Musa Drammeh scored a second-half equaliser as bottom-club Hearts stemmed a four-game losing run in a spirited 1-1 draw at home to stuttering Aberdeen.
Having slipped below city rivals Hibernian to the foot of the William Hill Premiership on Saturday, the beleaguered Tynecastle side started the match strongly before losing two key defenders in quick succession.
Stephen Kingsley was carried off with a serious-looking hamstring injury, then Frankie Kent limped out of the action.
Second-placed Aberdeen swiftly took advantage as Leighton Clarkson gave them the lead in the 37th minute.
However, Gambian forward Drammeh headed home on his first start since joining Hearts in the summer, meaning the Dons go into Wednesday’s showdown with leaders Celtic four points off the pace and on the back of a three-game run without victory.
How Hearts fought back to earn a point
Hearts made five changes to the side that lost 2-0 to Cercle Brugge in the Conference League on Thursday, with the inclusion of Drammeh – who scored as a substitute in his previous outing against Celtic – the most eye-catching.
Manager Neil Critchley kept faith with Lawrence Shankland after the captain’s chastening night in Belgium when he was heckled by a section of the 3,000-strong away support after his pivotal missed penalty in the Jan Breydel Stadium.
Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin made six changes to the XI that started the dramatic 3-3 draw against Hibs on Tuesday, including handing James McGarry and Angus MacDonald their first league starts of the season.
Hearts, intent on banishing the negativity swirling around the club in the wake of their disappointing trip to Brugge, made a bright start, with Alan Forrest fizzing a dangerous low delivery across the face of the Dons’ six-yard box in the opening minute.
The Jambos threatened again in the ninth minute when Drammeh drilled a low shot just wide from the edge of the box after good work by Cammy Devlin to win possession and set him up.
Drammeh then saw an effort deflected behind from a Kingsley corner before Shankland volleyed over after getting on the end of a Devlin cross.
Hearts’ early momentum was halted, however, when left-back Kingsley went down in clear distress clutching his hamstring after stretching to make an interception in the 25th minute.
Following a lengthy stoppage as on-field treatment was administered, Craig Halkett came on in place of the stricken defender, with centre-back Kye Rowles moving out to left-back.
Just minutes after Kingsley was carried up the tunnel, the hosts suffered further disruption to their defence when Kent limped off to be replaced by teenager Adam Forrester, leaving them with a new-look centre-back pairing of Daniel Oyegoke and Halkett.
Hearts’ fortunes worsened further in the 37th minute when Aberdeen went in front from their first notable attack as Clarkson volleyed home Shayden Morris’ cross from the right from eight yards.
Aberdeen’s Leighton Clarkson (L) celebrates opening the scoring against Hearts
After home midfielder Blair Spittal drove a low shot just wide from the edge of the box, Clarkson almost doubled his tally just before the break when he was played in by Jamie McGrath but Craig Gordon tipped his shot behind.
The Dons changed their goalkeeper for the start of the second half, with Dimitar Mitov replaced by Ross Doohan.
Gordon had to make another save to push behind a rising shot from Sivert Heltne Nilsen early in the second half.
Hearts secured themselves a much-needed point when Drammeh glanced home Spittal’s inswinging cross from the right in the 62nd minute.
What the managers said…
Hearts boss Neil Critchley: “I thought we were fantastic, particularly in the second half. I thought we started the game well, I thought we were the better team.
“Obviously two changes early in the game that we had to make disrupts the flow and rhythm of the game. They scored with their first attempt at goal, so it would be easy for us to feel sorry for ourselves in terms of ‘here we go again’.
“But I said to the players at half-time, we have two choices: moan and sulk about it, or we fight. We certainly fought in the second half and the point is the least we deserved.”
Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin: “I think it’s a fair result when the game is over.
“We have some parts when we were 1-0 (up) and we could do better maybe, but also Hearts did well.”
