Aberdeen 1

Hearts 1

Scorers: Aberdeen - D'Jaffo (72 mins); Hearts - De Vries (78).

Substitutions

Aberdeen McAllister (Deloumeaux 9) Tiernan (Darren Young 44), Mike (McGuire 61) Hearts Wales (Kirk 37), Wales (Weir 61), Janczyk (Simmons 77)

Subs not used

Aberdeen Preece, O'Donoghue Hearts McKenzie, Webster

REFEREE Garry Mitchell

bookings

Aberdeen Anderson Hearts Simmons, Severin

Attendance 12,825

BERTI Vogts' popularity among the predominantly Scottish - and pubescent - Pittodrie playing staff may well have plummeted further with the national coach's weekend comments that we have reared a glut of greetin' faced golfers moonlighting as fully-paid, part-time footballers.

And there we were thinking he would save his best lines for the newspaper column he unwisely agreed to have ghosted in a tabloid newspaper, which must already feel somewhat short-changed. That his criticism seemed to centre on those who form the youthful element of his new-look squad, what, then, must he think of those deemed unworthy of international recognition?

For all the praise piled on Ebbe Skovdahl - and to a lesser extent his predecessors- for the emergence of a first team full of teenagers, only defender Kevin McNaughton merited a mention in the Scotland manager's senior squad for the midweek friendly with Denmark and the Euro 2004 qualification group opener against the Faroes, with Darren Mackie the sole representative in Rainer Bonhof's under-21s.

Short, sharp shocks - from foreign tongues especially - never have agreed with the Scottish palate and so, on the same day Vogts got on his soap box for a state of the nation address, comments from a doyen of the dug-out not long relieved of his SFA blazer, provided unfortunate juxtaposition on the back pages of the Sunday papers.

Alex Smith, having witnessed a savaging of his Dundee United team by Celtic, was aghast at the very notion of players being urged to train twice as hard and twice a day, and cited the fatigue of those involved in the under-21 training-camp trial last week as a factor in their failure.

So, stung by Vogts' damning verdict that club loyalty among the country's fledgling footballers would more likely to involve unswerving support towards their Big Bertha than banging balls between the posts for hours on end on the training field, yesterday's opponents - with six starting saplings apiece - sought to show him otherwise.

The Pittodrie pitch resembled a well-maintained fairway, if not quite a green, but it did not take long for divots to appear. A succession of mis-timed swings suggested a less than leisurely Sunday stroll and, indeed, teed-up an early withdrawal to the clubhouse.

Eric Deloumeaux failed to last the course, after both he and Hearts' new striker, Mark De Vries, ended up plugged in Peter Kjaer's bunker. Feeling distinctly under par, the Frenchman's flagging physical health concerned Skovdahl sufficiently to summon Jamie McAllister from his seat.

The Dutchman, top of the leaderboard after four goals in his derby debut last week, appeared to be suffering from the yips, failing to find a clean connection from the kind of range he tapped in time and again only a week ago. Sclaffs and daisy-cutters were his specialities this time.

Steven Boyack enjoyed a slice of luck when the referee, Garry Mitchell, turned a blind eye to a bad tackle on Laurent D'Jaffo, the Frenchman clearly maddened by the referee's myopia. He was not alone. ''I've had two career-threatening cruciate injuries and don't like people going for my knee. I told him that and made sure it wouldn't happen again'' said the plain-taking striker.

The Dons' dismay at the visitors' aggressive approach was exacerbated by their captain's collapse under a chopping challenge from Stephen Simmons, Darren Young disappearing down the tunnel on a stretcher towards the end of a first half as arduous as the front nine at Augusta.

They were the only casualties of the half-way cut but it did take until then to realise that injury had, in fact, claimed another body before the game. Andy Kirk was anonymous despite his name appearing in the starting 11. He pulled up lame in the limber up and was replaced by Gary Wales, who had no such alibi.

By the time De Vries hammered into Phil McGuire, necessitating the third enforced Aberdeen change, Skovdahl's ruddy complexion leaked lava while the players' strip colour reflected their rage. The only surprise was Mitchell's refusal to continue that theme. Strangely, both managers refused to continue the war in words.

For a spell, the sportswriters felt like war correspondents, keeping tabs on the ever-increasing body count on the battlefield as the objective - scoring goals - gave way to self-preservation. By the end, the ambulance crew needed oxygen themselves.

A hazy humidity hung ominously over the stadium, rather symbolic for a steaming set-to, but Aberdeen restricted their retribution to fair means rather than foul.

D'Jaffo dunted the ball past Antti Niemi with minimum fuss after Derek Young's endeavour yielded some rare front-line activity but the joy was short-lived when De Vries rediscovered his touch, albeit due to the Dons' defenders who had huddled together in no-man's land.

There was a sad end when one half of Aberdeen's Scotland contingent became the fourth casualty, Mackie unable to be replaced with Skovdahl having used his quota of substitutes. Those fortunate enough to survive were left bowed and breathless by the end of the conflict.

It remains to be seen who will recover in time for the trip to war-ravaged Moldova in less than a fortnight. Skovdahl was not for speculating on who will be fit for the flight. ''They are still alive but we will wait until later before assessing the damage.''

It was not a match for the faint-hearted and a far cry from the tranquility of the golf course. Berti would have been proud.