THE battle to finish as the Best of the Rest in the cinch Premiership still has quite some way to go until it is decided.
But Hearts are, even at this stage, looking good.
A Josh Ginnelly double coupled with Michael Smith and Lawrence Shankland goals put Robbie Neilson’s side no fewer than four in front of Aberdeen at half-time at Tynecastle tonight.
Cammy Devlin piled on the misery for the visitors in the second-half when he netted a deflected strike.
The capital club are now undefeated in eight outings and seven points ahead of their nearest rivals Livingston.
With no European football in the coming weeks – something which impacted on their domestic form in the opening months of the season – Hearts will not be beaten into third place easily.
Aberdeen, who had the chance to leapfrog Livingston into fourth, will be doing well to finish in the top six if they continue to perform so poorly in the weeks ahead.
And their manager Jim Goodwin can ill afford any more dire showings like this one - or he will pay the ultimate price with his job.
He cannot use his side’s admirable exertions against Rangers in the Viaplay Cup semi-final on the heavy pitch at Hampden on Sunday as an excuse for such a lamentable display.
Here are five talking points from the encounter in Gorgie.
DONS DEFENDING
Ant Stewart might have cost Aberdeen victory against Rangers at the weekend by getting himself red carded in injury time for a rash challenge on Borna Barisic.
But, boy, did the Pittodrie club miss their captain tonight. They were woeful at the back without the centre half.
Jim Goodwin’s men actually enjoyed the majority of possession and applied, without testing goalkeeper Zander Clark greatly, a fair amount of pressure to the opposition goal early on.
At the back, though, they were diabolical. Goodwin must make strengthening that area a priority before the January transfer window closes.
Aberdeen have now one just once since club football restarted after the World Cup break last month. It is easy to see why.
VAR BETTER
There was another spate of VAR controversies in Scottish football at the weekend with fans, players and managers once again left incensed at the decisions which were given or not given.
But referee Willie Collum was able to determine that Liam Scales had handled a Robert Snodgrass corner tonight after checking the pitchside monitor.
Hearts striker and skipper Shankland made no mistake from 12 yards to take his tally for the 2022/23 campaign to 19 in all competitions.
Collum also ruled out an injury-time Marley Watkins goal for offside with a little help from his Clydesdale House colleagues.
Those incidents were much-needed examples of the new technology doing what it is meant to.
CLARK FOR SCOTLAND?
The double leg break that Craig Gordon suffered against Dundee United at Tannadice on Christmas Eve means that Steve Clarke will have to find a new goalkeeper for Scotland’s opening Euro 2024 qualifiers in March.
Will Gordon’s replacement at Hearts take his place in the national team too? Clark has been involved in the set-up in the past. The former St Johnstone man will certainly be hoping to do well enough between now and the Cyprus game to force his way into contention.
Clark did not have a great deal to do this evening. But a third clean sheet in four games will do his cause no harm at all.
ROOS LOSS
Goodwin revealed the groin muscle tear that Kelle Roos suffered at the weekend will sideline him for 10 weeks when he spoke before kick-off.
So Joe Lewis, the Dutchman’s understudy, made his first appearance since the final game of last season back in May.
The vastly-experienced English keeper could do little about any of the five goals he let in. The problem very much lay in front of him. But Roos will be missed by the Dons.
CUP BOOST
Neilson was able to make early substitutions last night with the three points being wrapped up so early on. Barrie McKay, Ginnelly. Toby Sibbick, Smith and Snodgrass will all be fresh for the Scottish Cup game against Hibernian at Easter Road on Sunday.
Hearts will head to Leith confident of recording a sweet victory over their city rivals and progressing to the next round after this mauling.
