The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
McInnes ‘loving it’
PARTICK 1 ABERDEEN 2: Dons move to within one point of league leaders Celtic
Derek McInnes admitted he was “loving it” after his Aberdeen side moved to within one point of Celtic at the top of the Ladbrokes Premiership with a 2-1 win over Partick Thistle at Firhill last night.
It looked like the Dons would pass up another chance to put pressure on the Hoops when Jags midfielder Steven Lawless gave the home side the lead on the hour mark with a thunderous drive.
The visitors wobbled but two headers in two minutes from defender Andrew Considine and striker Simon Church bolstered their title hopes, albeit they have played one more game than the Parkhead men.
McInnes said: “There is a good wee bit of momentum, it is just important that we try to keep dragging performances out of the team.
“I think there will be more games like tonight before the end of the season but I am loving it to be honest. It will be a roller coaster, there will be games fraught with nerves for everybody else.
“I thought there was a lot of tension from the supporters tonight but thankfully the players never showed that, they kept being confident and backing themselves and it is important that they keep showing that.
“The players showed real determination. It was a big ask for the players to get that result and they had to dig deep, they deserve so much credit.
“It would have been questioned; character and bottle and all that stuff.
“We lacked a wee bit of quality and thought at times but the determination and character was there as you saw with the result.
“I was proud of the performance tonight, that is why I love working with these boys, they never know when they are beat.”
Aberdeen have nine games remaining and, asked if Celtic would be feeling the pressure, McInnes said: “I don’t know, you need to ask them.
“For us we are enjoying winning, we don’t intend to stop winning and want to keep that momentum with us.”
Aberdeen moved to within one point of Ladbrokes Premiership leaders Celtic after battling from behind to win 2-1 at Firhill last night.
After a blank first half, midfielder Steven Lawless gave the home side the lead on the hour mark with a thunderous drive and the visitors wobbled.
Derek McInnes’s side had passed up several chances to put the Hoops under pressure this season and it looked like another would be missed.
However, two headers in three minutes from defender Andrew Considine and striker Simon Church turned the match in the Pittodrie men’s favour and bolstered their title hopes, albeit they have played one more game than Celtic.
It took Aberdeen, boosted by the return of influential midfielder Jonny Hayes from a hamstring injury, some time to get warmed up.
In the 21st minute Graeme Shinnie released fellow midfielder Kenny McLean, but under pressure from Partick centre-back Liam Lindsay he shot weakly at keeper Tomas Cerny.
Moments later, Hayes’ angled-drive from 16 yards flew wide before Lindsay headed a Gary Fraser corner tamely into the arms of visiting keeper Scott Brown.
The men from the Granite City came close in the 37th minute when Church clipped the bar with a close-range shot.
Fraser had cleared the Dons crossbar earlier with a chip with only Brown to beat and, just before the break, the keeper blocked his drive.
Cerny parried a shot from Hayes at the other end just before the break.
Both teams went at each other from the start of the second half and in the 54th minute Craig Storie’s driven freekick from the left was cleared off the line.
The home fans roared in delight when Lawless, from 25 yards, hammered the ball high past the flailing Brown.
Aberdeen had now to contend with title anxiety as they fought back and they became increasingly disjointed.
In the 68th minute, after great work by forward David Amoo, only a great save from Brown prevented Mathias Pogba heading in a second.
The points looked to be slipping away, but Aberdeen dramatically drew themselves level when Hayes’ cross ended up at the back post where the unmarked Considine headed in from four yards.
There was more drama just two minutes later when Church glanced in a corner from Barry Robson.
Jags substitute Kris Doolan missed a great chance to equalise, dragging a shot wide, but Aberdeen held out for the win which puts pressure on Celtic. Attendance: 3,915.
Partick: Cerny, Elliot, Lindsay, Seaborne, Booth, Osman, Welsh, Amoo, Fraser (Edwards 68), Lawless (German 81), Pogba (Doolan 75). Subs not used: Miller, Scully, Frans, Nisbet.
Aberdeen: Brown, Logan, Taylor, Reynolds, Considine, Jack, Shinnie, Storie (Robson 66, Harvie 90), McLean, Hayes, Church. Subs not used: Flood, Smith, Collin, Wright, Ross.
Referee: Alan Muir.