FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS JOHN GREECHAN

Dons through after scare and now face a bumpy ride

THE road to the Europa League group stage is not going to be all easy going for Aberdeen, who now face a round trip of nearly 10,000 miles to Almaty — just over the border from China, if you’re looking it up — in the first leg of their third qualifying round tie next week.

If last night’s thrills and spills are any indication of what lies in wait, any Dons fans travelling to Kazakhstan had better keep their seatbelts fastened even after the aeroplane has come to a complete stop.

Because even the most apparently straightforward of these big European nights can quickly become rather turbulent, if ultimately enjoyable, affairs.

Already 3-0 up from the first leg of their tie with HNK Rijeka, the concession of t wo quickfire second- half goals — one well created, the other via a lucky deflection — pushed Derek McInnes’ men closer to elimination than anyone would have predicted.

When they needed to show their quality, though, the home side responded with a brilliantly-taken goal of their own, Niall McGinn showing pace, composure and an eye for an opportunity to finally kill off any thoughts of even extra- t i me, never mind an ignominious exit.

And Jonny Hayes put a spring back in the step of the near 16,000 who had turned up at Pittodrie to roar on their heroes and maybe even dream of bigger Euro glory games to come, with his goal 18 minutes from time — making it 2-2 on the night, 5-2 on aggregate — prompting some serious celebration in the red and white ranks.

If giving up a couple of goals can never be a good thing, it certainly added some tang to a tie that looked like the deadest of dead rubbers before kick-off, with some even bemoaning the fact that only Kairat Almaty lie in wait in the next round. Where’s the glamour, eh?

Still, progress is progress. And European runs by Scottish clubs being about as rare as dentures for chickens, plenty of residual hope is being carried by Aberdeen this season; fans and neutrals alike are emotionally invested in how they represent the country in the weeks and (hopefully) months ahead.

Last night, the Croatians made a handful of changes f rom the starting XI t urned over so comprehensively in the first leg, the most significant being the demotion of goalkeeper Ivan Vargic to the bench, his place taken by Simon Sluga.

Far from resembling a team needing only to avoid losing by three clear goals, the home side — showing just one change, with Kenny McLean in for Peter Pawlett — started full of i ntent and ambition.

In control for most of the first half, they created glimpses of an opening here and there, the closest thing to a goal coming with a Hayes whipped cross that just evaded a sliding McLean at the back post.

As for the Croats, well, faced with a seemingly impossible task, they plugged away gamely enough. But, with Andrew Considine looking particularly effective at left-back, the Dons’ back four rarely appeared close to giving up a chance. In the first half, anyway.

Still, the 100-strong knot of Rijeka fans — and there’s dedication for you, travelling to one of the UK’s more expensive footballing burghs with your team 3-0 down and all but out — maintained a beery sort of bounciness throughout, either in some vain hope of inspiring their t eam or out of s heer bloody-mindedness.

Early in the second half, Ash Taylor could — and probably should — have made it 1-0 on the night, rising to meet an in-swinging corner with a meaty header, unfortunately just off target.

If a home goal then would have killed the tie stone dead, Marin Tomasov cutting i nside and beating Danny Ward with a low, left-footed strike after 57 minutes offered the visitors something they must have thought had been lost. Hope.

The way in which Tomasov was able to find space and shoot would have been a concern to McInnes. As would the fact that Hayes missed a sitter moments later, heading a brilliant David Goodwillie cross wide from point-blank range.

When sub Zoran Kvrzic let rip with a 30- yarder that took a wild deflection past Ward with 64 minutes on the clock, a definite chill blew through Pittodrie. It couldn’t happen, could it?

No. Straight from the kick- off, McGinn broke free down the i nside- right channel, beating Sluga with a perfect low finish in off the post. Within moments, Goodwillie was tearing down the left, standing three defenders up and laying the ball inside for a Hayes touch and finish.

The cheer for that goal was loud enough t o emphasise how seriously the fans were taking not just this competition, but the seriousness of the threat posed by Rijeka, who at least return home with their battered reputation partially restored.

Aberdeen move on to Almaty and, hopefully, a place in the play-offs … and beyond. If it was as easy as toddling down to Brechin for a bounce game, it wouldn’t be worth doing now, would it?