Lively Dons deserved victory lap of honour
ABERDEEN 3 Ferguson (pen. 37, pen. 64), Besuijen (80) HIBERNIAN 1 Ramsey (OG 20)
You could see how much this first league win since Boxing Day meant to the Dons players as they went on a lap of honour at the end.
However their first threepoint success in 11 games is only the start as far as new boss Jim Goodwin is concerned.
Two Lewis Ferguson penalties and Vicente Besuijen’s first goal at Pittodrie was enough to see off a poor Hibernian side.
To make matters worse for Shaun Maloney’s men they lost Ryan Porteous to a red card for conceding Aberdeen’s second spot kick with 30 minutes left.
It means the Easter Road club slip to fifth while the Dons stay 10th as both teams have a miserable record of onewin-in-11 Premiership games.
Amazingly Goodwin’s side are just four points off fourth place with seven matches left and only clinching that position will satisfy him.
He said:“i’m delighted to get my first win as it has been a long time coming.
“And it means as a group we still have a chance to make amends for the season.
“We’re in a position we shouldn’t be in with the quality we have in the squad.
“We’ve got a couple of games to put it right, albeit we are relying on other teams.
“We still believe we have a chance and we won’t give up, we’ll keep trying.”
The importance of the game for two teams with that abysmal league form coming in was obvious right from the start.
It was frantic stuff with little evidence of composure from either side which led to precious few chances created, especially in the first half.
Fulham’s on-loan winger Sylvester Jasper did flash an acute angled free-kick wide of the far post early on.
At the other end the Dons Dutch winger Vincente Besuijen caused problems with a sweeping cross from the right.
Connor Mclennan’s header was blocked by stand-in keeper Kevin Dabrowski who was lucky to see Christian Ramirez’s follow-up deflected wide.
That was a rare moment of activity for either goalkeeper before the break though as both first half goals owed more to luck than design.
Take Hibs’ opener for example, as Chris Cadden swung over a back post cross looking for the run of Josh Doig,
Instead it was Don Calvin Ramsey who reached it only to turn the ball into his own net.
Then with the home side struggling to find a way back luck deserted the visitors eight minutes before the break.
Connor Barron’s shot lacked power or direction but hit off Rocky Bushiri’s knee then spun on to his arm
Referee Alan Muir pointed to the spot.
Ferguson might have seen one saved at Tynecastle recently but Dabrowski is no Craig Gordon.
He went one way while the Aberdeen midfielder drilled the ball straight down the middle for his 13th of the season with another to follow later.
That came when Bannon’s free kick was headed against the crossbar.
Ross Mccrorie was all set to convert the rebound but Porteous had other ideas and went right through him, earning a red card to add tio the one picked up at Ibrox earlier in the season.
Ferguson slammed home his second when the dust settled and there never looked any way back for the Edinburgh club.
A fact confirmed when substitute Marley Watkins produced the perfect cross for Besuijen to sweep home a decisive third ten minutes from the end.