Goodwin delight as strikers get job Don
Jim Goodwin was satisfied with a win and performance that lifted Aberdeen up to third in cinch Premiership as the Pittodrie side claimed only their third away win in 24 attempts.
Goals from Bojan Miovski and Luis Lopes – Duk – cancelled out Stuart McKinstry’s second-half leveller and, on balance of play, was probably merited given the menace they carried up-front.
Goodwin went with a back three in order to squeeze in Miovski and Lopes and felt that he got his rewards for sticking to suck an attacking set-up.
“We took a little gamble on this system against Hearts [last week] and it has paid off,” said the Irishman.
“The two of them work so well as a pair with one coming short and one going in behind. There is a lot of unselfish work from both of the to free up space for the other one. I am pleased for both of them to each claim a good goal.”
It took just four minutes for
VAR to take its inaugural bow at Fir Park with a decision that went against Motherwell.
Connor Barron played an intelligent low pass that cut through the Fir Park defence to release Miovski. The North Macedonian international collected before taking his time and scooping the ball over the advancing Liam Kelly to bag his ninth goal of the season.
With assistant referee Graham McNeillie sticking up his flag, the Aberdeen celebrations were put on hold as the new technology was invited to step in.
“The first one is a real bit of class from Miovski and thankfully VAR was here because it would have been a travesty if that goal had been ruled offside wrongly and we did not get to see the quality of it,” said Goodwin.
It set the tone for an opening period where Aberdeen had the best of the chances. Lopes thought he had doubled Aberdeen’s lead after he beat Kelly at the second attempt only for VAR to rule that his first effort on goal had been offside.
Still, other than a Kevin van Veen effort that the Dutchman skewed wide and a Blair Spittal header that hit the side-netting it was largely the Dons who looked more dangerous.
Ricki Lamie had to slide in to block Jayden Richardson in the box just as he looked ready to shoot while Lopes closed the
opening period with a drive that Kelly had to be equal to.
Richardson’s cross for Lopes just after the restart almost saw the second period start as the one the first had but the forward’s effort, in acres of space, was wide of the target.
Motherwell made them pay for their failure to take their chances when McKinstry levelled. A product of the Motherwell academy before returning to the club this term from parent side Leeds, the youngster collected from Connor Shields, swivelled to hold off Anthony Stewart and speared a low effort into the bottom corner that Kelle Roos got a hand to.
There was a question mark over whether or not Roos could have kept it out although he earned a reprieve a few minutes later when he denied Van Veen from close range.
Aberdeen survived the flurry of Motherwell pressure to go again. Lopes got his goal after he stooped to meet a Jack MacKenzie cross and direct his header into the bottom corner.
“This is a tough place to come so it was good to put in a performance that was worthy of the win,” said Goodwin.
Motherwell felt there was an impediment in the box in the closing stages after they felt both Lamie and Van Veen had been fouled but there was no VAR input, much to the frustration of the Fir Park side.