Keena hits winning penalty as Hearts knock Dons out of cup

Mullingar man Aidan Keena converted the winning penalty as Hearts knocked Aberdeen out of the Betfred Scottish League Cup last night.

The former Mullingar Athletic and St Patrick’s Athletic forward came on as a second half sub, and was involved in the build-up for Hearts’ last-gasp equaliser, which forced extra time.

The Jambos looked out on their feet, but Keena found compatriot Jake Mulraney out on the left, who delivered a pinpoint cross to the head of Craig Halkett for a late leveller.

The sides couldn’t be separated after extra time, and in the subsequent penalty shootout, Hearts won 3-0. After a series of saves from on-loan Manchester United ‘keeper Joel Pereira, Keena applied the coup de grace with a fine penalty to the top right-hand corner, sparking wild celebrations.

Irish international Glenn Whelan, who recently joined the Edinburgh club on a free transfer, was also among the penalty scorers as they advanced to a league cup semi-final against Steven Gerrard’s Rangers side.

After recovering from an injury which left him out for much preseason, Keena (20) has returned to the fringes of the first team for Craig Levein’s charges, making three appearances in the league cup this year.