WE’LL FINISH IT ON YOUR TURF
Ball’s warning to Dyche’s troops
Dom Ball came back to finish what he started at Pittodrie. Now he reckons Aberdeen can do the same in Burnley.
And prove they’re better than anyone has given them credit for.
The 22-year-old’s anchor held firm in the turning tide against the English Premier League side last Thursday.
It was his most impressive display in a Dons jersey after a hit-and-miss first loan spell with them last season.
Bal l returned to Aberdeen on a year- long loan from Rotherham this month, claiming he has unf inished business in the Granite City.
He believes both he and his team-mates have momentum on their side going into the second leg at Turf Moor.
And he is certain they will score the away goal they need to keep the Europa League group stage in their sights.
Gary Mackay- Steven’s 19th-minute penalty gave the home side the lead and it was looking good for the Dons until Sam Vokes levelled with 10 minutes left.
Ball said: “A 1-1 draw against a good Premier League team sounds like a fair result. We came in at half-time talking about pushing on to get a second goal.
“But we used up a lot of energy in the first half when we should maybe have kept the ball a bit better.
“We dropped off a bit in the second half, gave them a bit too much respect in possession and I was a bit disappointed with their late goal.
“But can we score down there? I think we will. We should have scored at least two at home.
“They might have kept possession but we had more and better chances than they did – so it’s disappointing not to have the second goal to take with us.
“It will be tough. Tougher than the first one. But we’ll have learned from this one as well and we’ll be a week fitter too.”
Ball started only 11 of 40 games after signing for the Pittodrie side on deadline day last August.
He’s first to admit he didn’t do himself justice until starring in a run of five straight undefeated post-split games at the end of the season.
But he looked at ease in the Aberdeen engine room last Thursday and confessed: “It’s the reason I came up here again. I just wanted to carry on where I left off at the end of last season and I feel like I’ve done that.
“I want to do that every week. I’m happy with my performance – but I’ve got to build on it.
“I’ve set a standard for myself but, to be fair, I think I did that towards the end of last season as well.
“It took me a while to get going but getting that run of games helped and this feels like I’m now taking that on.
“And the position I was in, that’s where I play my best football – the manager thinks that as well.”
Ball has some fresh blood alongside him as well – and he’s suitably impressed.
He said: “I’ve only been back a week but Lewis Ferguson? He’s really good.
“Everyone has warmed to him and he has shown what he can do against a class side like Burnley.
“To compose himself the way he did in a Europa League game when you consider how young he is, just 18 years, is a credit to him. He’s got a lot of maturity about him after his games at Hamilton. He did really well.” Much has been
made in the past week about the departure of Dons’ talismanic striker Adam Rooney for the depths of England’s lower leagues – and how it reflects on the Scottish game.
But when a team from that same environment comfortably hold the seventh best team in England, what does that say?
Ball said: “Of course it reflects well on Scottish football.
“It IS a good result for us – the Clarets are a top team but we’ve gone up against them and done really well. We had good chances to actually beat them.
“I think we showed the quality of Scottish football and the quality of Aberdeen as a team.
“And obviously I like it up here, considering its my third spell on loan after I joined Rangers from Spurs.
“That’s the attraction up here as well. The games you’re playing are massive and I really enjoy them.
“At Celtic Park, Rangers, Hibs, you’re playing in front of thousands of fans. And next week at Turf Moor will be amazing to be part of as well.
“I really enjoyed my time at Rangers. And last year at Aberdeen I felt like I only showed in the last couple of months what I could actually do.
“So I felt like this season I wanted to go somewhere I was familiar with and I could carry on where I finished off.
“I felt like I left wanting to do more and that’s why I came back.
“It’s an important season. For a start I’m in the last year of my contract at Rotherham – but I also want to enjoy my football.
“It helps to join a club where the manager has faith in me. I showed the players and fans what I could do in those last few games and that’s why he brought me back. Now I need to do it again.”