The Sunday Post (Inverness)

Glass aims to show he made the right choice

- By Frank Gilfeather SPORT@SUNDAYPOST.COM

Christian Ramirez, Aberdeen’s American striker, rode to the rescue with a stunning first-half strike to ease the pressure on Stephen Glass.

And the Aberdeen manager dedicated the win to chairman Dave Cormack for his continued backing in difficult times.

A week earlier, following a defeat to Dundee, the Aberdeen fans were calling for the head of Glass as the Dons failed once more to find a victory.

Seven days on, those supporters were singing his praises as their team battled their way to a first win in 11 games against a disjointed Hibs outfit.

Yesterday was a day of determinat­ion and drama, underlined by the ordering off of Hibs’ defender Darren Mcgregor – booked in the first half for a tough challenge on Marley Watkins – for a second yellow card following a clash with David Bates.

No sooner had he reached the tunnel than referee Greg Aitken’s final whistle signalled the celebratio­ns.

It was a happy Dons manager who appeared in the media room afterwards.

He said: “Dave Cormack was very vocal in his support during the week on behalf of himself and the board but he fronted it up.

“I want to prove the people right that put me here. I want to prove my family right that I made the right choice to come back here.

“It’s a big challenge, it’s one I’m up for and it’s a continual challenge at the club.

“I’m relieved. You take away the opportunit­y for folk to point fingers at ourselves, at me individual­ly and the group of players. Especially with the manner in which he dug out the result.

“We’ve got three or four days’ breathing space (before they face Rangers at Ibrox).”

There was more than a little riding on this fixture.

Aberdeen were desperate to halt their serious decline while their opponents had criticism to answer following successive defeats to Rangers and Dundee United.

The visitors, lively and aggressive, took time to test Joe Lewis, back in the Dons goal following a drop in form and a player from who Glass expected “a big performanc­e”.

Still, it was his counterpar­t, Matt Macey, who was the keeper to be tested, first courtesy of a blistering long-range effort from Ryan Hedges.

Then as he regained the ball having dropped Calvin Ramsay’s cross into his six-yard box as Hedges, Funso Ojo and Christian Ramirez hovered round him like vultures at the kill.

It was the EX-MLS man who broke the deadlock in the 27th minute with a stunning strike, hitting Ramsay’s cross ball on the volley from 10 yards to beat Macey.

It was a goal that fired up both sides, though injuries to Ramsay – the provider for Ramirez’s strike – and Declan Gallagher forced Glass to re-think his game plan following the introducti­on of Jonny Hayes and Matty Longstaff for the departing defenders.

By the time the second half started it became clear that Aberdeen’s priority was victory. The rot had to be stopped.

So, Scott Brown found himself in central defence alongside David Bates and Mccrorie with Hayes and Funso Ojo frequently making up a five-man back line.

Suddenly, life became more difficult for the Hibees, but their determinat­ion to draw level never abated.

Fluency and thought were too often absence from their play with too many moves breaking down.

And the frustratin­g from them boiled over as Mcgregor was shown a second yellow after Dons centre-back David bates hit the deck in add-on time.

 ?? ?? Christian Ramirez fires home the goal that ended Aberdeen’s drought . . .
Christian Ramirez fires home the goal that ended Aberdeen’s drought . . .
 ?? ?? . . . and earned him a ‘Well done, Daddy” from daughter, Zara, at full-time
. . . and earned him a ‘Well done, Daddy” from daughter, Zara, at full-time

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