Akio answers late call to save County
FOR 88 minutes it was the Premiership in the raw — hard fought, no quarter given or asked for and often brawn instead of brilliance.
But for the remaining seven minutes, it was utterly captivating as the Staggies and the Dons produced late drama in Dingwall.
With everything having pointed to a draw, substitute
Luis Lopes pounced two minutes from the end of normal time to seemingly claim all three points for the visitors with a breathtaking brilliant goal.
The Portuguese star’s hooked volley from a deflected Jonny Hayes cross was pure class in the build-up and execution, and worthy of winning any match.
But enter another super sub in the shape of William Akio and it was far from game over, even in the fifth minute of stoppage-time. Akio struck from the left side of the six-yard box after the defence had failed to deal with a Jack Baldwin shot that caused all sorts of mayhem and Ben Purrington’s subsequent header.
It says a great deal about the County players that they somehow managed to find the energy and determination to keep going after Lopes had delivered such a sickening body blow.
But they deserved to be rewarded for their never-say-die attitude and sheer commitment that will stand them in good stead for the battles ahead.
After watching his team concede eight goals to the Old Firm in the space of five days, it was hardly surprising that Malky Mackay made no fewer than six changes.
County were certainly much more solid in defence, where the centrebacks, Jack Baldwin and Alex Iacovitti were so commanding.
For a while, Aberdeen were superior in attack, with Hayes and Vicente Besuijen prominent in the wide positions, but they were unable to penetrate the hosts until late on.
County rarely emerged as a potent attacking force but when David Cancola, Purrington and Jordan White combined in the 40th minute to pose a threat down the left side, Aberdeen escaped punishment when the latter only just failed to connect at the back post.
Jim Goodwin had mixed emotions at time up, describing Lopes’ goal as ‘out of this world’ but quickly adding that a draw felt like a defeat in the circumstances.
He said: ‘We played well in the first half and controlled it but didn’t pepper the keeper’s goal. The second half was scrappy and it became a dogfight.
‘But I was thinking it was job done and to lose a goal in the last 30 seconds makes it tougher.
‘When you are on top, you need to capitalise on it and score and we didn’t. It was also a catalogue of errors at the goal.
‘I don’t mind conceding goals when teams cut you open or it goes in the top corner from 30 yards. But goals like that are hard to take when they are scruffy and avoidable.’
Counterpart Mackay expressed the view that his side were justly rewarded in the end after claiming that neither side deserved to lose.
He also called for greater consistency on the part of referees after claiming that Leighton Clarkson should have seen red.
‘We matched them all over the pitch and it was a clean game apart from the challenge in the 56th minute, which for me was a red.
‘I’ve watched it back and, for me, Clarkson’s tackle on Callum Johnson was a leg breaker.
‘I’ve spoken to the referee to let him know that I will be looking to see what the compliance officer does.
‘We’ve come off the back of a couple of difficult ones in terms of the compliance side of the game, with our two players who were cited and retrospectively sent off. Then at Ibrox, we had a decision not to have a man sent off go against us.
‘Today there’s another one that was glaring. I’m just looking for consistency. We had players suspended for the Celtic game on Wednesday and then I look at what happened at Ibrox and what happened today.
‘Aberdeen had a good hard go and the referee was good, but that was a really poor challenge and if they had gone down to 10 men after 56 minutes, it would have challenged the dynamic of the game.’