“From our point of view we were clearly the better side, we moved the ball about well in the second half. We've got to make more of that good play.

“I thought we were bright, we got in between the lines. We brought pace to the game, Burns, McGinn and Pawlett all showed good movement and a good appetite.

“I always felt the first half was going to be crucial in this one in getting ourselves ahead because there was a clear lack of energy in the second half without question, and a lack of quality at times.

“Players are clearly out on their feet.

“Shinnie and Jack are a real indication for me because those boys are as fit as any player going. You see that last 20 minutes they're plodding through the game, that's just a consequence of four games in nine days.

“We've tried to freshen it up in different areas. Andrew Considine gets ruled out, he was due to start the game.

“We've had to be a bit lop sided, Mark Reynolds was sometimes playing in the left back area. Although we tried to play more of a three dealing with their two.

“When we're chasing the game and wanting the result in that last half an hour when we normally throw everything at teams at Pittodrie, you've got Reynolds at left back and you've got a lack of energy from one or two others, sometimes that quality is not there.

“I totally understand from my side of it as a manager, I felt for my players there because they wanted to give more than was physically possible.

“I thought we deserved to go in ahead, we we're the better team and I thought Hearts had enough moments in the second half where they defended well and deserved a point in the end.

“I thought it was two teams who looked a wee bit tired towards the end. The game got stretched and there was a lack of quality in the end.

“It was certainly two teams who were doing all they could to win the game and there was a healthy respect between them.

“You have to take positives from the game. We're looking forward to giving the boys a rest this week.

“We're looking forward to getting back to training, there's work we need to get done on the training pitch. We haven't been able to train these last few weeks because of the amount of travelling and games so that's an important part of it for us.

“There's things that we need to fine tune and get the detail to our play again. That only comes from your training week, we've not been able to do to that.

“There was elements of that today where we need to get back to the training pitch.

“We need to get fresh minds and fresh legs.   “The positive is it's a second clean sheet for a team that was struggling to keep clean sheets towards the end of last season.

“We're missing Jonny Hayes, I think that's clear in games like that he's always one who keeps going and finds a way for us.

“There was plenty effort I've no problems with my teams performance. While people think Aberdeen should be playing better than that there are reasons.

“Four games in nine days, it played its part today.”

“Four games in nine days, it played its part today.”