Recharged McGinn is Dons’ vital spark
SURPRISING defeats for both halves of the Old Firm, a third win in eight days and a visiting team that could barely get across the halfway line by the end.
It all made for a satisfying afternoon for Aberdeen. Even if their own performance, truth be told, was nothing to write home about.
Two goals from left-back Andrew Considine either side of a crisp finish from Niall McGinn, his 70th for the club, put the Dons six points clear of Rangers in second spot having played a game more and back within eight of wobbly old Celtic at the top of the Premiership.
The Dons can play considerably better than this, for sure, but this was still a good end to hard week’s work after wins against in-form Kilmarnock and bottom-side Ross County.
As for Accies, reeling from a fourth straight loss and now just three points clear of County, the less said the better.
They managed just one shot at goal throughout the 90 minutes. In the second half, they offered almost nothing at all in an attacking context. With Greg Docherty having been sold and Darian MacKinnon, Dougie Imrie, David Templeton and Ali Crawford all unavailable, they lacked experience in key areas — and it showed.
In the end, it was creative players such as McGinn and Ryan Christie on the home side who were the difference. McGinn has now scored twice in three games since returning from South Korea and McInnes reports that the Northern Irishman is looking a rejuvenated character from the man who left for an ill-fated spell at Gwangju last June.
‘It’s a more vibrant Niall than the one we had towards the end of the last time he was here,’ said the Pittodrie boss. ‘He gave us brilliant service, but looked a tired player.
‘He maybe didn’t need the kind of break he had in South Korea as he didn’t play that often, but he’s come back with real energy and focus.
‘It’s hard to tell when Niall is happy, but I’ve seen him smile a lot since he came back. It may be because Niall made a few quid out there.
‘He can be the difference for us in tight games.’
The winger, along with the slightest intervention from Lady Luck, helped set up the 24th-minute opener.
McGinn fired in a free-kick from the left that should have been meat and drink to Scott McMann. His attempt to head clear, however, hit off one of his own team-mates at close range inside the area and fell to Considine, who drilled a fine effort low past visiting goalkeeper Gary Woods.
Yet, despite Accies placing the emphasis firmly on defence, they did carve out an excellent chance just before the half-hour mark thanks to pressing well in the Dons half. Aberdeen midfielder Kenny McLean was dispossessed and Nathan Redmond nudged the ball on to Giannis Skondras on the right.
He made good contact on a low drive towards the near post but keeper Freddie Woodman, brought in on loan from Newcastle United on deadline day and making his Aberdeen debut, turned the ball wide for a corner.
Scott McKenna, kept out of Hull City’s clutches during the January window, almost made it 2-0 to Aberdeen with what would have been an extraordinary goal early in the second period. He released a shot from over 40 yards out that took a deflection and then the most wicked bounce in the area before being touched over the crossbar by a startled Woods.
With Hamilton failing to offer anything in an attacking sense, the game appeared to be drifting towards time-up when McGinn smashed home an emphatic finish from 12 yards after a McLean shot had been blocked.
‘It was my first 90 minutes for a long time and it has probably been too much too soon, but I have come out smiling with a couple of goals and a couple of assists,’ he said. ‘Having the break and the wee (hernia) operation I got done has proved good for me. I am playing with a smile on my face.’
Not to be outdone, Considine tied it up with his second near the end with a back-post header from a Christie cross from the right.
‘There was nothing between the two teams in the first half,’ said Accies boss Martin Canning. ‘But in the second half, we didn’t do enough.’