Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Fifth league loss in a row for Dark Blues
A SEVERELY understrength Dundee side fell to a fifth-straight Premiership defeat as Lewis Ferguson earned Aberdeen a 2-1 win at Pittodrie.
Leigh Griffiths had given the Dark Blues an early lead with a superb long-range free kick but the makeshift visitors couldn’t hold their lead.
Ryan Hedges made it 1-1 quickly before Ferguson heaped more misery on James McPake’s side.
Ahead of kick-off Dundee boss McPake labelled the decision to reject his club’s request for a postponement “embarrassing”.
With just 14 fit players following a positive Covid case, 40-year-old Dark Blues assistant Dave Mackay dusted off his boots to take a place on the bench alongside goalies Ian Lawlor and Harrison Sharp as well as youngster Callum Lamb.
The starting XI was an experienced one, though on-loan defender Corey Panter was making his league debut for the club.
And that experienced side took the lead after just seven minutes as Griffiths reminded everyone of his skills by smashing a superb free kick into the top corner from 30 yards.
The lead wouldn’t last long as Ryan Hedges squeezed beyond a couple of challenges to put the equaliser past Adam Legzdins for 1-1.
For much of the first half, the Dons dominated the ball and pressurised the under-strength visitors.
But Dundee kept themselves in the contest and looked dangerous on the attack themselves.
The second half was played in similar fashion, the only real chance of note coming from a Hedges effort, saved down low by Legzdins.
Dundee grew in confidence in attack as the half wore on but tiredness was always going to be a factor with players like Jordan Marshall having only trained one day on return from injury.
And it was Aberdeen’s substitutes who were involved in the break that lead to the home side taking the lead.
A cross from the left dropped to Lewis Ferguson on the right flank and he made no mistake in smashing past Legzdins.
In the closing minutes, the Dark Blues were denied a late equaliser as Liam Fontaine and Griffiths attempted to scramble the ball over the line only for the home defence to clear.
But they couldn’t force it in and the Dark Blues now head into the winter break in bleak form.
Crucially, though, there is now time to get bodies back fit – and new faces in before the league kicks back into gear.
Dons boss Stephen Glass was delighted with the response from his side to falling behind to Griffiths’ outstanding strike.
He said: “Anytime you go a goal behind it is difficult.
The conditions weren’t great – it was cold, wet and windy – and we went behind, but I think it showed the mental toughness of the group and the quality they have today, as well. It was two very good goals. We looked a danger any time we tried to cut them open.
“I think we were a wee bit passive in the first half, but we really showed that we’re a real danger. ”