Sam’s the man to give Dons an extra sparkle
ABerDeeN 4 Cosgrove (27, 66), McLennan (30), Lowe (41) st mirreN 1 Jackson (77)
Derek McInnes says Sam Cosgrove breaking his scoring duck for Aberdeen will be bad news for opposition defences in the season ahead. The 21-year-old Englishman hadn’t netted for the Dons and – remarkably – had only one senior goal to his credit prior to this Premiership encounter at Pittodrie. But after watching him net twice in an afternoon dominated by firsts, his manager was positively purring about his potential to push James Wilson and Stevie May for a regular start up front. “I can talk about the merits of strikers when they don’t score and what they bring to the team but strikers need the goals,” he said. “It gives them confidence because the perception is they should be scoring. “Sam is one we always felt was a good buy for us and we have been working with him to iron out some rough edges. “He has been effective for us and I am delighted he has managed to add goals – they were good finishes too and will do him and his game no harm. “Tony Docherty had just said to him 30 seconds before he came off to go and get his hattrick but I said he had no chance – wee Bruce (Anderson) is coming on!” This was a day when Aberdeen sparkled in the summer sunshine, tying this up before half time with a blitz of goals – remarkably all three from players netting for the first time for the club. Cosgrove was first to strike, stooping to power a header into the top corner from Shay Logan’s whipped cross in from the right after neat work by Gary Mackay-Steven. Equally dramatic, albeit in a slightly different way, was Connor McLennan’s right footed effort in off the underside of the crossbar a couple of minutes later. The Peterhead teenager, making his first start for the Dons just 24 hours after his 19th birthday, fell backwards as he was taking his shot. However, with his contact true his only concern was trying to hold his celebrating teammates at bay before they smothered him. As the rattled visitors tried to regroup they lost a freak third when a hopeful shot pin-balled through a forest of Saints legs to the unmarked Max Lowe. The former England U-20 international, on loan from Derby County, kept his cool as those around him screamed for offside and passed the ball beyond keeper Craig Samson. With Mackay-Steven having struck the post and fired just wide before the fun and games started, Saints couldn’t say they hadn’t been warned. To be fair, their luck was out. In addition to a bizarre third, they lost new signing Adam Hammill – a player able to boast over 100 appearances in the English Championship – to a shoulder injury. And when, inevitably, Aberdeen added a fourth they were left cursing that the diving save Samson pulled off from Cosgrove’s close-range strike only succeeded in diverting the ball on to the inside of the post and into the net. Derek McInnes didn’t get things exactly as he would have liked. McLennan had to leave the action early with an arm injury and there was the small matter of Saints’ consolation goal – a mistake from Stephen Gleeson, a quick break from ex-Don Cammy Smith and a cool dinked finish from Simeon Jackson. And it was yet another first with Jackson leaving St Mirren Owen Kearney with at least one positive to take down the road. But tt was just a small blip on a day of home dominance.