nielsen.
25:48Flips it forward.
25:49It's Kevin Nisbet!
25:51Rolls with a really good challenge.
25:54Aberdeen burst to life.
25:56Again.
25:58It's a clever pass this from Nielsen.
26:00Nisbet doing what good number nines do.
26:02Playing off the shoulder.
26:07Rolls for Grant.
26:09Another cross into the Aberdeen box.
26:11And McKenzie boots it only half clear to Danda.
26:16Who goes to the back post.
26:18And Mitov had to claw that away.
26:21And he's frustrated because he probably feels he could have gathered that outright.
26:30Corner.
26:31This time to the back post.
26:32And Mitov doesn't deal with it.
26:33Shankland on target!
26:34And it's turned in by Frankie Kent!
26:37And Hearts have a precious equaliser.
26:42And Dmitar Mitov doesn't cover himself in glory here.
26:44He's been so reliable for Aberdeen.
26:46Spills it.
26:47Shankland guides it back towards the target.
26:50As he did on Thursday night for Danda's winner.
26:53And Frankie Kent.
26:54Right place, right time.
26:57Easy finish for the Hearts centre-back.
27:01And as we approach the break, it's Aberdeen 1, Hearts 1.
27:05Danda.
27:07It's Bittle.
27:08Back to Danda.
27:09A bit of space to work with for Danda.
27:10He's chipped it in.
27:11Edge of the six-yard box.
27:12Flicked header.
27:13And Kai Rolls.
27:14The other centre-back.
27:15Trying to get in on the act.
27:17Clipped in by Danda.
27:19And Rolls.
27:21Can't find the target.
27:24Down the line for McKenzie.
27:27Low cross.
27:28McGrath's touch.
27:29Flicks it.
27:30Down the line for McKenzie.
27:31Down the line for McKenzie.
27:33And a touch.
27:34Flicks it to Keskanen, who can't find the finish.
27:38And Hearts hack it away.
27:43And Rubisic away from Shankland who has gone into the centre-back.
27:49And again, and Aberdeen players making a point to John Beaton.
27:53That's four or five fouls that Lauren Shankland has had.
27:56He's on a bookend.
27:57And Graeme Shinney.
27:59Another forcefully making that point to John Beaton.
28:01Handball by Frankie Kent, I think that was the claim, or the foul on McGrath, but on we go.
28:08Rolls goes long, and Malloy...
28:12Tries to gather, and it breaks now for Kenneth Vargas!
28:17What a miss from the Costa Rican!
28:23Well, it's just a big, long ball from Hearts,
28:26Kai Rolls puts it into an area, miscommunication between Malloy and McKenzie.
28:31Falls for Vargas, tries to be clever, and Dink Mitov fluffs his lines.
28:41Spittle for Boateng.
28:44Danda.
28:47Penrice.
28:50Devlin blocks, can he prevent the corner?
28:53No free-kick, says John Beaton, floated to the back post, Shankland's header!
28:58And it's come off Malloy in behind.
29:01Rye smile from Lauren Shankland, he liked the cross.
29:04Devlin was looking for this to be a foul not given.
29:12Corner comes in, Mitov...
29:15Punches away, and now Spittle on the right foot!
29:18Oh, what about that for a goal?!
29:21Blair Spittle with his first for Hearts!
29:24And could it put them on their way to a first league win of the season?
29:29And it ends Aberdeen's winning streak.
29:33We saw it last season so many times in a Motherwell jersey,
29:38you can't give him this amount of space on the edge of the box.
29:41Picks his spot, and bends it deliciously beyond Mitov.
29:46And it could be another massive goal in this early part of the season
29:51for Heart of Midlothian, who leads 2-1 at Pittsburgh.
30:07Here's Devlin, as Aberdeen try to mount a response,
30:10laid to Keskinen, low cross, Soklaar can't turn it in...
30:14It's in to the bottom corner, from Nicky Devlin!
30:18An almost instant response from Jimmy Tollein's Aberdeen.
30:23And Nicky Devlin, in the week he received his first Scotland call-up,
30:28celebrates an important goal in the red of Aberdeen.
30:34He starts the move himself here, slides it to Keskinen,
30:38it breaks fortunately to him, but what a reaction that is.
