Parkhead clash back in 2004 a real bittersweet memory for former Aberdeen striker
JOHN STEWART scored a last-minute winner for Aberdeen at Celtic Park that served as a last act of respect for his beloved gran.
The injury-time strike that gave the Dons their most recent league win in the east end of Glasgow was tinged with sadness for the substitute striker. Astonishingly, it has been more than 13 years since the Pittodrie side last recorded a top-flight win at Parkhead, back in October 2004, when Jimmy Calderwood’s side snatched a 3-2 victory with almost the last kick of the ball.
Derek McInnes will be hoping to rewrite that slice of history this weekend as his Dons bid to close the gap on the league leaders and prove the second half of the season will witness a title challenge, rather than another Parkhead procession.
Defeat by the Dons in 2004 proved as ruinous to Celtic’s title chances in Martin O’Neill’s final season in charge as the 2-1 loss at Motherwell on the closing day of the campaign that ultimately opened the door for Rangers to lift the championship on Helicopter Sunday.
Gers fan Stewart, now working in the insurance industry and an Ibrox season-ticket holder, can claim a little part of history, but his overwhelming emotion as Parkhead match-winner sways between sorrow and pride.
He said: “It’s crazy it has been so long since Aberdeen last won in the league there. It seems a lifetime ago, but a few mates occasionally remind me of my last-minute goal.
“I almost didn’t play in the game, which was on a Wednesday night. On the previous Sunday my dad, James, called to tell me my gran, Sarah, had passed away.
“Her funeral was on the Thursday and Jimmy Calderwood told me to take a few days off. But I decided to stay up there and went with the squad to our usual pre-match base in Cumbernauld before the game.
“I was on the bench and my dad and my mate James Graham came along to watch at Parkhead. I replaced Kevin McNaughton with 11 minutes to go and dad turned to James and said, ‘Wait and see, John’s going to score the winner for his gran’.
“I couldn’t believe we were two goals up in the first six minutes through Darren Mackie and Fernando Pasquinelli. Celtic absolutely battered us for the rest of the game but we
If Aberdeen perform to their full potential and Celtic don’t the Dons could win JOHN STEWART
were still holding in when Jimmy put me on to play up front.
“In injury time the ball broke to Michael Hart and he knocked it up the pitch. I took probably my best touch ever as I controlled the ball first time, pushed it past Stan Varga and then held off Bobo Balde before shooting into the corner of the net.
“It was my first goal in senior football and I drew on the coaching I’d been given by Sandy Clark.
“The ball dropped to my left foot, which was weaker than my right, but Sandy had always taught us to shoot across the keeper in those instances.
“I put my head down, drew back my left foot, and made a good connection, pulling the ball across David Marshall and into the back of the net. I caught it as sweet as a nut.”
Aberdeen were 11th the previous season under the controversial reign of Steve Paterson, but were a club transformed by Calderwood’s arrival.
In his first season in charge they reached the top six, then after beating Celtic missed out on a Euro spot by three goals, finishing fourth behind champions Rangers, Celtic and Hibs.
The following year they qualified for the UEFA Cup group stage, then won through from their section only to lose 7-3 on aggregate to Bayern Munich in the last 32.
Stewart said: “The Celtic team we played against in 2004 were stronger than the current side and had players such as Juninho, a World Cup winner with Brazil. The other clubs were stronger too, including Aberdeen.
“I loved my time with the club and made a stupid, split-second decision to leave on the last day of the transfer window in 2006. Falkirk are a great club, but within three weeks I regretted leaving Pittodrie.
“I loved playing for Jimmy Calderwood. We also beat Rangers a couple of times when I was there and finished fourth in 2004-05. We had great players like Scott Severin, Barry Nicholson and Kevin McNaughton, but Derek McInnes is also building something special at Pittodrie.”
From his seat at Ibrox, Stewart has seen enough of the Premiership this season to predict another title romp for Celtic in the months ahead, but that doesn’t mean Aberdeen cannot shock them tomorrow.
He said: “If Aberdeen are to take anything from the game they must be as aggressive as Hearts were at Tynecastle on Sunday. They must get in the faces of Celtic and not give them a moment’s peace.
“If there is any team in Scotland capable of getting a result at Celtic, it is Aberdeen as they are the second-best side in the country. I’m a Rangers season-ticket holder but we’ve been too inconsistent.
“Celtic are not unbeatable, but they’re the standard bearers and over the course of the season they will prove too strong for the rest. Still, if Aberdeen perform to their potential and Celtic don’t the Dons could win.
“I played under Derek McInnes early in his managerial career at St Johnstone and you could tell how good he would become. He kept it simple and effective and was an excellent communicator. He’s done a fantastic job with Aberdeen.”