CURTING EDGE EDGE
McInnes reckons comeback star Main can give Dons a huge lift after hitman nets superb double Star Main can give nets superb double
Derek McInnes praised Curtis Main for being Aberdeen’s main man just 10 days after returning for full training.
The striker struck twice in only his second league start of the season to get Dons back to winning ways at Pittodrie.
Main has been dogged with injuries this season but McInnes is delighted he’s now back approaching peak fitness.
The gaffer said: “It’s only really only in the last 10 days that Curtis has managed to train every day.
“Now he looks ready. We had a good chat at the beginning of the week.
“He led the line brilliantly and, when he’s got that speed round about him, Curtis has an important role to play for any team.
“He was a pivotal part in us winning the game.”
Victory keeps McInnes’ side in fourth spot but they are level with Celtic and just one point behind Hibs in second.
And former Motherwell ace Main is hoping he can now get his season on track.
He said: “It was satisfying to score twice after such a frustrating first half of the season.
“It was nice to come in and straight away get a goal.
“We wanted to set the tone and get after County. We wanted on the front foot and the goal helped that.
“Our play in the first half was very good and very attacking.”
It was only the Dons’ second win in eight games but there seems to be little light at the end of the tunnel for County.
Their injury worries piled up even more at Pittodrie and they have now fallen to the bottom of the league.
They have taken just two points from 27 and must lift themselves for a Betfred Cup quarter- f inal tie at Livingston Wednesday.
It took the home side just four minutes to hit the front.
Ryan Hedges’s corner was headed down by Tommie Hoban to Connor McLennan, who laid it back to Main to stab it low into the net. Staggies boss Stuart Kettlewell would have been raging at how slow his players reacted.
The Dons were fired up and you could see that in the intensity of their play and the shouts amongst their team.
County were missing six top-team regulars and their injury woes were to get even worse over the course of this game.
Alex Iacovitti went down clutching his thigh and minutes later he was replaced by Josh Reid.
It saw an enforced change in shape with County going to a back four and Regan Charles- Cook pushed in to a move advanced position.
Ross McRorie made a few driving runs from midfield for Aberdeen but in the
32nd minute he over-ran the ball and was booked for his lunge on Coll Donaldson.
County’s Charles- Cook saw a yellow card soon after to even things up in ref Nick Walsh’s book.
Connor Randall was the next County injury victim, as he l imped of f to be replaced by Billy Mckay.
Aberdeen enjoyed a lot of possession but didn’t show enough first-half intensity to kill the Highlanders off.
County struggled to get forward and their f irst chance came in stoppage time.
Stephen Kelly’s inviting free-kick was headed over by the unmarked Mckay.
Aberdeen opened the County defence up soon after the restart. Main flicked the ball intelligently to Matty
Kennedy, who cut in from the left, but his shot was blocked by the legs of Ross Laidlaw.
This game could have been turned on its head but instead Aberdeen doubled their advantage.
Reid’s high up and under into the box found long-term Aberdeen target Ross Stewart and he knocked it just wide on the volley.
But Aberdeen then went up the park and scored a killer second goal.
Jonny Hayes found Hedges and he went for goal but his poor shot landed at the feet of Main, who turned and slammed it high into the right- hand corner of Laidlaw’s net.
County boss Kettlewell sent on Michael Gardyne and Jermaine Hylton as he tried desperatelyesperately to get back into this game.
County produced a decent move in the 80th minute.
Gardyne set up Stewart but Joe Lewis stood tall to block and Charles- Cook couldn’t get on the rebound.
Lewis then caused a flew flutters when he leathered the ball against defender Andy Considine but it fell back into his grasp.
McInnes knows this month could shape their season but he admits he is looking to make changes in January.
He said: “It was a good performance for the majority of the game.
“Another clean sheet and three points is really pleasing way to start a run of games in December.
“We need to get some point s together and come out of December in a good place.
“Then we will try to make the changes we want to make in January to strengthen the squad for the second half of the campaign.”