Heart of Midlothian U18 0 vs 4 Aberdeen U18
CAS U18 Elite League
Oriam
Friday 17th January
Aberdeen U18 produced a dominant performance in Edinburgh to win 4-0 away to Heart of Midlothian U18s at Oriam in what was their first match of 2025.
First half goals from Joseph Teasdale, Victor Enem and Dylan Ross had the game all but sealed, before Samuel Payne grabbed another at the death.
There were two changes to the young Dons side that started the final match of last year, Dylan Ross replacing Lewis Carrol and Tristan Stephen handed a starting jersey up front following Fraser Mackie’s loan move to Fraserburgh. Victor Enem and Fletcher Boyd also started having recently been involved in the matchday squads for the first team.
The Dons were gifted a massive chance in the 7th minute when Tas deflected an awkward back pass straight to Tristan Stephen, but his first first-time effort sailed harmlessly over the bar from close range.
Aberdeen continued to push, with Ellis Clark having two shots from distance in three minutes that both sliced wide of the goal.
Stephen was put in behind in the 19th minute, but Hearts got back well and his shot was deflected wide.
But a minute later Aberdeen’s pressure told. Clark slid it through for Joseph Teasdale on the left who calmly slotted low into the far corner.
Hearts then began to find more territory, but in the 25th minute Teasdale escaped on the break, rampaging to the byline and whipping in a cross from the left which evaded everyone and went out for a goal kick.
And the Dons doubled their lead on the half hour mark, Victor Enem scoring as Aberdeen were regaining control.
A third came just two minutes later. Teasdale switched over to the right side, latched onto a long ball and beat his man before firing across to the left where Dylan Ross hit it back across the goal and in.
There was almost a fourth in the 37th minute as Clark played in Stephen, but his effort was again deflected narrowly wide.
Half time: Hearts 0-3 Aberdeen
Teasdale continued to find space in behind early in the second half, and his cross from the right was slid out for a corner by Kelly before it could reach Ross at the back post.
Enem was next to find space on the right, cutting in onto his left foot and drilling the ball just past the far post.
Hearts then ventured into the Aberdeen box for the first time since the early stages, with two crosses in quick succession, one from either side, fizzing across the face and not finding anyone. Banks then tried his luck with a floating effort from long range that dipped right at the crossbar, but Rodrigo Vitols was alert to parry it down and then catch it for his first save of the match.
In the 70th minute, after the ball came back out of the Aberdeen box following a Hearts free-kick, Sanders tried his luck from the edge of the box but his shot went just wide of Vitols’ right post.
Sanders went for goal again two minutes later, this time inside the box, but Noah McDonnell blocked it out for a corner.
Hearts were beginning to find more and more territory, and Robb found space for a shot in the 78th minute which went a distance over the bar.
Aberden were inches away from a fourth in the 84th minute as Ross found substitute Samuel Payne on the six-yard line, but his first effort was blocked and a second shot was clawed off the line by Tas.
Another replacement, this time Hearts’ McMeekin, hit a powerful half-volley wide from the edge of the box a minute later.
Payne then profited from an unbelievable ball over the top from Vitols, racing onto his keeper’s pass to convert from just inside the box with the final touch.
Full time: Hearts 0-4 Aberdeen
Hearts: Tas, Kelly, Radcliffe, Glasgow, Mulholland, Wilson, Dow, Burn, Robb, Banks, Sanders
Substitutes: Wilkie, Plesiewicz, Selfridge, Dickov, McMeekin
Aberdeen: Vitols, Enem (Green 65′), Ross, Akindileni, Clark, Masson, Boyd, Teasdale (Payne 80′), Stephen, To (Searle 76′), McDonnell
Subs Not Used: Douglas, Green.
Goals: Teasdale 20′, Enem 30′, Ross 32′, Payne 89′.