30:41Came to it really quickly,
30:45and guides it beyond Craig Gordon, who dived across in vain.
30:51And suddenly, it's Aberdeen 2-2.
30:58And George Grant has been booked for complaining that the ball wasn't stationary
31:03for that Aberdeen free kick.
31:12Grant.
31:15Sends it into the box, Shankland making a nuisance of himself,
31:18but it doesn't come off.
31:21And now Aberdeen try and break up the other end, it's Duke.
31:24And Grant goes in on Duke, and he's already been booked for dissent,
31:29as George Grant, and that means John Beaton has no option
31:32but to flash the red cards.
31:35And Hearts are going to have to play out the final quarter of this game,
31:40with just ten players.
31:42Duke just waits for the challenge, then he was looking to accelerate away,
31:45but he didn't have the chance, because Grant sides him down.
31:49And he can't believe it, George Grant, but he was running the risk.
31:53And Hearts, bottom of the league, having played really well,
31:57now have to try and get to the end of this game with just ten players.
32:01Morris, going away from Beningame, and he's done really well.
32:05Shady Morris gets the by-line, chips one in, Sockler!
32:10Again, Frankie Kent is there to make the block.
32:12It's a really good cross, Sockler rises high,
32:15but Frankie Kent, absolutely magnificent again for Hearts this afternoon.
32:22Chini.
32:26Feeds Duke.
32:28Goes into the box, past Forrester, cut back for Sockler,
32:31misses it, and then it's forced in by Ante Palaversa!
32:37And are Aberdeen going to do it again?
32:42What a moment for Ante Palaversa.
32:46His first Aberdeen goal, and what a time to get it.
32:52Duke just burning pace, him at his best, Sockler fluffs it, in all honesty.
32:59But in the end, it's fortunate for Aberdeen dead,
33:03because Ante Palaversa is there to stroke it high past Craig Gordon.
33:09And as we near the 90th minute, Aberdeen get themselves in front,
33:15and on the brink of a 13th consecutive victory.
33:22And John Beaton blows the full-time whistle,
33:24and the Aberdeen story just keeps on going.
33:29A 13th consecutive win to start this season, full-time at Pittodrie.
33:37Aberdeen 3, Heart of Midlothian 2.
33:41I thought for large spells today, I thought the team were really, really good.
33:45Created loads of chances, dominated possession for long pelts,
33:48showed really good energy, but that really, really pleases me off the back
33:52of what's been a really challenging and difficult week,
33:54with some long travel on a Thursday night.
33:58But we've come away with nothing,
33:59and that's the overriding feeling is disappointment from that.
34:02Hearts were really good.
34:03They pushed us in some areas today, and we struggled a bit,
34:06but we find ways to come back in the game.
34:08And of course they get down to 10 men,
34:14but still the hunger we have in the team,
34:17and how we push for that winning goal,
34:19I'm so happy with that character and strength of this team.
34:22You can see the whole Pittodrie today was bouncing,
34:25and everybody was pushing and then celebrating.
34:29It's a good night to remember.
34:30The sending off was obviously a huge moment in the game.
34:33There was certainly, where I was sitting,
34:34a real bit of mystery about the fact it was a second yellow.
34:37Did you know he'd been booked?
34:38At that point, I didn't know.
34:41There's a number of things there.
34:43The second goal, the free kick the referee gives,
34:46the ball's still rolling when he kicks it.
34:48And off the back of that, they go,
34:50next phase of play, or the phase of play,
34:51that they score the second.
34:54And off the back of that,
34:55George is obviously complaining to the referee
34:57because the ball is still rolling,
34:59and he's booked for that.
35:00But there's no doubt that when George got sent off,
35:04the flow of the game definitely changed,
35:05and it had a massive impact on him.
35:08Absolutely fantastic match
35:09between two Scottish football heavyweights.
35:12Incredible.
35:12The season barely feels like it's begun,
35:14and already 19 points between Aberdeen and Hearts.
35:18Let's go through it all now.
35:19Again, you used to be an Aberdeen winger,
35:22the new winger in town,
35:22Toby Keskinen with a tattoo of Wayne Rooney on his arm,
35:25apparently.
35:26Finnish international, hugely impressive.
