Lawrence Shankland stepped down from penalty duties and still stole the show with a magnificent goal as rampant Hearts defeated Aberdeen 2-0 to surge 10 points clear in third place in the cinch Premiership.
After missing his last three spot-kicks, the talismanic Jambos captain allowed team-mate Jorge Grant to take over and the Englishman duly opened the scoring from 12 yards out.
Shankland had the Tynecastle crowd in raptures when he sealed a seventh win in eight games for Hearts with a lovely finish with the outside of his foot to take his tally to 19 for the season.
Jambos boss Steven Naismith made three changes to the team that started Tuesday’s 3-2 win over Dundee as Craig Halkett, Aidan Denholm and Kenneth Vargas were replaced by Alan Forrest, Grant and Yutaro Oda.
There was just one tweak to the Dons side that kicked off Wednesday’s 1-1 draw at St Johnstone as Richard Jensen replaced Slobodan Rubezic at centre-back.
Following a low-key opening to the match, Hearts forward Oda had the first proper sight of goal in the 12th minute when he was released into the box by a pass down the right from Grant but Jack MacKenzie matched the Japanese and blocked his shot behind for a corner.
Aberdeen thought they had gone ahead in the 24th minute when Bojan Miovski arced a lovely left-footed finish high beyond Zander Clark from just inside the box, but the celebrations were cut short when the North Macedonia forward was adjudged to have fouled Beni Baningime in the build-up following a lengthy VAR check.
Five minutes later Dons midfielder Dante Polvara fizzed a powerful low shot just wide from 30 yards out.
Hearts had struggled for much of the half but they had a brief spell of pressure towards the interval in which Grant curled just wide from the edge of the box before Stephen Kingsley sent a free-kick just over from 20 yards out.
At the other end, Leighton Clarkson dragged a low effort wide from just inside the box before Jamie McGrath fired a free-kick narrowly over from just outside the box.
The deadlock was broken in the 56th minute after Hearts were awarded a penalty when Forrest’s cross from the left was deemed to have been blocked by the arm of Nicky Devlin following another lengthy VAR check. Grant, taking over spot-kick duties from Shankland, despatched his effort clinically beyond Kelle Roos.
The Aberdeen keeper had to make a couple of excellent saves to keep his side in the game as he pushed away goal-bound strikes from distance from Forrest and Shankland.
But Roos was helpless in the 76th minute as Shankland nonchalantly pinged home a lovely finish with the outside of his right foot from inside the D to seal the points and pile more pressure on under-fire Aberdeen manager Barry Robson.
Let's start our Daily Laugh today. Man United are monitoring Nicolas Jackson Arsenal & Sporting CP now Mbeumo waiting for Manchester United to agree on the transfer fee with Brentford. lol CUCURELLA Trophy won by London Clubs this season Joao Pedro replies to an Arsenal fan who asked him to come to Arsena! Please stay tuned on Daily Laugh. There will be more fun tomorrow!(Credit: Justtoonit, o...
The 22-year-old struggled for regular game time at Liverpool last season, and they are prepared to provide him with an exit route. The Englishman was outstanding during the under-21 Euros earlier this summer, and he was one of the best players in the tournament.He needs to play regularly to fulfil his tremendous potential. Staying at Liverpool might be detrimental to his development. It remains to...
The Premier League champions made their first move to sign the Sweden international from Newcastle United this week and are prepared to smash the British transfer record again to bring him to Anfield.Liverpool have already signed Florian Wirtz for a record £116million from Bayer Leverkusen and their huge spending is showing no signs of slowing with the club set to reach out to Rodrygo to disc...
According to a report from Argentine publication TYC Sports, the two clubs are currently in talks to get the deal done. It remains to be seen whether they can finalise an agreement quickly. The report claims that Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has personally requested the club to sign the World Cup winner. Aston Villa are also looking at alternatives. Meanwhile, Chelsea are keen on Martine...
Galatasaray in 'cold war' with Napoli over Osimhen transferGalatasaray are reportedly locked in a transfer 'cold war' with Napoli over signing Victor Osimhen permanently.Villa's Jackson pursuit would 'trigger' Chelsea bid for RogersAston Villa's reported pursuit of Nicolas Jackson would 'immediately trigger' Chelsea making a counter offer for Morgan Rogers.Man Utd eye Garnacho-Jackson swap dealMan...
Jude Bellingham Real Madrid 2025 FIFA Club World CupJude Bellingham has taken a decisive step in his ongoing battle with a shoulder injury by undergoing surgery to correct a recurring dislocation. The Real Madrid midfielder had been dealing with the issue since late 2023, often seen with heavy strapping on his shoulder as he played through discomfort.WHAT HAPPENED?According to medical assessments,...
Mourinho DuranFenerbahce have responded to claims that Jose Mourinho has already fallen out with 'disrespectful' new signing Jhon Duran on day one of pre-season.WHAT HAPPENED?According to Spanish publication Marca, Mourinho gave an angry interview to reporters after Duran was absent for the first day of Fenerbahce's pre-season following his loan move from Al-Nassr. The Spanish outlet attributed qu...
Real Madrid CF v Girona FC - LaLiga EA SportsRodrygo could be the beneficiary amid Vinicius Jr.'s contract standoff with Real Madrid, as the club could consider selling the No.7 this summer.WHAT HAPPENED?Tensions are rising at Real Madrid as Vinicius Jr. pushes for a significant pay raise and a hefty renewal bonus that could exceed the club’s wage ceiling. His demands come amid the arrival o...
Kylian Mbappe Real Madrid 2025Kylian Mbappe has marked the first anniversary of his arrival at Real Madrid with a heartfelt message to the club, expressing appreciation for the continued support since his unveiling at the Santiago Bernabeu. The French superstar completed his long-awaited free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain last summer and made an immediate impact in Spain.Kylian Mbappe Real Mad...
Manchester United v Liverpool - Premier LeagueFenerbahce are reportedly prepared to wait on Marcus Rashford despite the Manchester United outcast setting his sights on a Barcelona move.WHAT HAPPENED?According to Turkish outlet Hurriyet, via Sport Witness, Fenerbahce manager and ex-United boss Jose Mourinho is keen on being reunited with Rashford. Although the 27-year-old is eyeing a Barcelona swit...
- 1 FIFA Club World Cup 2025: Fixture schedule, group standings, knockout round, tickets, format & everything you need to know
- 2 Brooklyn Beckham's ex inspires Palmer as Chelsea crush PSG
- 3 Spurs get huge lift in Morgan Gibbs-White row
- 4 Model skips Lamine Yamal's party over 'weird demands'
- 5 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 6 Rashford becomes new club's 'priority target'
- 7 Meet Christian Norgaard's gorgeous wife
- 8 Noni Madueke parties at Wireless with Jadon Sancho
- 9 Chelsea's wage offer to Jadon Sancho revealed
- 10 Xabi Alonso sends warning to Real Madrid stars after PSG thrashing