Vigurs’ rocket has Dons feeling strain
ABERDEEN 1 McGinn (51) INVERNESS CT 1 Vigurs (68)
ABERDEEN boss Derek McInnes insisted that it is not all ‘doom and gloom’ at Pittodrie as their subdued start to the season continued with a draw against Inverness Caley Thistle.
The Dons are nine points worse off than they were at this stage last season and with league leaders Celtic already six ahead of them, McInnes insisted that it is not time to start beating themselves up.
Against their bogey team of last season — they took only one point from nine off Inverness in three matches — they toiled and could not break them down in a cagey affair.
In their first five league matches, they have won only once — against Partick Thistle — and the lack of killer instinct, which was a defining aspect of their play last year, is something that McInnes is not yet worrying about.
He said: ‘We have dropped points in two home games, against Hearts and today, and that’s why we’ve had a slower start than normal. From the outset, you would be thinking we should be four points further on, but you need to bring performances to do that.
‘We have still to find our rhythm, so we have to make sure we’re better next time out, especially at Pittodrie.
‘We have to turn those draws into wins. We have lost one game but we have been used to winning.
‘It is coming into a busy period, there’s a lot to look forward to — it’s not doom and gloom. We know we’re better than we have showed today, but the players are honest enough to find that improvement.
‘I’m sure we’ll find the form we’ve showed over the last three seasons.’
Their poor early-season form was most exposed in their last match against Celtic, a 4-1 defeat, and Derek McInnes made a number of tactical changes in an attempt to shake things up.
Mark Reynolds was replaced by Jonny Hayes, as they changed from a five at the back to a 4-2-3-1, and Graeme Shinnie was played at left-back while Anthony O’Connor took his spot in the holding midfield role, having played at centre-half against Celtic.
The Aberdeen manager, however, saw these plans fall through just 34 minutes into the match when Shinnie hobbled off. He was replaced by James Maddison, who signed on loan at Pittodrie on the final day of the transfer window from Norwich.
Inverness go into matches against Aberdeen with confidence these days, given their record last season against them, but they were also rooted to the bottom of the Ladbrokes Premiership and questions were being asked of Richie Foran’s ability in the dugout.
The Inverness boss was in a bullish mood after the match when he said that Aberdeen were vulnerable, saying that it was only a lack of composure in front of goal which stopped his side from taking all three points.
He said: ‘We created a lot of chances and I thought Aberdeen were there for the taking. We were magnificent at the back but attacking-wise, that’s the poorest we’ve been in the final third.
‘We deserved a point but I did feel they were there for the taking. I didn’t see the goal coming, we had no imagination in the final third and were bang average there.’
The visitors had the early share of possession but struggled to break down a strong Aberdeen defence. O’Connor alongside Ash Taylor is a powerful pairing and Alex Fisher, the lone striker, struggled to make a difference against them.
They did go close when Billy King’s cross was met by Liam Polworth on the volley. His shot hit the bar and Joe Lewis in the Aberdeen goal would have struggled to save it had it been on target.
The hosts began to work their way back into things but, similar to Inverness, could not find a penetrative source.
Hayes should have picked out Adam Rooney when he burst into the box, but his cross was cut out by centre-half Gary Warren.
Six minutes after the break, the Dons went ahead. Niall McGinn cut inside from the left and his cross-cum-shot caught out Owain Fon Williams as it rolled into the bottom corner.
Wes Burns went close to putting them two ahead but they were made to pay for their poor finishing by Iain Vigurs.
When the ball fell to him 20 yards from goal, he steadied himself and showed great technique to get the ball to dip just in time, hitting the underside of the cross bar and bouncing over the line.
Aberdeen did not show too much ambition after that but substitute Jayden Stockley did go close in stoppage-time, only for his shot to be cleared off the line by Josh Meekings. At full-time, the Pittodrie crowd signalled their disappointment with a chorus of boos.