Late collapse sees Hearts suffer defeat to Aberdeen in season opener

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/aberdeen/AmdbMiWq/"]Aberdeen[/a] striker [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nisbet-kevin/Y1RqmfMp/"]Kevin Nisbet[/a] struck twice in the closing stages at Pittodrie to give [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/hearts/0rGrwwNc/"]Hearts[/a] a painful flashback to their late collapse in the title race in May.[/p][p]The Edinburgh side were just 10 minutes away from being crowned Scottish champions for the first time since 1960 on the final day of last season, but their do-or-die clash with title rivals [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/celtic/QFKRRD8M/"]Celtic[/a] ended in a devastating defeat that allowed the Glasgow club to extend the Old Firm's four-decade dominance of the Scottish title.[/p][p]Much has changed at Hearts since that miserable day, with boss [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mcinnes-derek/bBWLVTWt/"]Derek McInnes[/a] joining [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/rangers/8vAWQXNS/"]Rangers[/a] and taking Jambos stars [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/shankland-lawrence/QeWoXCac/"]Lawrence Shankland[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/devlin-cameron/AB6yoWr5/"]Cammy Devlin[/a] with him to Ibrox.[/p][p]Hearts' new boss Wouter Vrancken then presided over a dismal Champions League qualifying round exit against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sturm-graz/zsktjfsD/"]Sturm Graz[/a] in July. It has been an ominous introduction for the Belgian, who previously managed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/st-truiden/d2EjBxMM/"]Sint-Truiden[/a], and he faces more pointed questions after Hearts slumped to a dismal loss at the start of the domestic campaign.[/p][embed guid="51a92558-891b-46bf-b1d6-7113c3684a98" url="https://x.com/JamTarts/status/2083620497351151969" social-type="twitter" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mcentee-oisin/xnjXw1Cq/"]Oisin McEntee[/a] put Hearts ahead in the 35th minute, slotting home from close range after Aberdeen failed to deal with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ba-sy-amadou/pEDO1egD/"]Amadou Ba-Sy[/a]'s low cross and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/spittal-blair/4297G8pK/"]Blair Spittal[/a]'s initial effort.[/p][p]But in the 90th minute, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/happe-daniel/Y1qV6BVA/"]Dan Happe[/a] headed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/armstrong-stuart/bNMGoy7K/"]Stuart Armstrong[/a]'s free-kick across the face of the Hearts goal and Nisbet bundled home.[/p][p]There was worse to come for Hearts in stoppage-time when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/findlay-stuart/fHeqopOf/"]Stuart Findlay[/a] was sent off for halting [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/olusanya-toyosi/U5tBMwNk/"]Toyosi Olusanya[/a]'s burst into the penalty area with a crude foul. Nisbet stepped up to slam a nerveless spot-kick into the corner as gleeful Aberdeen fans chanted "Hearts are falling apart again".[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/aberdeen-AmdbMiWq/hearts-0rGrwwNc/?mid=lSrIPfsK"]Catch up on the match here[/a][/b][/p][image alt="Key match stats" id="5c5d84be-da83-40fd-aa96-c49af5396035" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="0766542a-0b78-4d96-af01-78c20ad83c3b" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][h2]St Mirren win[/h2][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/st-mirren/tAVXZEyT/"]St Mirren[/a] manager Craig McLeish said his team's 2-0 win at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/falkirk/nHDF1ZUj/"]Falkirk[/a] can set the tone for a successful season.[/p][p]McLeish is convinced St Mirren can improve after last season's struggle to avoid relegation, targeting a top-fix finish and European qualification.[/p][p]After Killian Phillips's double sunk Falkirk, McLeish said: "I thought the performance was excellent and, if we can build on that, we can go and achieve something as a group."[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/falkirk-nHDF1ZUj/st-mirren-tAVXZEyT/?mid=MLjW1ikD"]Catch up on St Mirren's win here[/a][/b][/p]