As Tony Bloom talks the talk about his lofty ambitions for Hearts, Derek McInnes and his players indicated they are ready to walk the walk in the Premiership.
The Brighton owner’s desire to disrupt the natural order of Scottish football through his investment in the Gorgie club may be met with scepticism in some quarters.
There were no doubters inside a raucous Tynecastle here, however, as Bloom watched Hearts make the perfect start to their league campaign with an impressive win over Aberdeen.
An early own goal from Graeme Shinnie and a second-half header from Stuart Findlay secured a result which leaves Hearts sitting top of the nascent Premiership table.
Whether they can sustain the kind of challenge envisaged by Bloom remains to be seen but these are undoubtedly exciting times for a re-energised club.
It was a painful return to action for Scottish Cup holders Aberdeen who were second best for most of the evening.
Harry Milne leads the celebrations after Hearts take the lead against Aberdeen at Tynecastle
Aberdeen skipper Graeme Shinnie turns the ball into his own net for Hearts’ opening goal
Hearts defender Stuart Findlay doubles their lead with a brave header at the back post
In the build-up to kick off, Bloom had encouraged the hype and sense of anticipation among Hearts fans by claiming McInnes’ side can split the Old Firm this season and finish second.
The hosts certainly looked in a hurry to lend some credibility to that bold assertion as they made a vibrant and aggressive start which was rewarded by the 11th minute breakthrough.
Aberdeen struggled to cope with the intensity of Hearts’ play, both in and out of possession, and paid the price for being stretched out of position at the back as the impressive Claudio Braga turned Mats Knoester inside out down the right flank.
Braga’s cross found Oisin McEntee whose close-range header was parried by Dimitar Mitov. Hearts pounced to reclaim the loose ball, working it to Harry Milne on the left. His low cross was intended for McEntee but it was Dons skipper Shinnie who turned it into his own net.
It was the perfect start for Hearts who had eye-catching contributors all over the pitch. There may have been concerns over how they would replace James Penrice, following the left-back’s move to AEK Athens, but Milne appears more than capable of filling the position just as effectively. The former Partick Thistle player had the home fans on their feet again when he smashed a shot against Mitov’s left-hand upright from 22 yards.
It appeared ominous for Aberdeen but they almost snatched an equaliser with their first attack of note two minutes later as two of Jimmy Thelin’s summer signings combined.
Australian winger Nicolas Milanovic showed neat skill down the right and his low cross found compatriot Kusini Yengi who should have done better than divert the ball against Zander Clark’s left-hand post.
It sparked a more evenly contested period of play, although Hearts still carried the edge in midfield and should have doubled their lead in the 28th minute. When Aberdeen were unable to properly clear a corner, the ball was recycled to Findlay on the left. His cross found Frankie Kent in the six-yard box but he glanced his header wide.
Hearts finished the first half firmly on the front foot as they looked for what would have been a deserved second goal. It looked as if they had got it in spectacular fashion in the 44th minute when Lawrence Shankland curled in a brilliant shot from the left corner of the penalty area. After a lengthy VAR check, however, his early goal of the season contender was ruled out for an offside against Craig Halkett in the build-up.
Braga had a shot blocked in first-half stoppage time and Aberdeen looked relieved to hear the whistle for the interval. They re-emerged for the second half with a greater sense of purpose and should have levelled in the 50th minute. Leighton Clarkson’s sweetly delivered free-kick from the right found Yengi at the back post but the big striker scuffed his shot wide from close range.
Aberdeen were suddenly carrying a greater attacking threat and the excellent Milanovic forced a smart save from Clark after cutting in and unleashing a rising shot.
As Hearts sought to regain control, McInnes made a quadruple substitution in the 70th minute and his team made it 2-0 three minutes later. Milne’s dangerous free-kick from the right was flicked on inadvertently by Knoester for Findlay to steal in and bravely head home at the back post.
Hearts (3-5-2): Clark 7; Kent 6 (Steinwender 70), Halkett 7, Findlay 7; Borchgrevnik 6 (Forrest 70), McEntee 7, Devlin 8, Spittal 6 (Kyziridis 70), Milne 7; Braga 7 (Wilson 70), Shankland 7 (Magnusson 91).
Booked: Kent, Halkett, Devlin.
Manager: Derek McInnes 8.
Aberdeen (4-2-3-1): Mitov 6; Jensen 6, Milne 5, Knoester 5, Shinnie 6 (Devlin 81); Nilsen 5 (Morris 69), Clarkson 6; Milanovic 7 (Sokler 81), Aouchiche 6, Keskinen 5 (Polvara 62); Yengi 5 (Boyd 62).
Booked: Aouchiche, Milanovic.
Manager: Jimmy Thelin 5.
Referee: Nick Walsh 4.
Attendance: 18,677.
