CAN ERIK PLUG GAPS FOR DEILA?
Aberdeen’s 10 men hold their nerve to turn up heat at top
FOR Derek McInnes, the past week had been spent fending off questions about whether Aberdeen had the stomach for a fight. Yesterday in frozen Dingwall, his 10-man Dons team picked the ideal time to answer their critics and keep up the heat on Celtic at the top of the table.
Make no mistake. They overcame Ross County — and the odds — with a fine battling performance, full of character and quality.
Under pressure to close the gap on Ronny Deila’s Premiership leaders, while being steadily hunted down by Robbie Neilson’s rampant Hearts, the travelling fans will have been utterly crestfallen to find their team a goal down and a man short after just 27 minutes at the Global Energy Stadium.
Having watched Aberdeen twice spurn opportunities last month to move ahead of Celtic — when they were stung by home draws against the Thistles of Partick and Inverness — even the most optimistic foot soldiers within the Red Army would have feared the worst.
Galvanised by adversity, however, McInnes’ men only grew in stature after skipper Mark Reynolds’ dismissal and the loss of the opening goal from the resulting free-kick.
They stormed back to glean three potentially precious points in a five-goal thriller which moved them within three of Deila’s reigning champions and six clear of their Tynecastle rivals.
A banana skin of a game was also negotiated without their talismanic goalkeeper Danny Ward after his surprise recall by Liverpool last week.
McInnes elected to play Scott Brown in goal over new recruit Adam Collin from Rotherham United, and Brown rewarded his manager by putting in a fairly blameless performance.
The Aberdeen boss also handed a recall to David Goodwillie, who partnered Adam Rooney up front.
And there was a second Dons start for midfielder Craig Storie, once compared to a young Paul Scholes by former Pittodrie boss Craig Brown.
Jim McIntyre, meanwhile, made two changes from the County side which beat Dunfermline 1-0 in their Scottish Cup replay last midweek. Jonathan Franks and Jackson Irvine dropped to the bench, while in came Ian McShane and Jamie Reckord.
Despite the mercury dipping to minus six in frozen Dingwall, Aberdeen got off to a red-hot start.
First, County keeper Scott Fox saved a Jonny Hayes shot that had looped up off the back of defender Marcus Fraser.
Then an important block by Fraser stopped Rooney opening the scoring after an exquisite through-ball by Niall McGinn.
Moments later, McGinn’s shot from distance was spilled by Fox but that man Fraser was there again to hack the ball to safety.
County not only survived the onslaught, they should have taken the lead when a long punt forward by keeper Fox found Michael Gardyne.
He set up former Dons full-back Richard Foster with only Brown to beat but the Aberdeen keeper did well to knock the ball over the bar.
By now, County were on top and there was a huge let-off for the visitors when McShane was clearly clipped in the box by Ash Taylor.
However, referee Crawford Allan waved away the Ross County midfielder’s increasingly frantic penalty claim.
Justice was served when Alex Schalk ran in behind the Aberdeen defence and cleverly ran across the path of Reynolds.
He was duly clipped by the Dons skipper just outside the box for a free-kick, followed by an inevitable red card for Reynolds.
Worse was to come for Aberdeen when the Dons wall ‘jumped’, allowing former Queen of the South midfielder McShane to crack the ball under it and into the bottom left corner past Brown.
County’s breakthrough spelled the end for Goodwillie, who was sacrificed by McInnes in place of defender Andy Considine.
It was a disastrous moment for Aberdeen but, to their credit, they refused to wilt.
When County’s Chris Robertson foolishly grabbed a handful of Rooney’s jersey in the box, they had their route back into this match.
After Robertson was booked for protesting the penalty award, Rooney sent Fox the wrong way — and the ball into the bottom-right corner.
That was no surprise. The Irishman has a perfect record from the spot this season — seven out of seven.
The 10-man visitors went ahead in sensational fashion when Hayes crossed into the box from the left and the ball was flicked into the far corner via the post by Shay Logan.
The Aberdeen full-back had beaten Foster and Reckord to get the final touch and he celebrated in style with a somersault.
The Dons had Brown in goal to thank for retaining their lead after a superb double save denied County striker Brian Graham and then Schalk.
The end of a truly crazy first period saw Fox save a Rooney shot and then scramble back to prevent the ball’s momentum carrying it over the line.
It had been quite a first half, with 20 efforts on goal.
After the break, Aberdeen extended their lead when Graeme Shinnie’s left-wing delivery was flicked on by Rooney and Logan converted from six yards.
The Dons may well have been feeling the effects of being a man down, but their right-back had still been able to make a lung-bursting and fruitful run to the back post for the second time in the match.
It was somersault time again for the ex-Manchester City youngster.
County set up a nerve-shredding finale when the impressive McShane sent a fantastic 25-yarder flying high past Brown.
Despite subsequent County pressure, however, Aberdeen’s bottle did not crash and the 10 men roared with delight when Allan’s last blast of the whistle ended the County siege.
Not only was this result impressive on its own, it was also Aberdeen’s ninth consecutive match in the league without defeat since losing 3-1 at Parkhead on Hallowe’en.
Deila may have mocked McInnes in the past for not being willing to talk up his team’s title chances but results and performances like this have a tendency to speak for themselves.