Aberdeen v Hearts
Scottish Premier League
28th November 1992
By the time Hearts visited the Beach End-less Pittodrie in November of 1992, Aberdeen's top scorer Duncan Shearer was already on 18 goals for the season. That's 18. By November.
The Dons were in fine form going into this game, they were on a run of four consecutive wins in the league, scoring 13 times, seven of them in the previous game away to Partick Thistle, and had conceded just twice.
Manager Willie Miller had a couple of injury worries to contend with. Both Stewart McKimmie and Mixu Paatelainen were missing, but he had more than able replacements in young Stephen Wright and Eoin Jess.
Hearts kicked off but were soon on the back foot. Aberdeen pressed forward with confidence and were rewarded with a corner after 10 minutes. Hearts managed to clear Bett's cross, but from the return ball Brian Irvine was on hand to head the Dons in front.
It was to be a successful season in front of goal for the big centre back, scoring no less than eight times that year.
Aberdeen continued to press and should have been two in front after some superb skill from Jess fed Wright down the wing and Paul Mason really should have scored from the cross.
Aberdeen controlled the game, playing some sublime football at times, the only surprise being it took until the last minute of the half for them to go 2-0 in front. Jess again was involved, his cross to the far post nodded back across goal to give Shearer the simplest of tap-ins.
At half-time it looked a case of how many Aberdeen would score, but right at the start of the second 45, Hearts were back in it. A break down the left saw Ian Baird react quickest to stab the ball over the line to give the Edinburgh side a lift.
Lift them it did, for 10 minutes later Hearts were level. A corner from the left was headed back across the goal from Levein and Graeme Hogg forced the ball over from close range to make it 2-2. Hearts were now in the ascendancy and it was going to take something special to get the Dons back into the match.
Aberdeen needed goals, and Miller recognised this by replacing Bett with Scott Booth on the hour, and five minutes later Aberdeen were back in front with a quite brilliant strike.
Jess made space for himself wide on the right and his deep cross was nodded into the area by Shearer for the incoming Lee Richardson. 'Rico', with his back to goal, laid it off for Paul Mason who found the top corner of the net with an excellent finish.
Aberdeen now had their noses in front and for the last 20 minutes or so, put on a display which was up there with anything that the class of '83 produced.
The front three of Jess, Shearer and Booth,supported by the ever able Mason, were causing Hearts no end of problems, the latter breaking away down the left in 72 minutes to cross for Shearer to grab his second of the game, then just two minutes later the striker completed his hat trick (his second in four days) after fine work on the right from Booth and Jess.
Aberdeen were now running riot and the visitors were on the rack, their frustrations showing as McKinlay was sent off for a lunge on Booth.
Goal number six was surely not far away, and in the last minute it came thanks to a volley from Booth after some impressive work on the right from the excellent Mason.
It was a breathtaking performance from Aberdeen, the last half hour in particular saw some of the best football I had ever seen a Dons team play in all my years at Pittodrie.
The sight of Booth and Jess buzzing around Duncan Shearer and Mason aiding from the flanks can still give me goosebumps. Oh to have just one of them in the current Dons team, never mind all four!
Despite the form of Aberdeen from then on (they only lost another three league games and the cup final), this side was to end up empty-handed for all their efforts. Runners up in every competition, despite 87 goals in the league and 24 in both cups, with no less than four players reaching double figures in the goal stats.
The best Aberdeen side since 1984?
Despite no silverware, they might well be.
Dons line-up: Snelders, Wright, McLeish, Grant, Irvine, Smith, Richardson, Bett, Jess, Shearer, Mason
Subs used: Kane, Booth