Aberdeen stopped a run of five consecutive defeats when goalkeeper Ross Doohan scored an injury-time penalty from Jorge Grant to secure a 0-0 draw at home to Hearts.
The Dons' winless run has been extended to 11 games since November, but they will be relieved to have escaped with a point after the Jambos' Elton Kabangu and Jamie McCart both threatened second-half headers before last-gasp goals in January. -kick drama when Sivert Heltne Nilsen was penalized for a foul on Hearts substitute Kenneth Vargas.
Hearts are now unbeaten in four games but remain in second place in the Scottish Premier League, albeit within a point of both Ross County and Kilmarnock, and five of the top six.
Dons boss Jimmy Thelin, whose side had dropped to fourth in their remarkable recent slump, made four changes to the side that culminated in a 2-0 defeat at Motherwell a week earlier, with defenders Jack MacKenzie, Angus MacDonald and Slobodan . Rubezic drops out together with Duk.
Latvian centre-back Kristers Tobers and on-loan Preston winger Jeppe Okkels were immediately brought into the starting line-up for their debuts, while James McGarry and Leighton Clarkson also came in. Midfielder Nilsen fell back to partner Tobers in defense.
There were three changes to the Hearts squad that kicked off the 1-0 win at Dundee United as Daniel Oyegoke, McCart and Beni Baningime replaced Adam Forrester, Kye Rowles and Liam Boyce, who sealed his move to Derry City on Saturday. The new Belgian striker Kabangu was appointed to the bench.
Aberdeen, who had not lost at home to Edinburgh since May 2016, started on the front foot and forced a series of corners in the opening minutes, with one of them leading to a chance for Tobers, who saw his effort clawed from close range. from by Craig Gordon.
Hearts quickly gained a foothold and subsequently enjoyed a lot of ball possession, but were unable to create clear opportunities before half-time.
The two big chances of the first half fell to Dons winger Topi Keskinen, who got through twice on target in nine minutes.
On the first occasion, after 24 minutes, the Finn was set free by a ball over the top of Palaversa, but he fired his effort completely wide from the edge of the box and then burst into the box after a wonderful through ball from Kevin Nisbet, but rolled his shot went painfully wide of Gordon's left post.
Hearts – who struggled to open the Dons defense – sent Kabangu on for his debut in the 66th minute and the on-loan Union Saint-Gilloise striker almost broke the deadlock in the 71st minute when his header from Grant's cross was tipped over by Doohan.
From the resulting corner, taken by Blair Spittal, McCart headed against the post before Kabangu saw his effort from the rebound which was pounced on by Jamie McGrath.
Hearts looked set to claim a third successive win deep into stoppage time when Nilsen bundled over Vargas as the pair jostled for a James Penrice cross, but Doohan dived to his right to push Grant's penalty onto the post.
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