Goodwill gesture
Striker proved he was the bigger man when he passed up shooting chance to set up vital goal for team-mate
WITH only six goals last season, David Goodwillie cannot complain he was kept out of the Aberdeen s i de by t he Premiership’s most prolific striker.
Team-mate Adam Rooney netted 28 times for the Dons as Derek McInnes’ side finished runners-up in the league.
Yet, as Aberdeen travelled to Croatia last week to face Rijeka in what was considered to be a highly demanding Europa League qualifier, i t was t he f ormer Blackburn Rovers and Dundee United forward who was given the nod to start.
With the opportunity to stake his claim, one would have imagined t here was little chance of Goodwillie passing up any chances to find the back of the net.
But, as Aberdeen produced a composed and accomplished performance to secure a 3-0 victory to defend this evening at Pittodrie, the 26-year-old Scot turned down an opening to score himself and unselfishly set up Kenny McLean for the crucial third goal in 75 minutes.
‘It all happened so quickly that I’m just happy I made the right decision and Kenny put it away,’ said Goodwillie, who made way for Rooney, job done, four minutes later.
‘I think if it was on my right foot I probably would have taken it on myself, but I didn’t trust the old left foot!
‘I enjoy the role, though, as it’s the chance to work hard for the team and help us get a result. As long as I’m playing I’m happy, but you need to be selfless in that position to help the team get up the pitch.
‘It’s hard in European football to do that against quality opposition, so I was happy to get the chance,’ added Goodwillie.
‘It was a good first six months and a bad second six months for me last season. That was obviously frustrating but the aim was just to work even harder to get back into the manager’s plans.
‘He changed the system a little bit and Adam was banging in the goals, which was great as the team was winning.
‘You obviously want to be playing in the side but i f you can’t, then it’s good to be part of a successful squad, as well.
‘ Yo u ca n’ t argue with the selection when t he team is winning 3-0 every week.’
Aberdeen’s performance last week was all the more impressive as Rijeka w ere unbeaten in their previous 12 home matches in continental competition against some top-class opposition.
I n contrast, they have won just four times in their last 20 matches on the road and those came in Wales, the Faroe Islands, Moldova and Hungary. S o me observers may believe Aberdeen will coast through to a third-round trip to Kazakhstan or Armenia next Thursday, but Goodwillie has other ideas. He remembers this time last year when Real Sociedad were supposed to cruise through after a 2- 0 first - leg win in San Sebastian.
Instead, Aberdeen gave them the fright of their lives by edging into a 2-1 lead early in the second half of the return, only f or the visitors to relieve the pressure with two goals in the last four minutes.
Goodwillie excelled in that game against the Spaniards, just as he did last week in Croatia, and is determined to emerge with the right result this time. Lessons, it seems, have been learned from that defeat.
‘We need to take the experience from that Sociedad game that it is never dead and buried. We thought we could get through and certainly gave ourselves a chance,’ he said.
‘We gave them a real scare when we went 2-1 up at Pittodrie but unfortunately they eventually had the quality to shut us out in the end.
‘That’s why I don’t think this tie is over and I don’t think any of my team- mates think that way, either.
‘Rijeka might get frustrated if they don’t score early on but, make no mistake, they have got the quality to do that.’
‘We just need to have the quality to stop it and, hopefully, we can to make sure we get through to the next round.
‘We have to make sure we get the result needed to progress but, if I was in their boat, I would feel there’s nothing to lose.
‘They are a good team. The result from the first leg might not show that but they are and they will get the respect they deserve.
‘It’s only halfway through the tie and if we can go out there and do the next part of the job, we can l ook forward to a run i n the competition.’
Mark Reynolds is McInnes’ only injury absentee with experienced midfielder Barry Robson having recovered from the ankle knock that kept him out of the first leg.
By contrast, Rijeka travelled without i njured pair Marko Leskovic and Dario Knezevic which leaves them with just two recognised central defenders.
I’m happy I made the right decision