Hearts beat Aberdeen to boost hopes of third

Josh Ginnelly's brilliant long-range strike drew Hearts level

Hearts kept their hopes of a third-place finish in the Scottish Premiership alive as they came from behind to deservedly beat Aberdeen at Tynecastle.

In truth, it could and should have been more for Steven Naismith's side, who passed up chance after chance in a dominant display.

Hearts stay fourth, but have closed the gap to Aberdeen in third to just two points with two games of the season remaining with the prize of guaranteed group stage European football potentially at stake.

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If Celtic beat Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the Scottish Cup final, whoever finishes third will be in the Europa League play-off, with even defeat in that resulting in a Europa Conference League group place.

Hearts won that prize last term, but it was Aberdeen who started the brighter of the two sides here, pressing high and forcing errors in the Hearts defence.

But the hosts grew into the contest and should have hit the front. Shankland forced a good save from Kelle Roos, before the goalkeeper showed excellent reflexes to deny Yutaro Oda, who opted not to pass to the unmarked Ginnelly.

Hearts couldn't translate their pressure and possession into a goal though, and found themselves behind on the half-hour, undone by a set-piece. Zander Clark flapped at a Leighton Clarkson corner, and Pollock was on hand to nod in.

The goal didn't change the momentum of the contest. Hearts continued to pin Aberdeen in their own half, spraying the ball about confidently, roared on by a home crowd hungry for another campaign on the continent.

Aberdeen's impressive back-line repelled wave after wave of maroon attack, throwing bodies on the line, and even when Pollock, Angus MacDonald and Liam Scales were bypassed, they had Roos to bail them out.

You sensed that it would take something special for Hearts to get back into the contest, and at the end of the first half, Ginnelly delivered.

He picked the ball up on the left and, with options in front of him limited, belted a thunderous, swerving shot into the far top corner from miles out.

After the break, Hearts went up another gear, sucking Aberdeen in and hitting them on the break again and again.

When the Tynecastle side need a goal, they look to one man, and it was Shankland that delivered, guiding home Alex Cochrane's cross from close range.

Aberdeen were rattled, unable to cope with the relentless nature of Hearts' attack. Barrie McKay shot just wide, and Shankland uncharacteristically fluffed his lines as the hosts looked for a third goal to kill the game off.

Alan Forrest was the latest Hearts player to pass up a gilt-edged chance, inexplicably shooting wide after being teed up by Cammy Devlin, but Aberdeen were unable to capitalise on their hosts' generosity, and well well beaten on the day.

More to follow.