DONS DELIVER A RESPONSE
Under-fire Aberdeen scramble a victory in their first outing since breaching regulations BRIAN MARJORIBANKS
THIRTEEN days after being publicly chastised by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Derek McInnes and his under-fire players were back in the spotlight last night and hoping to make a statement of their own.
And, with just eight minutes remaining at McDiarmid Park, they duly did when Pittodrie’s No 11 stepped forward to take the heat off the Aberdeen Eight, whose misadventures resulted in their team’s last three matches being postponed after breaching Covid-19 regulations.
Up until Ryan Hedges’ late intervention, the backstory to the depleted Dons’ return from their temporary footballing ban was proving far more incident-packed than this tepid affair. An illicit night out in the Granite City by the group of eight first-team squad members on the opening day of the season had led to a stern rebuke from Scotland’s First Minister on August 7 and the ‘pause’ of their upcoming matches, starting with a trip to Perth 24 hours later.
Suffice to say the quality on show from players on both sides last night, for the most part, was not in danger of sending any temperatures soaring among television viewers.
But then upped popped Hedges to fire in the winner, to the relief of his manager and team-mates.
It also prevented a third successive stalemate being broadcasted by Sky Sports during the Scottish Premiership’s short summer window of opportunity to reach a wider audience.
After Hibs v Motherwell and Livingston v Rangers at the weekend, Hedges’ late show avoided completing an unholy trinity.
The signs were there that this would not be a classic from the moment the team sheets arrived and the visitors were not able to field a recognised striker.
Just one of the Aberdeen Eight — Jonny Hayes — started against St Johnstone, while three others — Craig Bryson, Matty Kennedy and Dylan McGeouch — were on the bench.
With forward Bruce Anderson, another of the eight, not making the squad, McInnes would be forgiven for thinking if it was not for bad luck this season he would have no luck at all.
With star striker Sam Cosgrove potentially out until November with a knee issue, the jinxed Dons boss then saw his replacement, Ryan Edmondson, return to parent club Leeds United after picking up an knee injury in training.
McInnes had wanted to bring in a forward before kick-off, with Ross Stewart of Ross County on his radar, but that failed to happen.
In the event, he had to settle for midfielder Lewis Ferguson in the middle of a front three.
Ferguson tried his best but looked like a centre midfielder playing as a striker.
On Ferguson’s left was Scott Wright, who was playing his first game in a year since undergoing surgery for a cruciate knee injury last September.
At the back, Aberdeen only had one player who has represented the club this season, Ash Taylor, who played in the opening-day 1-0 loss to Rangers on August 1.
There was a debut for Ross McCrorie, who will become the first player in 51 years to move permanently from Rangers to Aberdeen when his loan is made into a purchase for £350,000 next summer.
And on the left of a three-man defence was the fit-again Tommie Hoban, whose last game for the Dons was a 2-2 draw at St Mirren in February 2019. Hoban had an impressive night.
McInnes had railed in midweek against the ‘hypocrites’ in Scottish football and wider society who have revelled in Aberdeen’s misfortune.
Saints boss Callum Davidson had spoken about the prospect of facing a team full of players aiming to make it up to their boss and others trying to nail down their place.
However, given the absences and the makeshift nature of the visiting starting line-up, it was perhaps no surprise that game was a slow-burner, to say the least.
McGinn had the first effort on goal but it posed little danger to Saints keeper Elliot Parish.
Up at the other end, a long-range shot by Danny McNamara was tipped over the bar by Joe Lewis.
The game briefly burst into life when Liam Craig picked out Callum Hendry in the box. He turned and smacked a shot that cannoned off the post but referee Willie Collum had blown for an infringement.
A rare fine attacking move by Aberdeen nearly yielded a breakthrough when Wright fed Hayes on the left and his deep cross was volleyed by Funso Ojo. The Belgian midfielder’s effort flew just over. McInnes made a double substitution at the break in a bid to inject life into his side. Off came Ronald Hernandez and Dean Campbell and on came Kennedy and Connor McLennan.
Saints were first to threaten when Hendry shot over the bar. After Ferguson was booked for a trip on Michael O’Halloran, Ojo had to block an attempt at goal by the pacey St Johnstone striker.
It was Ojo’s last involvement of the game as McInnes sent on Bryson in his place and Hedges for McGinn. For Saints, Craig Conway replaced Hendry and Isaac Olaofe took over from David Wotherspoon.
When Kennedy sent over a delicious cross, it was crying out for a striker like Cosgrove.
Yet just as it looked like a goalless draw was inevitable, the
Dons got a slice of luck when Hedges saw his low shot deflect off the luckless Liam Gordon and into the net past Parish.
It was a killer blow to Saints boss Davidson, who has worked his way up the coaching ladder since being signed for a second spell as a Saints player by McInnes in 2011 and being allowed to help out with training.
The up-and-coming St Johnstone boss was finally managing his first match at McDiarmid Park and defeat was cruel on his well-drilled side.