Campbell aim is to become the Main man
AFTER four winless matches on the road, being back amid home comforts brought a much-needed return to winning ways for Aberdeen.
The undoubted hero was two-goal Curtis Main, whose strike in either half was his first double since scoring for the Dons against Motherwell in April 2018.
The burly striker’s bid to prove he can become The Main Man instead of Sam Cosgrove was the big talking point. But Derek McInnes may f ace another selection dilemma for the trip to Kilmarnock next Sunday.
Young Dean Campbell impressed in the middle of the park on his return from injury after being handed a chance in place of the suspended Lewis Ferguson.
Talisman Ferguson will surely be restored to the starting line-up but Campbell, 19, did enough to warrant keeping his place in the side alongside Main.
‘It was good to see Curtis get back among the goals. He’s a hard worker behind the scenes,’ said Campbell.
‘His second goal was superb. He’s such a strong player, he works so hard on his physique and showed his strength to hold off the defender, turn and then fire it into the net. He’s taken his chance to impress the manager.
‘Curtis is similar to myself. When
When you get a chance to impress, you must take it — and Curtis has
you’re in and out of the team and you get a chance to make an impact, it’s important you impress — and Curtis has done that.
‘My own season has been up and down. I had a broken metatarsal, which was really f rustrating because I couldn’t do any work on it. I had to just let it heal. It was a few months on the sidelines.
‘But I feel good now and I’ve been delighted to play in the last couple of games.
‘I hope I keep my place in the team. I want to keep doing as much as I can to put myself in the manager’s thoughts and, hopefully, that takes me into the team.’
Campbell helped Aberdeen go for the jugular from the off.
Tommie Hoban headed the ball down from Ryan Hedges’ corner and Main was quickest to react, sending a left-footed effort into the net.
County’s only chance of a poor first half should have seen them level but substitute Billy Mckay headed over a free- kick from Stephen Kelly.
After the break, Main put the game beyond County, sending the
Highlanders to the foot of the Premiership table with a beauty of a second goal.
After a Hedges shot found its way to him in the box, he turned and cracked a lovely finish high into the net.
County’s Ross Stewart missed chances to rescue a point but Aberdeen’s victory was deserved after a run that saw them lose at Rangers in t he l eague and St Mirren in the Betfred Cup and draw with Hamilton and the Paisley side in the Premiership.
McInnes’ side have only lost at home this season to Rangers and Motherwell, and now sit a point behind Hibs with a game in hand.
‘ It was good to get back to winning ways as it was a tough few weeks,’ admitted Campbell. We had the disappointment of going out the cup and then dropping points last week in the league.
‘Last season, we dropped too many points at Pittodrie and the manager highlighted at the start of the new campaign that we had to be a stronger home team, like we have been in the last few years.
‘Obviously we slipped up against Motherwell, which wasn’t like us, but, apart from that, we’ve been very strong at home. We want to keep that going during a busy December.
‘The manager also spoke to us about trying to start games fast but we hadn’t being doing that recently.
‘In the first half, we were really positive, breaking quickly and creating chances.
‘We will rest up, recover and work hard in midweek before trying to get another three points on the board at Kilmarnock.
‘If we turn up and play our best, we are capable of competing for as high a place as we can.’
County’s crash to the bottom has been spectacular. Incredibly, their only victory over top-flight opponents since beating St Johnstone on September 19 was when they shocked Celtic in the Betfred Cup.
Stuart Kettlewell’s side now have a huge week coming up, visiting Livingston in the quarter-final on Wednesday before a basement showdown with Hamilton in Dingwall on Saturday.
Staggies defender Callum Morris admitted it’s a worry but says there is no panic yet.
‘I’m not worried about (being bottom) at the minute,’ he insisted. ‘But I’m worried about the way we are playing and the performances.
‘We can’t look at the table and think we are suddenly going to jump up the table without doing anything about it.
‘We just have to take care of the games that are coming up and focus on them rather than the league table.
‘It’s only December and there are a lot of games to play.
‘We’ve a massive week ahead and if we can be more clinical in one box and more decisive in the other, then we can win those games.’
Morris was r elegated with Dundee United in 2016, and both he and former Tan na dice team-mate Coll Donaldson are determined to prevent a repeat with County.
‘Any experience is key,’ Morris said. ‘It’s not great to have on your CV but, when you look back, it can be vital.
‘Coll was there at United at the same time and it was horrific.
‘But it’s about stopping that rot and we have opportunities to do that — and I know we will do that.’