HOPEFULS DRAW A BLANK
High-flyers offer little to worry title rivals Celtic
TO be kind, perhaps both teams were so desperately keen to keep their title challenges under the radar for as long as possible.
With the stage perfectly set for one of these surprise contenders, tucked in behind Celtic, to advertise genuine credentials for competing for the crown, they kept them well hidden in a suffocating stalemate.
Kilmarnock will be happier with that state of affairs, adding a point on their long travels to the superb success over Rangers on the first week back of league action. They remain second, albeit now three points behind Celtic, but won’t be dropping out of contention any time soon.
As ever, they made themselves so difficult to beat and there was no shame at Aberdeen joining the growing list of teams failing to breach Steve Clarke’s welldrilled unit. The visitors offered no shots on goal, Aberdeen containing the counter- attacking threat well until the 82nd-minute dismissal of Kris Boyd when it disappeared altogether.
That red card may have been the game’s only talking point. Both Derek McInnes and Shay Logan thought Boyd’s foul on their captain Graeme Shinnie probably merited only a yellow card. Clarke agreed and an appeal could follow once Killie have taken a closer look at the footage.
Both bosses had been so content with their midweek work that they retained the same starting sides from wins over Hamilton and Rangers respectfully. This was no guarantee of rhythm, however, and the sides cancelled each other out.
In Kilmarnock’s case, the mighty efforts against Rangers took their toll on their energy levels in forward areas and in such circumstances the scrappy nature suited the visitors.
Top scorer Eamonn Brophy, winger Chris Burke and midweek hero Jordan Jones were all taken off during the second period as the onus remained on Aberdeen to press for a winner.
Jones is getting ready to be a Rangers player, of course, and boos from Pittodrie are all part of that brief.
The visiting fans, of course, were out to get Greg Stewart. The Birmingham City forward enjoyed a terrific first half of the season on loan with Killie, one highlight coming here at Pittodrie with a solo run from the halfway line and goal in a 2-0 win.
That was one of eight goals in 16 outings for Clarke’s team and enough to persuade McInnes to give Stewart a second loan spell with the Dons.
Jones and Greg Taylor introduced themselves again to Stewart with fullbloodied challenges as living up to the billing of a title clash or even the game of the day proved well beyond reach.
In a first half punctuated by stoppages — many unnecessarily made by ref Nick Walsh — Stevie May’s fierce 22-yard strike on the break was the first on target five minutes before the interval.
Daniel Bachmann turned that one round his left-hand post then comfortably dealt with Stewart’s low drive.
Stewart started on the right but was permitted licence to roam and rotate around the final third in support of Sam Cosgrove. He was, though, a fleeting source of creativity in a game sadly lacking in opportunities for him to prosper.
On the turn from Shay Logan’s progress down the right, Stewart took aim for the far corner with a curling left-foot shot which Bachmann was relieved to see hitting the outside of the woodwork.
Clarke was first to blink as the stalemate wore on to the hour, Boyd replacing Brophy in a cameo. McInnes looked to Niall McGinn to provide the spark of a scoring opening that their improved second-half play probably merited.
Pittodrie appealed for a penalty when the Northern Irishman was brought to a halt by Stuart Findlay after spinning on to a Tommie Hoban pass but the infringement was outside the box and dismissed by Walsh.
Even the removal of the home team’s rock Scott McKenna through injury 13 minutes from time wasn’t a source of concern for the home defence because Killie weren’t offering anything in the final third before or after Boyd’s red card.
Boyd slid in late with a striker’s lunge on Shinnie but it was debatable whether much contact was made.
Walsh was clearly seen buying himself some thinking time before producing the red card to the joy of the home fans.
‘Not an international player’ was Boyd’s verdict when panning the decision of Malky Mackay to call up Shinnie and Kenny McLean for a Scotland friendly against Holland a couple of years ago.
The words Boyd exchanged with Shinnie before heading for the tunnel won’t have been much kinder.
Killie were hardly going to grow in adventure with their personnel disadvantage and the game management which served them so well in holding a lead to Rangers in midweek was on display once more.
A terrific well-timed last-ditch tackle from Findlay prevented Cosgrove’s shot from testing Bachmann and Alan Power’s boot off the line was the last word of a six-yard box scramble.
A deflected shot by substitute James Wilson into the arms of Bachmann was the final attempt to fail as Killie’s durability secured a fine point.
‘It wasn’t a good game,’ conceded Dons defender Logan. ‘Kilmarnock set up well, they are very organised and Steve Clarke makes sure they stop other teams, they are second place for a reason.
‘We needed a lot more and should have created better chances. We didn’t show enough quality to get the win.’