Hayes calls for end to naive defending

Jonny Hayes has warned that Aberdeen must cut out naive defending to end the clean-sheet drought. The Reds have yet to register a shut-out in the Premiership this year.

It will be 140 days since Aberdeen’s last Premiership clean sheet when they host Dundee at Pittodrie today.

That last league shut-out was on December 11.

Of the 158 teams across the 10 national divisions in Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland the Dons are the only club without a league clean sheet this year.

Aberdeen’s leaky rearguard have registered just five shut-outs in 43 games in all competitions.

Hayes accepts Aberdeen’s defence must fix the leaks to kill off the threat of being dragged into a relegation play-off battle.

He said: “It’s there in black and white – one clean sheet in 18 games just isn’t good enough. Especially when you look at the nature of the goals we’re conceding, it’s not like teams are just cutting through us.

“We’ve conceded silly setpiece goals and naive goals.

“It should be easy to rectify those kind of mistakes, but so far we haven’t done that.

“It has to get better and everyone associated with the club expects better – staff, fans and the board.

“It comes down to the 11 players selected on a Saturday and the subs involved to start improving those results.

“It’s our job to pick ourselves up after a disappointing result last week. This is a massive game against Dundee.”

Aberdeen have failed to finish in the Premiership top six for the first time since 2013 and the threat of the relegation play-off still lingers.

St Johnstone occupy that play-off spot and are five points behind the Dons with four games remaining.

While accepting Aberdeen’s defensive frailties Hayes, 34, also believes Aberdeen have suffered from poor refereeing calls.

Aberdeen were left frustrated after a decision by referee Grant Irvine in the 2-1 loss to Livingston last weekend.

Irvine controversially failed to award a penalty or send off Livi keeper Max Stryjek for striking Vicente Besuijen in the face.

Livingston went on to score and go 1-0 up a minute later.

The SFA subsequently issued Stryjek with a notice of complaint after reviewing the incident.

Livingston accepted the offer of a two-match ban for the keeper.

Although he believes poor refereeing decisions have been damaging Hayes will not use that as an excuse for the Dons’ lowly league position.

He said: “There have been numerous calls which have gone against us over the season.

“Particularly in recent weeks, some of the decisions just haven’t been good enough. It’s frustrating.

“Of course they matter but I’m not going to sit here and say we are where we are because of referees.

“It is not that at all. We have just not been good enough.

“But in games, off the top of my head three or four games, big decisions have gone against us that have probably cost us three points in each of them.

“If you look at where we are in the league what a difference those points would have made. So it is massive.

“But on the other hand it’s in the past and we can’t change it as frustrating as it is.

“We have to look forward to Saturday and I expect better decisions.”

SORE ONE: Aberdeen lost 1-0 to Livingston in a match where the Dons thought they should have had a penalty.