Mackay-Steven rocket

Dons ultimately blow hot and stay upwardly mobile

Aberdeen overcame the conditions and a few nervous moments to see off Hibernian to claim their fourth victory in a row as they moved up to fifth place in the Scottish Premiership.

Gary Mackay-Steven’s wonderful low drive was the difference between the Dons and Hibs in a keenly contested encounter which was marred by strong winds at Pittodrie.

Dons boss Derek McInnes made one change to the side which beat Kilmarnock 2-1 on Saturday with Stevie May replacing Dominic Ball, who dropped to the bench.

Hibs manager Neil Lennon made four changes following his side’s 1-0 loss to St Johnstone at Easter Road. Florian Kamberi returned from suspension and he was joined by defenders Darren McGregor and Ryan Porteous, and midfielder Vykintas Slivka in returning to the starting 11.

Emerson Hyndman missed out due to an ankle injury while Marvin Bartley, Steven Whittaker and Daryl Horgan dropped to the bench. Bartley, however, was withdrawn from the bench after suffering an injury in the warm-up and was replaced by Sean Mackie.

Winds exceeded 50 miles per hour by the time this one kicked off and its impact on proceedings was clear for all to see with the ball swirling unpredictably in the air.

Hibs had the better of the opening exchanges but visiting goalkeeper Adam Bogdan was the first goalkeeper called into action when he was forced to tip a swirling Niall McGinn free kick away.

With the ball spending more time in the air than on the pitch itself, chances were few and far between and, truth be told, it made for pretty grim viewing.

There are only so many times you can watch Mikey Devlin, as good a defender as he is, head a ball 30 yards clear, before it becomes tedious.

If headers are not your choice of entertainment, the alternative was to watch a ball gathering pace before running out of play.

Thank goodness the first real moment of quality, four minutes before the break, broke the deadlock.

Gary Mackay-Steven provided it, intercepting a slack ball from Hibernian defender Porteous and he raced forward before beating Bogdan low to his left with a low, drilled effort from 25 yards.

Aberdeen ended the half in the ascendency but despite a flurry of pressure towards Bogdan’s goal a second goal did not come.

Playing with the wind behind them, the Dons carried a greater threat in the second half than Hibs had managed in the first period but it was the visitors who came close to an equaliser when Mark Milligan headed a corner over the crossbar from inside the six yard box.

The defender knew he had wasted a great chance as he stood with his hands on his head following his squandered opportunity.

Florian Kamberi then went even closer for the visitors when he took the ball past Joe Lewis but he rushed his shot and fired over the crossbar before Stevie May had a similar chance when he lobbed Bogdan but Dar-