Key Dons come back to unlock weakened Kilmarnock
FUNNY the difference a handful of players can make. Aberdeen bring back the three established faces suspended from last weekend’s Scottish Cup capitulation to Motherwell and two of them score, with Graeme Shinnie clearing off the line.
Kilmarnock, meanwhile, come in without Youssouf Mulumbu, Jordan Jones and Rory McKenzie, three of their more influential figures, and an 11-game unbeaten run goes up in smoke.
In the dog-eat-dog world of life after the split, such variables do tend to make a difference.
Goals from Kenny McLean and Shay Logan either side of the interval earned Aberdeen three precious — and deserved — points from a hard-fought game that now sets them up nicely ahead of a run of home matches against Hearts, Hibernian and Rangers.
For all the difficulties they have had this season, a third consecutive second-place finish in the Premiership is very much there for the taking.
Escaping from it with such a proud record against Kilmarnock should provide a welcome fillip too. Four meetings in the league have delivered three wins and a draw in addition to that Scottish Cup replay win at Rugby Park on penalties.
‘It’s a different competition, so it doesn’t change that huge disappointment of last week and there’s no doubting the influence of key players that we didn’t have available,’ said manager Derek McInnes.
‘They had a big bearing on the game. McLean’s quality for the first goal separated the teams.
‘I’m delighted for my players because we’ve all taken a bit of a kicking this week. The togetherness shown was great.
‘If we can finish second, which we are proud to have done over the last few years, it would indicate some decent work from us. Hopefully, we can then make the improvements we need to be better again next year. It is in our own hands.’
Kilmarnock, using three at the back for only the second time under manager Steve Clarke, shaded the early exchanges. After goalkeeper Leo Fasan had pulled off a terrific early save from Scott McKenna, Alan Power was denied by a brilliant low stop from Joe Lewis.
When Aberdeen took the lead eight minutes from the interval, though, it came like a bolt from the blue. McLean collected the ball on the right, a good 35 yards or more from goal, and everyone shaped for him to deliver a cross.
The midfielder had other ideas. Spotting a gap at Fasan’s near post, he drew back his left foot and released a powerful low shot that caught the home keeper napping and whizzed into the corner.
If only Killie had been able to tap into such lethal opportunism. Kris Boyd had a chance at the back post on 50 minutes, seeing his drive from a Greg Kiltie corner blocked by Shinnie, and came close again when he headed over the bar.
Frustration was creeping in and it could be argued that Stephen O’Donnell was fortunate to stay on the park. He was subjected to a late and high challenge from Ryan Christie but reacted badly, raising his hands and appearing to take a swing at the visiting midfielder.
A pushing match ensued with McLean — and O’Donnell even appeared to be challenging McInnes to a square go by the end of it all. Referee Nick Walsh dished out bookings to the Killie player and McLean, with McInnes feeling his man had been harshly treated.
‘McLean now misses the Hibs game because of that booking and I didn’t think his role in the incident merited the same yellow card as the Kilmarnock player,’ he said.
The atmosphere inside Rugby Park became all the more fractious when Aberdeen went two goals up before the hour.
The home supporters felt Christie had made the most of a tackle from Greg Taylor out on the right to win a free-kick. Stevie May delivered the dead-ball, an Anthony O’Connor header was palmed out into a dangerous area by Fasan at full stretch and Logan converted.
His celebrations were fulsome. When he finally returned to his usual position at right-back, in front of the East Stand, chants of ‘cheat, cheat’ were thundering out around the ground. Logan hardly helped matters, facing the home supporters and goading them on.
It would be easy to ask questions of Fasan, but Clarke was keen to defend the Italian, saying: ‘Leo will probably be a bit disappointed with the first goal, but he shouldn’t be disappointed with his overall contribution.
‘He made an unbelievable save inside the first minute and then a really good save at the second goal — but his defenders didn’t help him out with the second ball.
‘It took us a little bit of time to