RED AND BURIED
Dean sending-off a Dons killer but boss insists kid will learn lesson
Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes hopes Dean Campbell learns from the red card that proved a killer for his team-mates.
The youngster picked up a second yellow with just 32 minutes gone as his side led through Curtis Main’s opener.
And the Dons paid a heavy price as a Billy Mckay double saw the Staggies come from behind to claim only their second league win this year and their first on the road since September.
The defeat saw Aberdeen surrender third place to Motherwell as they dropped a point behind the Steelmen.
McInnes admitted playing most of the game a man down left his players dead on their feet after a draining midweek Cup win over Kilmarnock.
And he hopes 18-year- old Campbell uses the harsh lesson to be a bit smarter when he’s on a booking.
He said: “It is a learning curve for wee Dean although I do think there was a bit of inconsistency there. The first one is a yellow card for stopping a promising attack, although normally you get booked when it is in your own half and you really are stopping a promising attack.
“Once Dean has got the yellow card he should have been keeping his nose clean and out of bother.”
But McInnes believes other players get away with the same kind of offences and admits the inconsistency of referees leaves him hugely frustrated.
He added: “I think what Dean has done you see every week.
“It happened to us at Kilmarnock when we tried to take a quick free-kick and their boy has walked across the ball. The referee dealt with it and it wasn’t a yellow card. He defused the situation and got on with it and maybe another referee looks at that different ly, g iven the circumstances, as Dean had one foul and then he was sent off.”
Aberdeen were taken to extra-time at Rugby Park in midweek, leaving it right unti l the death before seal ing an incredible 4-3 win.
And McInnes felt that led to them running out of steam against County.
He said: “We spoke at the start of the game about trying to get off to a good start and getting the first goal.
“We knew we needed that, something to hang on to , and that goal gave us oxygen to keep plugging away.
“But going down to 10 men, everything became more difficult.”
The Dons were looking to build on their dramatic Scottish Cup win but have now lost their last four home games – a record which has only been matched twice, under Ebbe Skovdahl and Steve Paterson.
The Highlanders made three changes from the side who scrambled a late draw against St Johnstone as Liam Fontaine, Harry Paton and Lee Erwin came in.
McInnes moved away from his preferred 4-2- 3-1 in favour of a more traditional 4- 4-2, allowing Main and top scorer Sam Cosgrove to link up.
The Dons were keen for a fast start on an AFC Community Trust day that had seen them give away hundreds of tickets to local groups.
Campbell went into the book after 18 minutes for a foul on Josh Mullin but the Dons took the lead 10 minutes later when Main kept up his recent good form.
Niall McGinn’s short corner allowed Campbell to whip in a cross that Callum Morris scooped up into the air, allowing
Cosgrove to knock it down for Main to stab in from close range.
You would have expected Aberdeen to strengthen their grip but instead the game took a twist when Campbell was sent off in 31 minutes for stopping Iain Vigurs from taking a quick free-kick.
For a while, Aberdeen remained on top despite being a man down.
Connor McLennan’s defence-splitting pass played Cosgrove in but Ross Laidlaw came off his line to make a fine save. The ball fell to Main but he skied his shot and looked at the turf in dismay.
County scored with their first effort two minutes from half-time.
Richard Foster’s long diagonal found the unmarked Mckay who headed into the net to make it two in two, much to the delight of the 204 away fans. Scott McKenna then had Joe Lewis to thank for keeping Aberdeen level. Mckay intercepted his back-pass and ran clear but shot straight at the keeper.
Erwin followed up on the rebound but Lewis blocked that effort with his legs.
Aberdeen responded with a rasping long-range shot from Lewis Ferguson that cracked off the right-hand post and Laidlaw made a flying stop to keep out McGinn’s curler.
County pressed a tired Aberdeen and Mullin’s strike was flying into the top corner before Lewis tipped over. But they kept plugging away and found a winner two minutes from time.
Don Cowie’s brilliant ball played in Mckay and he swept a left-foot under the Aberdeen keeper.
The final whistle brought a chorus of boos, aimed at both the officials and the Dons players.