Menacing Mackay-steven makes Hibs pay for mistake
HOW most clubs in the Premiership must wish they could have enjoyed as indifferent a start to the season as Aberdeen.
The Dons may not yet have hit the same heights in this campaign that they have done in previous years under Derek McInnes, yet the Pittodrie side still have a Betfred Cup final to look forward to next month against Celtic.
Add in last night’s narrow but deserved 1-0 home win over Hibs, and it means the team from the Granite City lie fifth in the table on 21 points. That’s the same total as Kilmarnock and Rangers and just five points off league leaders Hearts.
All of which begs the question: what are the Dons capable of if and when they do start firing on all cylinders?
Victory here over Neil Lennon’s side on a windy night in the north east was secured thanks to a wonderful long-range striker by the game’s outstanding player, Gary Mackay-Steven.
How the Aberdeen winger loves playing against Hibs.
This was his fifth goal in his last six appearances against the Easter Road club.
His stunning winner should leave the Scotland international brimming with confidence ahead of Alex McLeish’s side’s Nations League trip to Shkodër to face Albania next Saturday night.
McInnes made just one tweak to the Aberdeen side that came from behind to win 2-1 at Kilmarnock on Sunday.
Out went Dom Ball and in came Stevie May to partner James Wilson as the Dons boss moved to two up front.
Hibs boss Lennon (below) was hoping to end a series of three straight matches without a win.
The Northern Irishman made four changes to the side that disappointingly lost 1-0 at home to St Johnstone last Saturday.
Out went Steven Whittaker, Marvin Bartley, Emerson Hyndman and Daryl Horgan.
In came Darren McGregor, Ryan Porteous, Vykintas Slivka and Florian Kamberi with the Swiss striker having served a one-match ban for his red card in the goalless Edinburgh derby at Tynecastle.
There was also a late change of referee after Willie Collum called off to be replaced by Alan Muir.
Just 24 hours earlier, Rangers had announced they were to submit an official complaint about Collum’s display in the Ibrox side’s 2-0 win at St Mirren last weekend after he controversially sent off Portuguese winger Daniel Candeias. Collum’s absence may have looked suspicious.
But the official line was that he had suffered a groin injury while officiating at the Champions League clash between Galatasaray and Schalke on Tuesday night.
The fierce winds that buffeted Pittodrie last night made it a difficult night for free-flowing football. And it was Hibs who got to grips with the dreadful conditions initially.
Lennon’s side threatened first when Stevie Mallan sent in a fine free-kick from the right flank, which was met by the head of Mark Milligan but Dons defender Shay Logan popped up on the line to make a vital clearance.
Dead-ball expert Mallan then had a chance from a free-kick 20 yards out after Graeme Shinnie had fouled Martin Boyle.
However, the former St Mirren and Barnsley midfielder curled his effort over the wall and over the bar. Up at the other end, Porteous was booked for scything down Mackay-Steven.
Adam Bogdan then flapped at Niall McGinn’s wind-assisted free-kick but did just enough to ensure the ball did not land near the lurking May.
Aberdeen grew stronger as the half went on, with Mackay-Steven looking their liveliest attacker.
Both sides were struggling to create chances in the swirling wind and neither goalkeeper was really being threatened.
It was no surprise that when the opening goal finally did arrive just before the break, it was down to a mixture of brilliance and blunder.
Young Hibs defender Porteous played a sloppy short ball towards Lewis Stevenson, with Mackay-Steven sharp enough to intercept.
The winger drove forward with purpose before dispatching a wonderful low shot with laser-like precision into the bottom corner past the despairing Bogdan. It was a high quality moment and one that was badly needed to bring this contest to life. Hibs were back out on the pitch sharply for the game’s second period, presumably after receiving a half-time rocket from Lennon. If so, it did the trick and the visitors came close to levelling after Max Lowe sliced at a Mallan corner and the ball headed towards his own goal.
Yet again, Logan popped up in the right place at the right time to clear.
Australia international Mark Milligan, who captained Hibs on the night, should have done better than head a Mallan corner over the bar.
The game had opened up dramatically and as Aberdeen sought a killer second, McGinn saw a long-range effort dip over Bogdan’s crossbar.
There was then a huge let-off for Aberdeen when Kamberi ran through on to a brilliant defencesplitting pass by Milligan.
Lewis ran out of his goal but Kamberi won the race and knocked the ball past the stranded Dons keeper.
The angle was tight and Mikey Devlin and Scott McKenna were in the way but the Swiss striker should have done better than shoot wildly over the bar.
Straight away, there was a similar incident at the other end when a long Lowe clearance let May run clear on goal.
The Aberdeen forward knocked the ball beyond Bogdan at the edge of the box but McGregor was there to clear the danger.
Kamberi then thought he had equalised when he met a ball into the box from Slivka but his effort took a slight nick off Devlin and went agonisingly wide of the post. Mackay-Steven’s big moment would prove decisive.
After starting strongly out of the blocks this season, Hibs have now gone four matches without a win.
The Edinburgh side are now in the bottom six for the first time since winning promotion to the top flight.
Aberdeen, by contrast, are finding their feet after a slow start. Crisis? What crisis? ABERDEEN (4-4-2): Lewis; Logan, Devlin, McKenna, Lowe; Mackay-Steven (Ball 90), Ferguson, Shinnie, McGinn; May (Cosgrove 85), Wilson (Anderson 71). Subs not used: Considine, Gleeson, Wright, Cerny.} Booked: None. HIBERNIAN (3-5-2): Bogdan; McGregor, Porteous, Ambrose; Milligan, Boyle, Slivka (Horgan 79), Mallan, Stevenson (Mackie 89); Kamberi, Maclaren (Allan 79). Subs not used: Marciano, Whittaker, Mavrias, Gullan. Booked: Porteous, Mallan, Milligan. Man of the match: Gary Mackay-Steven. Referee: Alan Muir. Attendance: 15,629.