Ferguson and Wright on target as Dons pocket another three points
● Aberdeen hold firm in tense finale to make it two victories from three games
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alty high into the net four minutes after the interval and Scott Wright added a second in the 55th minute.
Scott Pittman pulled a goal back to set up a tense finale in which Livi had an appeal for a penalty turned down, but the Dons held firm.
The Dons had looked off the paceintheirmidweekwinover St Johnstone and the first half of their clash with Livi offered more of the same, with little in the way of goalmouth action despite new signing Marley Watkins starting in attack.
Indeed,itwasthevisitorswho looked the more threatening, Shay Logan having to put in a timely challenge to deny Alan Forrest as the winger burst into the box after seven minutes.
Jonny Hayes saw an effort deflected wide soon after for the home side, who perhaps should have taken the lead on the half-hour as Matty Kennedy worked space on the left and pulled back for Ferguson, but his low shot was easily held by Robby Mccrorie in the Livingston goal.
At the other end the visitors passed up an even better chance. Nicky Devlin robbed Kennedy and played in Scott Robinson who was denied by Joe Lewis. The Dons took the lead in the 49th minute. Ferguson,
pictured, was bundled over in the penalty area by Craig Sibbald and picked himself up to fire emphatically into the top corner from the resultant spot-kick.
Ferguson blocked a Jack Mcmillan effort as the visitors sought a quick-fire leveller, but Aberdeen doubled their lead six minutes later.
Ryan Hedges combined with Wright twice before the latter, now with only the goalkeeper to beat, slotted past Mccrorie into the bottom corner.
Mccrorie denied the home side a third with a stunning point-blank stop from Watkins’ diving header, keeping Livingston in the game.
And they pulled a goal back after 69 minutes as Jack Fitzwater found space on the right to send in a teasing cross that was met at the back post by Pittman.
Livingston perhaps should have been handed a penalty in the dying minutes as the Aberdeen defence failed to deal with Devlin’s long throw and Logan appeared to handle in the ensuing stramash, but referee Steven Mclean was unmoved by the claims and the Dons held on.
Aberdeen boss Derek Mcinnes stressed the importance of building some positivity around the club as they recover from their coronavirus controversy and subsequent stop-start beginning to the season.
A Lewis Ferguson penalty and a Scott Wright strike, both in the first ten minutes of the second period, earned the Dons the points against Livingston despite Scott Pittman’s goal setting up a tense final 20 minutes.
It was their second successive win since returning to action after the Dons saw three games postponed due to two of their players testing positive for Covid-19.
Mcinnes said: “We’ve watched everybody else getting their season up and running and you’re watching with envy. We’ve been desperate to get going and get some positivity going. The best way to do that is to win games of football.
“We scored two good goals today, we threatened to score a couple more. It could have been more comfortable for us in the second half but at this stage of the season – if you ask any manager – it’s just all about getting three points.
“We got the job done and I couldn’t be more pleased with the boys.”
Livingston boss Gary Holt was critical of his side’s defending as they emerged from the game with nothing.
He said: “I spoke at halftime about how well we were doing and that the first ten minutes of the second half were crucial, but I thought we gave two soft goals away. It’s something we need to eradicate because it seems to be a failing of ours at the moment.”