Marius Zaliukas return helps Hearts make light work of limp Dons

Hearts 1

Kyle (46)
Vladimir Romanov's largess allows Hearts to operate with the sort of debt that would make even a Dundee director blush, but the clear indication from this result is that he would get a far better return for his money by allowing his manager to manage .

Jim Jefferies' plans were damaged before the season began when Paul Hartley's proposed return to Tynecastle was scuppered and more recently the stubborn refusal to allow captain Marius Zaliukas to play unless he accepted a contract extension helps explain why they had lost four of their five previous games before Saturday's trip north.

The good news for all concerned is that former Hearts winger John Colquhoun appears to have brokered peace, with the agent getting the defender to lower his demands and Romanov to relent sufficiently for Zaliukas to play at Pittodrie. The Lithuanian responded with a performance of calm authority that brought out the best in the likes of Darren Barr and Ismael Bouzid, resulting in their first clean sheet in the SPL since the skipper's last start at Hamilton in mid-August. Now Jefferies is confident that the only interfering Romanov will be doing in the short term is tying up Zaliukas' move from Kaunas to Hearts.

The Tynecastle club's manager said: "We are almost there in terms of getting him signed on again but nothing has been completed yet so hopefully there are no last-minute snags and we get him tied up this week. Everybody has shaken hands on it but we still have to cross the t's and dot the i's. We were just delighted that he was playing today.

"You could see the difference at the back as Ismael Bouzid was more comfortable having him there and he covers well for whoever is at left back. I'm sure everyone at the club will be delighted as he was a Kaunas player and we wanted to make him a Hearts player and the club have worked hard to sort that out.

"I thought everybody played well but we certainly looked more solid, with a better balance to the side and the return of Marius undoubtedly helped as far as that was concerned." That was an accurate overview as, for example, Suso was effective, Rudi Skacel looked like he had never been away and Kevin Kyle led the line with strength, determination and no little aggression.

It was Kyle who settled the outcome when a diving header seconds after the restart climaxed a sweeping move initiated by Suso winning possession in his own half, advanced by Skacel's adroit pass and set up by Calum Elliot's swerving cross.

That made it five goals since signing from Kilmarnock in the summer, although only a brilliant block by Andrew Considine and a goal line clearance from Ryan Jack denied Kyle further second-half goals on a day when Aberdeen rarely looked capable of tr oubling Marian Kello. Mark McGhee brought back Hartley and Sone Aluko while handing a delayed debut to on-loan Rangers striker Andrius Velicka, but all three suffered through a lack of match sharpness following time out injured. Velicka, the former Hearts striker, was making his first appearance in club football since rupturing his cruciate ligament in his first match on loan at Bristol City in August last year.

Not surprisingly he lasted less than an hour on a day when Aberdeen created not one single clear-cut scoring opportunity on the way to a fifth league defeat in eight games this season.

Last season was viewed as a major disappointment for McGhee but this time a year ago they had lost just one in eight. However, the ever-optimistic Dons manager was far from downcast despite a run of just one point from the last 18 available. He said: "I feel that we haven't really got our season started but the signs were there of what is to come once these key players like Aluko, Hartley and Velicka get more games under their belt. I remain very confident about things, there is a lot of the season to go and we have the best still to come. I am really excited about the group I have fit now. I think that we have got a lot more to come and the best part of the season for Aberdeen is about to start."

The Dons have successive home games against Hibs in the league on Saturday and Falkirk in the League Cup the following Tuesday, and the reality for McGhee, who had assistant Scott Leitch sent to the stand late on, is they will have to be won by a club on the cusp of another crisis.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Kevin Kyle (Hearts)

His fifth goal for Hearts was scant reward for the powerful striker's overall contribution to this victory as several Aberdeen players will still be feeling the effects of his performance this morning.

Referee: E Norris

Attendance: 8,999

Taken from the Scotsman