Hearts’ miserable summer continued as they conceded two late goals to lose 2-1 to Aberdeen in their Scottish Premiership opener at Pittodrie.
Wouter Vrancken and the Jambos looked on course for a much-needed victory after a turbulent few months as they led through Oisin McEntee’s first-half goal.
But just as they looked to be closing out a first win at Pittodrie for more than a decade, Lewis Mayo equalised in the 90th minute before Kevin Nisbet won it for the Dons with a stoppage-time penalty after Stuart Findlay was sent off for denying a goal-scoring opportunity.
It was a third consecutive defeat for Belgian Vrancken, who has endured a chastening start since replacing Derek McInnes in June.
Aberdeen boss Stephen Robinson, whose side had built up some momentum by winning each of their four Premier Sports Cup group-stage matches, pitched Chris Cadden straight into his starting line-up a day after he joined from Hibernian.
There were five changes to the Hearts side that lost Wednesday’s Champions League qualifier at home to Sturm Graz, with goalkeeper Beau Reus and Laurent Mendy handed their debuts and Sabah Kerjota – more than a year after joining – and Amadou Ba-Sy given their first competitive starts.
Hearts were on course for a morale-boosting win at Pittodrie before a late implosion
In what was their first league match since being pipped to the title by Celtic in May, the 1,600-strong travelling support could be regularly heard singing anti-Scottish Football Association songs in protest at the contentious calls from officials in the closing matches of last season that they felt cost them dear in their quest for glory.
Following a summer of transition and a 6-0 aggregate defeat by Graz that had done little to improve the mood of the fans since that agonising end to the last campaign, there was a sense of trepidation in some quarters about the prospect of kicking off the new season at Pittodrie, where they had not won in their previous 14 visits.
The Jambos’ makeshift defence – with midfielder McEntee playing at centre-half following an injury to Malachi Fagan-Walcott – looked to have allowed Dons captain Nisbet to get clean through in the third minute but McEntee recovered well to scramble the ball behind for a corner.
Nisbet’s late winner sent Pittodrie into dreamland
Nisbet then glanced a header just wide from Connor Ronan’s corner in the 27th minute, although clear chances were generally at a premium.
Hearts made the breakthrough in the 35th minute after some pinball in the Dons box. Ba-Sy’s cutback from the left broke to Blair Spittal, whose shot was blocked by Nesta Guinness-Walker on the edge of the six-yard box and fellow defender Dan Happe’s attempt to clear ran into the path of McEntee, who shot low into the net from seven yards.
The visitors generally looked comfortable for most of the second period, with Claudio Braga spurning a good chance to double their lead.
Aberdeen had offered little as an attacking force, but they levelled in the 90th minute when Mayo bundled in from close range after Happe headed Ronan’s free-kick back into the danger area.
And the dramatic turnaround was completed in stoppage time when Toyosi Olusanya was hauled down by Findlay, who saw red, and Nisbet dispatched the spot-kick.
