Deadly Dons give the Buddies a drubbing
After a troubling few weeks in front of goal, Derek McInnes challenged his Aberdeen players to “expect” themselves to score, rather than merely hope to.
Against St Mirren, they answered the call. The sensational Dons slammed four unanswered goals past the Buddies to cruise into the last eight of the Betfred Cup. They were slick, sharp and deadly. St Mirren, sluggish from the outset, were torn apart. Were it not for Craig Samson in the Buddies’ goal, the Dons could have racked up a cricket score. For their manager, it was an afternoon to remember. McInnes said: “It was an exceptional performance. “We imposed ourselves on the game from the kick-off, then dominated possession. “The movement, the speed and the intelligence of everybody – especially at the top end of the pitch – was really pleasing for me. “Stevie May, Scott Wright, Gary MackaySteven and Frank Ross were sensational at times with their movement. “The only thing is we could have scored more goals. But it was a cup-tie against Premiership opposition, so we’d have taken 4-0 all day long before the game.” It appeared Aberdeen had been dealt an early blow when Niall McGinn was injured in the warm-up. The Northern Irishman was replaced in the starting line-up by young prospect Frank Ross, with teenager Connor McLennan bumped up to the bench. But any fears over McGinn’s absence were snuffed out immediately. There were less than 10 seconds on the clock when the Dons first threatened the St Mirren goal – Gary Mackay-Steven breaking down the right before crossing for Stevie May, whose angled volley was pushed wide by Samson. Five minutes later, Mackay-Steven was at it again, beating full-back Hayden Coulson with an ankle-breaking shuffle before floating a back post cross to Lewis Ferguson, who called Samson into action again with a well-placed header. St Mirren might have stolen the lead on 14 minutes when Nicolai Brock-Madsen headed Coulson’s free-kick just over the bar from eight yards out. But the Dons reacted instantly – and got the goal their early play deserved when Mackay-Steven smashed home the impressive Ferguson’s lofted cross on the volley. Ferguson’s former club, Hamilton Accies, have publicly stated they want a seven-figure fee for the midfield star,
while Aberdeen have offered £100,000. Accies are unlikely to get what they’re looking for at tomorrow morning’s Hampden tribunal. But Ferguson certainly looks like a player whose next move could be a very big one, indeed. He wasn’t a lone light in the Dons ranks. Mackay-Steven was absolutely on fire – as he has been for weeks – and once again turned Coulson inside out on 20 minutes before sending a perfect cross for Graeme Shinnie to head home Aberdeen’s second. Just six minutes later, Scott Wright, making his first start of the season for the Reds, pounced on slack defensive play by St Mirren’s Cole Kpekawa, stole possession, rounded the stranded Samson, and squared for Stevie May to fire the Dons’ third into the roof of the net. Only four excellent saves from Samson kept the scoreline semirespectable for St Mirren at the half. With one foot in the last eight, the Dons could have taken their foot off the gas in the second half. Instead, they pushed the pedal to the metal. Mackay-Steven smashed home his second of the afternoon from the penalty spot after the well-beaten Coulson took the winger out in the box. If they can keep this up, St Mirren won’t be the only team on the receiving end of a Pittodrie drubbing this season.