Oh boy! George gaffe put paid to Livi hopes
ABERDEEN 5
Miovski (pen 41, 62), McCrorie (58), Besuijen (pen 58), Duncan (87)
LIVINGSTON 0
David Martindale criticised summer signing Shamal George for the “schoolboy error” that led to his side being heavily beaten at Pittodrie.
“Up until Jack Fitzwater’s sending-off we were the better team – 11 v 11 we were good value for money,” he said.
“But then we make an absolutely stupid mistake.
“We’re not ready, we’re not set, players weren’t in their positions. We were naive.
“And one mistake leads to another, Jack wasn’t prepared.”
Despite the emphatic final scoreline, this one took its time to warm up.
Dons keeper Kelle Roos actually baled his team out with an excellent stop to deny Ayo Obileye.
Jonny Hayes was off target at the end of a fine mazy run but, otherwise, there was little build-up to the drama that arrived five minutes before the interval.
Vicente Besuijen, impressive throughout, hounded Fitzwater in the Livi box as he received the ill-judged pass from George.
The pressure got its reward as the defender responded by hacking him to the ground.
Referee Colin Steven had a clear view and an equally clear view on what his response should be.
Out came the red card for the culprit as he pointed to the spot to let the Dons know they had a penalty.
Bojan Miovski had to wait a couple of minutes for the dust to settle but the striker was unperturbed at the delay and coolly converted to give his team a 1-0 lead.
Having huffed and puffed away to no great effect up until then, Aberdeen could hardly believe their luck.
They had a new swagger to their play on their return, with Miovski almost immediately flashing a header over from close range.
Fitzwater, by contrast, was left with loads of time to contemplate the folly of his decision.
Sean Kelly paid an early price as he was hooked at half-time to allow Phillip Cancar to fill the gap at the back.
There was solid logic to Martindale’s move but it did not work – Aberdeen piled it on in the second half.
Ross McCrorie led the way, rattling in the second goal off the underside of the bar with a lovely clean strike.
Cancar then conceded another penalty, this time a soft one, for his challenge on Aberdeen sub Duk Lopes.
Miovski grabbed up the ball as his right as regular taker but then thought better of it and passed it to Colombianborn Dutch forward who gleefully made the most of his opportunity with an emphatic conversion.
The Macedonian had only seconds to wait for the reward for his generosity to be repaid in kind with Hayes playing him in for the Dons fourth, another decent finish to keep the home crowd on their feet.
Having seen enough, Martindale got the majority of his remaining subs on.
As if taking the hint, his opposite number did likewise with Besuijen & Co leaving the field to well-earned applause.
And, confirming the feeling this one of those days when everything went right for Aberdeen, it paid off.
Ryan Duncan, on for Miovski, slung in a cross and when his teammates failed to get a head on it, the ball went in at the back post anyway to give the 18-year-old his first goal for the club.
“We can’t capitulate like that, Shamal has not had that many saves to make but he’s picked the ball out of the net five times. And it’s schoolboy errors,” said Martindale.