35:29Yeah, very, very good.
35:30He's had a good start to his Aberdeen career.
35:34Initially, you see when sort of the ball,
35:36Clarkson wins the ball here,
35:38Kingsley steps in,
35:39probably doesn't take a great second, third touch.
35:41Nicky Dabron comes in,
35:43does very well to win the ball back.
35:45A couple of passes,
35:46I think Kingsley's probably getting more attracted to the ball
35:49because of maybe a mistake he made earlier.
35:52What you do there as a striker is get the shot on target,
35:55and fortunately our happy days for,
35:57obviously, Aberdeen,
35:58they get a shot on target and the ball finishes.
36:01Absolutely.
36:02You can see exactly the defensive problems there,
36:04can't you?
36:04But Keskinen takes advantage.
36:06Yeah, he does.
36:07He absolutely does,
36:07and you've got to give him credit for that.
36:09Again, when Kingsley loses the ball,
36:10I think he panics a little bit,
36:12and he's a bit ball-watching to try and get the ball back.
36:14Doesn't drop into shape,
36:15and it allows Keskinen to get the shot away,
36:17and a great start for Aberdeen.
36:19You were wondering about Hearts at this point.
36:20Obviously, they've had such a tough, tough time recently.
36:23Obviously, they got the win against Dynamo Minsk in midweek,
36:26but I suppose Aberdeen gifted it to an extent.
36:31Not Dimitar Mitov's finest moment.
36:34Laurent Shanklin, obviously, with the assist as well.
36:36He had a strange sort of first half, Shanklin,
36:38but he would create the goal for Frankie Kent.
36:41Yeah, he was very composed in this here.
36:43As you can see, the Aberdeen set-up, the zone-all,
36:45we've only got one man marking three men,
36:47and that's why Kent finds himself free.
36:49It's poor for Mitov.
36:50He needs to do better and try and hold the ball,
36:52but Frankie Kent finds himself all alone at back post,
36:55but it's all about Shanklin here for me.
36:56Very composed, just guides it into the back post,
36:59and it's a great header from Kent.
37:01Two yards out, he's not going to miss from there.
37:03Yeah, he was getting involved in a few sort of incidents, Shanklin.
37:05He'd get booped.
37:06Some people felt he maybe should have got more, Niall,
37:08but he's got that moment of class, hasn't he?
37:10He has, and he just showed there.
37:11He just came off the back of the defenders,
37:13and the ball fell in the right place at the right time.
37:15There he was to side-foot it across,
37:17and if it was maybe a defender or a midfielder,
37:21they'd maybe take a wee shot at goal,
37:22but he obviously maybe caught the eye of the other player
37:25on the other side of the goal,
37:26and there he was at the right place at the right time.
37:28So, no, nice play from Shanklin.
37:29Speaking of moments of class, Blair Spittle,
37:31one of the shining lights from Motherwell last season,
37:34has arrived at Hearts, and what a strike this was, man.
37:38Yeah, no, you see straight away,
37:40obviously the ball has come out to the edge of the box,
37:42and he's maybe caught in two mines,
37:43where they go and close the initial player,
37:46which is Blair Spittle,
37:47and Shanklin's just peeled off here,
37:49where he could possibly have played him the ball
37:51to maybe obviously get across as well,
37:53but no, he's got it out of his feet,
37:55and he's hit the ball lovely, I think.
37:57You're looking at the Aberdeen keeper,
37:58I think maybe a lot of the defenders
38:00are probably blocking the far side of the goal,
38:02where he probably sees himself,
38:04can he maybe be an axe or maybe a wee yard
38:06to obviously where Blair puts the ball,
38:09but credit to him and credit to Hearts at this moment
38:12to go ahead in the game.
38:13Yeah, absolutely.
38:14Nicky Devlin, 30 years of age,
38:16celebrating a call-up to the Scotland squad,
38:18he would get the equaliser for Aberdeen,
38:20and you'd have to say, Cammy, he took the goal so well,
38:23there's a bit of controversy here,
38:24we'll get to that in a moment.
