Players feeling the pain most, says caretaker Sheerin
Honest Aberdeen caretaker boss Paul Sheerin insisted his punchless players were hurting more than anybody after they fired yet another Premiership blank.
Sheerin watched the toothless Dons make it just one goal in no fewer than 10 games as they went down to Adrian Sporle’s clinical 62nd-minute finish in this Tannadice tussle.
Sheerin, who has been handed the Pittodrie reins following Derek McInnes’s recent departure, took charge of the Reds for the first time yesterday as the club continues its search for a new permanent manager.
And Sheerin, who was adamant the visitors should have been awarded a first-half penalty when Calum Butcher appeared to shove Lewis Ferguson, revealed his lacklustre troops were feeling the pain more than anyone with their recent drought in front of goal.
Sheerin said: “I can’t make excuses, so we just need to try to be better.
“The fact we can’t score goals is worrying but we’re striving to try to rectify that.
“We had the bulk of the play here, which was good, and we got into the final third.
“But there is a point that it becomes frustrating when there’s no end product in terms of what you probably deserve.
“But they feel it in the dressing room. In all honesty, nobody feels it as much as the players.
“I felt very aggrieved, to be honest, with the decision not to give us a penalty. It was a penalty – and there’s no getting away from that.”
The Dons arrived on Tayside having won only once and scored one goal in nine previous games, and left Tannadice trailing third-top Hibs by seven points with just five post-split fixtures remaining.
Sheerin handed youngster Jack Mackenzie his debut at leftback and they began brightly in the Tayside sunshine.
Dean Campbell was first to try his luck and he saw his early shot deflected on to Benjamin Siegrist’s far post for a corner.
Then, at the other end, United midfielder Jean Fuchs found himself right through in 19 minutes but he blazed his effort high over the bar after being set up by Marc McNulty.
It was end-to-end stuff. Midway through the first half, former Tangerines ace Jonny Hayes was the next to try his luck and he wasn’t far away with a fizzing drive from 20 yards.
A minute before half-time there was controversy when the Dons desperately appealed for a penalty.
Ferguson went down inside the box as Calum Butcher appeared to push him, but referee Greg Aitken showed him the yellow card instead for diving.
The second half started in much the same fashion, with both sides striving for an opener.
Sporle went racing down the left but his cross just couldn’t pick out Lawrence Shankland, who had sprinted into space.
But Sporle struck soon after. Jeando Fuchs chased down a lost cause and fed Shankland who, in turn, squared for the Argentine, who swept a low right-foot shot into Joe Lewis’ far corner from 10 yards.
And the Tangerines were livid in 75 minutes when they felt they should have had a penalty.
Fuchs went down inside the box after being challenged by Ash Taylor but ref Aitken was having none of it.