Alemannia Aachen 4 - 2 Hearts: Hearts undone by slick strike-force

Published Date: 13 July 2009
By BARRY ANDERSON AT BAESWEILER SPORTPARK
Ozgen (24), Auer (43), Burkhardt (53), Oussale (72)

Palazuelos (5), Jonsson 52
A CREDITABLE Hearts display was not sufficient to end their German tour victoriously as Alemannia Aachen displayed the credentials which saw them narrowly miss out on promotion to the Bundesliga last season.

The 2.Bundesliga club came from behind to score four times, displaying exactly the kind of potent striking craved by Hearts manager Csaba Laszlo. Ruben Palazuelos had given Hearts the lead but Abdulkadir Ozgen and Benjamin Auer overhauled the deficit before half-time. Eggert Jonsson equalised briefly after the interval before Thorsten Burkhardt and substitute Herve Oussale completed the scoring.

Alemannia Aachen finished fourth in Germany's second tier last season and were always likely to provide worthwhile opponents for the final match of this four-game tour. With their new 31,900-capacity stadium nearing completion, they hosted Hearts in the nearby town of Baesweiler and attracted a healthy crowd of around 2,000.

The visitors' forceful start produced the opening goal from Palazuelos on five minutes. Calum Elliot's incisive run towards the byline preceded a chipped cross over the outstretched hands of Aachen goalkeeper, Thorsten Stuckmann, and Palazuelos was in place to head home from close range.

Hearts continued in the ascendency and six minutes later David Witteveen glanced Michael Stewart's cross powerfully towards goal, only to be thwarted by Stuckmann's acrobatic save. The Austrian forward has steadily improved throughout this tour and gave his best performance since his trial period began last Tuesday.

Auer forced Janos Balogh down to his left for a comfortable save before Ozgen levelled the scoreline with a glancing header from Mirko Casper's high left-sided cross. Another swirling ball from the opposite flank saw Auer nod narrowly wide and Ryan McGowan's timely intervention stopped the same player as he prepared to shoot after Casper had exposed Hearts' offside trap.

Stewart was cautioned for a late challenge on Casper and it was evident at that juncture that Aachen's passing rhythm was in full flow. They moved ahead two minutes from the interval.

After the visiting defence was carved open, Jose Goncalves cleared for a corner, but the subsequent cross ball was not dealt with properly and Auer converted from six yards. The goal was harsh on Hearts who had begun the match encouragingly but were being increasingly exposed down both flanks.

Stewart instigated the first attack of the second period, playing a one-two with Suso then collecting a ricochet off a defender before driving the ball into the side netting. Another inspired move, this time prompted by Jonsson, brought Hearts' equaliser.

The Icelandic internationalist slid an intelligent ball in behind the Aachen defence and, when Witteveen returned his pass, Jonsson jabbed the ball high into the net as reward for his endeavour. Sixty seconds later, however, Aachen scored again when Burkhardt headed Aimen Demai's cross past Balogh and into the far corner. On 72 minutes, substitute striker Oussale struck the fourth after going one on one with Goncalves and dispatching a left-footed effort low beyond Jamie McDonald, who had replaced Balogh.

Casper earned a yellow card for taking David Obua out and Markus Daun ought to have scored a fifth in the closing stages, but his outstretched leg could only divert Patrick Milchraum's cross over the crossbar.

Alemannia Aachen: Stuckmann Demai, Olajengbesi, Casper, Achenbach; Polenz, Burkhardt, Muller Auer, Ozgen. Subs: Unger, Szukala 46 (for Olajengbesi), Daun 46 (for Ozgen), Kratz 68 (for Auer), Oussale 68 (for Burkhardt), Junglas 57 (for Demai), Milchraum 30 (for Polenz), Lasnik 75 (for Muller), Korte 75 (for Fiel), Schattner 75 (for Achenbach).

Hearts: Balogh, Jonsson, Bouzid, McGowan, Goncalves, Suso, Stewart, Palazuelos, Obua, Elliot; Witteveen. Subs: McDonald 58 (for Balogh), C Thomson 73 (for Bouzid), J Thomson 46 (for McGowan), Glen 58 (for Witteveen), Black 57 (for Palazuelos), Novikovas 62 (for Elliot), Mrowiec.

Taken from the Scotsman