Gary’s goal message to Big Eck as Nations League crunch looms

ABERDEEN.........1 HIBS.........0 SCOTT BURNS AT PITTODRIE

GARY MACKAY-STEVEN sent a timely reminder to Scotland boss Alex McLeish as he fired Aberdeen up to fifth place.

The winger was once again the hammer of Hibs although young defender Ryan Porteous’ blunder played a major part in him being the hero of the night.

The Scotland midfielder, who will join up with the squad for the Nations League games with Albania and Israel, struck the only goal of the game at Pittodrie to make it four straight wins for Derek McInnes’s rejuvenated side.

It was perhaps no surprise MackaySteven was the difference between the sides as four of his eight goals last season came against the men from Leith.

But as the Dons climbed into fifth spot – at least until this afternoon – it was another night to forget for Hibs who have now lost three games on the bounce.

Neil Lennon’s side have lost a lot of their early-season confidence and look a shadow of the team who were up challenging Hearts just a few weeks ago.

Aberdeen’s form dictated that McInnes only made one switch from the team that started in the win at Kilmarnock, with Stevie May coming in for Dominic Ball.

Lennon though made four changes with Darren McGregor, Porteous, Vykintas Slivka and Flo Kamberi coming in while Steven Whittaker, Marvin Bartley, Emerson Hyndman and Daryl Horgan dropped out.

The wind that had battered the north-east over the previous 24 hours was still having an impact and added to the challenge for both sides.

A Stevie Mallan free-kick fell to the head of Mark Milligan after five minutes but Shay Logan was in the six-yard box to boot his effort away.

Mallan’s set-plays have been significant for Hibs this season and his next one just a few minutes later gave McGregor and Kamberi glimpses of goal – but both were blocked by Scott McKenna and then Logan.

The former Barnsley player then curled a wind-assisted free-kick over the bar as the Hibees desperately tried to make their early pressure pay. Porteous could have no complaints when he went into the book in the 16th minute after he had taken out Mackay-Steven on the left.

Niall McGinn curled in the free-kick but Adam Bogdan pushed the ball away. McGinn then showed guile with a training-ground corner to find James Wilson at the edge of the box but his shot was deflected wide.

Aberdeen were gifted the opener in the 40th minute.

Porteous tried to find Lewis Stevenson but carelessly gave the ball to Mackay-Steven who ran past the Hibs defender to slam the ball low into the bottom left-hand corner of Bogdan’s net from outside the box.

It was a great strike for the winger’s sixth goal of the season and it sparked urgency in the Dons who went in at the interval with their tails up.

Lennon must have had strong words for his team at the interval and there was a marked improvement from Hibs after the restart.

Mallan’s dangerous corner was attacked by Milligan and Max Lowe before Logan could clear again. The