Late drama sends Aberdeen past Hearts as St Johnstone edges Kilmarnock thriller

Hearts' troubled summer took another turn for the worse as they surrendered a winning position to lose 2-1 at Aberdeen in their Scottish Premiership opener. The Edinburgh side dominated large portions of the match at Pittodrie and led through Oisin McEntee's first-half goal, but conceded twice in rapid succession during the closing stages. Hearts manager Wouter Vrancken, who replaced Derek McInnes in June, has now suffered three consecutive defeats to begin his tenure, compounding what has been a difficult transition period for the club. McEntee's 35th-minute opener came from sustained pressure in the Aberdeen penalty area. Blair Spittal's shot was blocked by Nesta Guinness-Walker before Dan Happe's clearance fell to McEntee, who finished cleanly from seven yards out. Hearts appeared to be managing the match effectively despite losing Wednesday's Champions League qualifier at home to Sturm Graz, with Vrancken making five changes to the starting lineup. However, the visiting defense proved vulnerable in the closing moments, a recurring theme that has haunted the club throughout their disappointing summer. Aberdeen's comeback began in the 90th minute when Lewis Mayo equalized from close range following a Ronan free-kick that Happe headed back into the danger area. The dramatic turnaround was completed moments later in stoppage time when Toyosi Olusanya was brought down by Hearts defender Stuart Findlay, who received a red card for denying a goal-scoring opportunity. Kevin Nisbet converted the resulting penalty with composure to secure three points and extend Hearts' winless streak at Pittodrie to 15 matches. The result was particularly galling for Vrancken, whose side had appeared on course for a first victory at the ground in more than a decade. In Sunday's entertaining encounter, St Johnstone recovered from multiple deficit situations to defeat Kilmarnock 4-3 in a seven-goal spectacle. Josh Fowler opened the scoring for Saints in the 16th minute following a Sam Stanton interception, but Greg Kiltie equalized against the run of play at the back post. Cheick Diabaté restored the hosts' lead early in the second half with a downward header from a corner, only for Joe Hugill to level the match six minutes later with an audacious lob. The visitors then briefly took the lead when a Nicky Clescenco effort rebounded in off Jason Holt, before St Johnstone's Louis Lloyd equalized with a fortunate deflection off his first touch. St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari's attacking substitutions proved decisive in the closing stages. Kai Fotheringham, introduced from the bench, settled the encounter with a clinical finish ten minutes from time, securing victory for the Championship-winning side in their Premiership debut. Valakari described the performance as "a test of character," reflecting on whether his team could maintain their promising style while tightening their defensive vulnerabilities at the top level. Kilmarnock boss Neil McCann acknowledged his side's shortcomings, saying they were "much better than that" and questioning whether their attacking displays merited their temporary 3-2 advantage.