The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Dominant Dons increase gap over Rangers
ABERDEEN 1 INVERNESS CT 0
A first-half Ash Taylor goal saw Aberdeen increase their lead over third-placed Rangers to 13 points with a 1-0 Premiership win over Inverness.
Taylor’s effort took a huge deflection off Gary Warren before finding its way into the net as the Dons moved further clear of their Glasgow rivals, who face Kilmarnock tonight.
There was no repeat of the emphatic 7-0 victory over Dundee on Friday night, but the opening exchanges were very promising for the home side.
The Dons were dominant, but Inverness could have opened the when Liam Polworth strode forward on the break, slipping in Billy McKay who saw his low shot held by Joe Lewis.
But Aberdeen continued to push and were rewarded midway through the first half.
Graeme Shinnie, one of three former Inverness men in the Dons’ starting XI, saw his 30-yard drive pushed wide.
From the resulting corner Jonny Hayes picked out Taylor and, although he was eventually credited with the goal, the ball took a massive deflection off Warren on the way into the net.
On the stroke of half time Hayes and McGinn combined, with the latter turning his man inside out before sending a teasing cross across the face of goal. It just needed a touch, but the returning Carl Tremarco did well to turn the ball behind for a corner.
The home side continued to set the pace after the interval.
But Inverness had their moments, and Polworth tested Lewis with a low shot which had the former Cardiff goalkeeper scrambling across his goal to turn wide.
With 20 minutes to go, Shinnie should have doubled the advantage as he saw a header from a Hayes cross saved and then his spectacular follow-up effort deflected behind for a corner.
With just six minutes remaining substitute Miles Storey met a low Hayes cross a yard out but, with the goal at his mercy, the former Inverness man somehow got the ball caught between his feet and could only look on in anguish as his effort came back off an upright.
Inverness threw bodies forward in search of a leveller, but were dealt a late blow as defender David Raven picked up a groin injury on a late foray forward, although he stayed on the pitch with all three subs already used. Aberdeen: Lewis, Logan, Taylor, O’Connor, Considine, Jack, McLean, Shinnie, Hayes, Rooney (Storey 79),McGinn (Christie 80). Subs not used: Pawlett, Alexander, Wright, Ross, Anderson. Inverness CT: Fon Williams, Raven, Warren, McNaughton (Fisher 86), Tremarco, Laing,Draper (Cole 61), Tansey, Polworth, Anier (Ebbe 67), Billy McKay. Subs not used: Esson, McCart, King, Brad McKay. Referee: Andrew Dallas. Attendance: 11,507.