Dreadful in Darvel and humiliated at Hibs
Goodwin pays the price for horror show
The die was cast in Darvel but it was always going to be a temporary stay of managerial execut ion for Jim Goodwin at Aberdeen.
And in the spirit of gallows humour and a final insult, the Scot t ish Cup g iant- ki l lers yesterday lost to Arthurlie.
But the act of brutality that has ended Goodwin’s time as boss had all the bloodlust of the chap who used to wield the axe a mile from Easter Road at the Edinburgh dungeon.
Three first-half goals from a rampant Hibs side made a mockery of the P45 play-off .
It was all too much for Dons owner Dave Cormack who wielded the axe just 19 minutes after another torturous Dons defensive shambles, which would see them concede three more goals after the interval.
Goodwin knew he was operating day-to-day and had asked for a response from his players after losing to the junior side in Ayrshire.
All he got was an eighth defeat in 10 games, more abdication of responsibility from his players and an afternoon of calls for his head from the enraged travelling Red Army. They got their wish.
Hibs boss Lee Johnson was under pressure too before the match after their 3- 0 Scottish Cup rout from bitter rivals Hearts last Sunday.
Despite the gravity of the situation, Johnson opted to start with on- f ire Kevin Nisbet on the bench after the striker opted against a move to English Championship side Millwall.
There was no Ryan Porteous after his move to Watford and with Rocky Bushiri out injured, Paul Hanlon and on- loan Manchester United 19-year-old Will Fish were partnered in central defence.
Joe Newell returned after his suspension with Marijan Cabraja dropping out from the side that were hammered by Hearts in the Edinburgh derby.
There were three Aberdeen changes from the Darvel debacle as Goodwin drafted in on-loan Wigan Athletic midf ielder Graeme Shinnie and wing-back Jonny Hayes along with top scorer Bojan Miovski.
This was not an occasion for the faint of heart.
Nerves were on show in the opening moments as Liam Scales misjudged a backwards header that almost let in Elie Youan before Dons keeper Joe Lewis intercepted to bail him out.
A sizeable number of Aberdeen fans had travelled down to Leith and they were vocal and encouraging early on despite the traffic heading mainly towards their goal.
But Hibs carried the greater threat, resulting in the opening goal in the 10th minute.
Jonny Hayes had already cleared a Chris Cadden shot off the line but Hibs got free again.
Youan cut in from the left and his strike was beaten away by Lewis – but it was a soft hand and only diverted the ball into the path of Josh Campbell who rattled home from a tight angle.
At a stroke, the clouds over Aberdeen became so much darker – and again it was Goodwin’s ropey defence at the root of the problems.
Double trouble arrived five minutes later and again it was all too easy for the home side.
A corner from the left was met
by the unmarked Campbell who bul leted a bri l l iant 18- yard header low past Lewis.
The pressure was off Hibs now and the crisis was cranked up a few levels for the visitors.
The dead-man derby appeared to have its victim.
The Dons fans had certainly seen enough as a ‘Goodwin Out’ banner was unfurled.
Hibs looked inspired – focused, professional and each to a man prepared to be brave on the ball – in stark contrast to those wearing the red jerseys.
Hayes was booked for a late lunge on Jimmy Jeggo but at least it was evidence that Aberdeen were trying to make a fight of it.
Had Fish not managed a superb interception as Shinnie lurked then the Dons could have cut the deficitfiit on ththe hhalf-lfhourh mark. k
But bad became far worse for Dons on the stroke of half-time as Youan rose to nod Newell’s cross past Lewis from 10 yards.
That prompted a mass exodus from Aberdeen fans who couldn’t stomach any more.
Goodwin could have been forgiven for forgoing the interval pep-talk and heading straight to the car park.
The Reds were booed back on to the pitch for the restart by those fans who had stayed on.
But the second half brought more of the same attacking verve from the hosts against a side who had long since accepted their fate and looked unprepared to go to war for their manager.
Fish headed wide, Aiden McGeady saw his shot blocked then Scales headed over from Callum Roberts’ cross.
Nisbet climbed off the bench to increase the agony with a fourth, beating the offside trap and racing clear before burying a low shot into the corner.
Then the final two nails in the coffin.
Campbell got his hat-trick from the spot, stroking the ball low into the net after Scales had pulled down Josh O’Connor.
That resulted in the on-loan Celtic defender seeing red for his second yellow.
And Fish headed in the sixth in stoppage- time from Campbell’s pinpoint free-kick.
The road to redemption has opened up for Johnson – but for his counterpart it was the dead end to his time at Pittodrie.