Hearts’ difficult summer took another disappointing turn as two late goals condemned them to a 2-1 defeat against Aberdeen in their Premiership opener at Pittodrie.
Wouter Vrancken’s team appeared set to secure a much-needed victory after Oisin McEntee put them ahead in the first half. However, just as Hearts approached their first win at Pittodrie in more than 10 years, Lewis Mayo levelled in the 90th minute. Kevin Nisbet then completed Aberdeen’s comeback with a stoppage-time penalty after Stuart Findlay was dismissed for preventing a clear scoring opportunity.
The result marked a third successive loss for Vrancken, whose tenure has begun badly since he replaced Derek McInnes in June.
Aberdeen head coach Stephen Robinson brought Chris Cadden directly into the starting XI, only one day after his arrival from Hibernian. His team entered the game with confidence after winning all four of their Premier Sports Cup group fixtures.
Hearts made five alterations to the side beaten at home by Sturm Graz in Wednesday’s Champions League qualifier. Goalkeeper Beau Reus and Laurent Mendy made their debuts, while Sabah Kerjota and Amadou Ba-Sy received their first competitive starts.
Playing their first league fixture since narrowly losing the title to Celtic in May, around 1,600 travelling supporters repeatedly voiced their anger at the Scottish Football Association. Their protests concerned controversial refereeing decisions late last season that they believed damaged the club’s title challenge.
A period of major change during the summer, followed by a 6-0 aggregate loss to Sturm Graz, had done little to lift supporters after the painful conclusion to the previous campaign. There was therefore considerable anxiety about beginning the season at Pittodrie, where Hearts had failed to win on their previous 14 visits.
Hearts fielded a patched-up back line, with midfielder McEntee operating in central defence because of Malachi Fagan-Walcott’s injury. Aberdeen captain Nisbet seemed to have broken clear in the third minute, but McEntee recovered quickly and diverted the ball behind for a corner.
Nisbet later sent a glancing header narrowly wide from Connor Ronan’s 27th-minute corner, although genuine scoring opportunities remained scarce.
Hearts opened the scoring in the 35th minute following a chaotic sequence inside the penalty area. Ba-Sy pulled the ball back from the left to Blair Spittal, whose effort was blocked by Nesta Guinness-Walker near the six-yard box. Dan Happe’s attempted clearance then fell to McEntee, who guided a low seven-yard finish into the net.
The visitors remained largely in control throughout much of the second half, although Cláudio Braga failed to convert a promising opportunity that could have doubled their advantage.
Aberdeen had posed little attacking threat before finding an equaliser in the 90th minute. Happe headed Ronan’s free-kick back into a dangerous position, allowing Mayo to force the ball home from close range.
Aberdeen completed the remarkable comeback during added time when Findlay brought down Toyosi Olusanya inside the area. The defender received a red card, and Nisbet calmly converted the resulting penalty.
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