Former Hibs star, Kevin Nisbet, slammed home from the penalty spot to secure a come-from-behind victory and extend Hearts’ Pittodrie nightmare.
He stayed cool to claim a 2-1 victory deep in injury time for the home side after they were 1-0 down.
Lewis Mayo bundled the ball home to level in the final minute to give the men from the Granite City hope and Nisbet did the rest to send home fans wild.
Hearts have now gone 15 games without a win at Pittodrie, a record of 12 defeats and three draws, and it is another blow to Wouter Vrancken, Hearts’ head coach, who made five changes from the midweek home defeat in the Champions League by Austrian side, Sturm Graz, for the league opene.
One of them was the introduction of new goalkeeper, Beau Reus, and another the blooding of centre-half Mendy, but it was Aberdeen who showed first, taking the game to the visitors.
Nisbet, named skipper for the Dons, was blocked by McEntee, but the ball ran for a corner. It was flung in high and towering Dutch-born Reus was tested.
A clumsy challenge by Spittal on ex-Hibs player, Cadden, signed in midweek, provided an opportunity, but the chance was wasted, then Miller threatened for Hearts down the left and his deep cross resulted in a corner. It was cleared.
Hearts reverted to sending long balls into the Aberdeen defence for a spell before Kerjota went on a run, driving into the Dons rearguard. He was blocked and ended up on the deck for his trouble.
A flowing move, initiated by a clever Braga flick on the left near half-way, ended with Kerjota being tackled when in the danger area then the play switched to the other end and Reus had to race from his line to deny Aberdeen but Olusanya gave him the extra time he needed with a slack pass.
The action was frantic as the Jambos faithful belted out Radio Braga to inspire their favourites, but Hearts then lived dangerously after a corner on the left from Ronan was nodded goalwards by Nisbet, but the ball slide wide of the upright.
Seconds later Ba-Sy was found near the top of the Aberdeen penalty box and he attempted to weave his way through the Dons defence but, again, the effort was blocked.
The action quickly transferred to the Hearts box and McEntee denied lively Nisbet as the match had developed into a stalemate with crunching tackles featuring. Indeed, Dons’ midfielder Lyons was booked for one on debutant Mendy.
Hearts, however, went ahead seconds later. Miller was fed by captain Milne down the left. He found Ba-Sy who cleverly rolled Cadden and cooly cut the ball back to the edge of the box and Spittal fired for goal. The shot was blocked but McEntee was in the right place at the right time to send the ball home with his right foot from six yards. Time 35 minutes.
Hearts pressed for another and Ba-Sy fired over after a spell of pressure, but Aberdeen carried a threat and they broke. An opening appeared but Aremu fired wildly over from outside the box.
The scoreline stayed that way until the break. Hearts ahead but living dangerously at times but they were aided by Aberdeen failing to be clinical in the final third.
The Men in Maroon were first to show after the break, Miller showing a fine touch at the start of a move on the left before sending in a cross which was scrambled away for a corner.
Kerjota and Braga combined to set up another chance, but it was Reus who had to get down low to deny Olusanya as Aberdeen broke while, at the other end, Miller sped down the left and sent over an inviting cross which Braga reached for and sent wide of the right-hand upright.
Lyons denied Braga with a clean tackle near half-way and the same player prevented powerful Ba-Sy breaking. Spittal, did, however, spark an attack, linking with Kerjota. It ended with a corner and Findlay headed wide from a good position.
Vrancken made changes and Ba-Sy was replaced by Kabore on the hour mark as Aberdeen pressed higher and Hearts struggled to break out of their half.
Olusanya continued to be Aberdeen’s most dangerous player, operating down the right, making combative Milne work hard, and the home goalkeeper was a virtual spectator.
Hearts, at last broke fee, and Mayo impeded Kabore to earn a free kick for Hearts which Spittal blasted wastefully over but Stephen Robinson, Aberdeen’s manager, had seen enough and prepared to introduce three substitutes including former Scotland international, Stuart Armstrong, and former Livingston winger, Lewis Smith.
They waited as newcomer Cadden strode into the Hearts box and Reus produced a flying save to deny the ex-Hibs man’s right foot strike. Kabore was then found by Spittal and the striker lashed the ball towards to Dons net. It swerved in the air but the Dons stopper did the needful.
Vrancken then introduced two new men, McCart and Guendouz, as the clock wound down and Aberdeen switched to two main strikers in a bid to salvage something from the game. Magnusson then made ready to join the bruising battle.
Altena sped down the right and sent a cross into the heart of the box, but it was not capitalised on then Robinson also made a switch as the rain lashed down. The tension increased and Kabore was forced to defend, sending the ball for a corner, but Aberdeen failed make it count.
The North-East side continued to press and it counted when Mayo prodded the ball home after a free-kick awarded after a Milne foul. Time 88 minutes.
It was the turn of Dons fans to sing in the rain as a VAR check continued, but the goal was given.
Four minutes of injury time was signalled and it got worse when Findlay was adjudged to have hauled down Olusanya after a hopeful punt into the box. Findlay was shown an instant red card and walked disconsolately off.
Nisbet took hold of the ball and got involved in a chat with Guendouz near the penalty spot. Then he put the ball down and in it went, high into the rigging, a perfect penalty, with the goalkeeper diving the wrong way. Aberdeen celebrated. Hearts fans were devastated.
Mayo said: “I was glad I got the ball over the line.”
Nisbet, the Man of the Match, added: “It is a good one. The gaffer installed this in us.”
LIBRARY PICTURE: Kevin Nisbet in a Hibs shirt but he was the game-winner for Aberdeen against Hearts at Pittodrie.