38:25Yeah, listen, it's been a brilliant couple of weeks
38:27for Nicky Devlin, he's really shone a light
38:30since he's went to Aberdeen, he's been phenomenal,
38:33and this is a brilliant game,
38:34comes to him so quickly, deflected into his path,
38:37and as you can see here, the set-up,
38:39I just feel like Boateng there,
38:42he sees the player, he sees Devlin,
38:44Penrice on the left-hand side
38:46goes to try and stop the cross,
38:47Boateng's just ball-watching,
38:49allows Devlin just to float inside his cell,
38:51take nothing away from that finish,
38:53it's a brilliant finish into the corner
38:55and gives Craig Gordon absolutely no chance in the goal.
38:59Yeah, great to see Nicky Devlin into the Scotland squad,
39:01and he is the man of the moment
39:02as far as the Potaudrie fans are concerned.
39:05Now, during that incident,
39:08George Grant would get a yellow card,
39:09it was missed by a lot of people,
39:10he would get a bit of dissent,
39:11the reason why, it was because he was complaining
39:15that the ball had been moving
39:16when that free kick was taken
39:18that led to the Aberdeen goal,
39:20but as we understand it,
39:22VAR doesn't get involved in restarts,
39:25and that's a global thing apparently,
39:27so arts fans might not find that comforting this evening,
39:30but that seems to be the scenario,
39:34and I suppose the difficult thing, Niall,
39:36is that George Grant knew he was on a yellow card, clearly,
39:40and then he does this.
39:42Yeah, from watching his reaction straight away,
39:44even when I was watching it live today,
39:45it just felt like he probably forgot himself,
39:49initially you just try and run towards probably the,
39:52just get ball side,
39:54allow your full-back to go and make the challenge on Duke,
39:56I think credit to Duke,
39:57he was very active coming off the bench,
39:59getting that heart and creating chances,
40:01and you want your shoulder full-back to go there
40:02and you use a wide pair,
40:03just get back in shape and take more chances,
40:05but I'm forcing him for a heart,
40:07so it probably cost him the game.
40:08Oh, what a hugely costly moment, Cammy,
40:10because obviously, you know,
40:12everything's going well for Aberdeen right now,
40:14Duke's even involved,
40:15and would be involved in a huge way,
40:17setting up Aberdeen for the winner,
40:18Ante Palaverso with his first Aberdeen goal.
40:21Yeah, again, it's brilliant,
40:22it's good to see Duke back involved,
40:23and credit to the manager,
40:25bringing him back into the fold,
40:26I think it's really important
40:27that he takes some credit for this,
40:29Duke does brilliant drives at the defence there,
40:31as you can see, Sokla is in a good position,
40:34he attracts all the hearts players at the front post,
40:37hits a missed kick,
40:38but again, what a position he's in to finish it,
40:40and it's a fantastic finish,
40:41just lifts it,
40:42gives the goalkeeper absolutely no chance,
40:44but I really do think this is all about Duke here,
40:46just wanting to get one-on-one drive at the defender,
40:50and as I say, the cutback's fantastic,
40:52fortunate that he misses it,
40:53but brilliant, brilliant finish.
40:56Niall McGinn, you enjoyed some high moments
40:59at Aberdeen during your time there,
41:01and some great times,
41:04how does it compare to what you're seeing right now,
41:06because this is unbelievable,
41:0713 wins in a row,
41:09seven premiership wins in a row,
41:11top of the table with Celtic,
41:12how would you sum it up?
41:14I think it's been very familiar,
41:15the teams I played in,
41:16defensively look solid going forward,
41:18they've obviously a lot of flair in the wider areas,
41:20have great experience in midfield,
41:22there's the captain Graeme Chinney,
41:24good players like McGrath as well,
41:26Clarkson neat and tidy on the ball,
41:27they're a team free-flowing,
41:29they're very confident,
41:30when your confidence is high,
41:32a big pleasing thing for me is,
41:34coming away from that game today,
41:35I think the manager would be delighted
41:36that they won the game,
41:37not playing at their best,
41:38and that can only breed them confidence
41:40getting into international break,
41:41they've come back,
41:42they've filled 21 points out of 21 points,
41:45so they've a big game now at Saddlewick Park,
41:46coming back after international break,
41:48so that's one they're looking forward to.
41:49Yeah, it's been a phenomenal start.
41:51St John's done a new management,
41:52but see...