Aberdeen fought back from an early deficit to defeat Kilmarnock 2-1 and cap a glorious week in the Granite City. Kris Boyd's 11th-minute strike put visiting Kilmarnock in front but goals in either half from Adam Rooney and Ryan Jack saw Aberdeen fight back. The win followed on from Aberdeen's League Cup final win over Inverness last Sunday, Dons boss Derek McInnes scooping the Manager of the Month award, and Rooney claiming the player's award for their efforts in February.
The jubilant fans have even affected the music charts, their altered rendition of Human League's 'Don't You Want Me' inspiring an upturn in sales for the 1981 hit. And having had the silverware paraded at Pittodrie pre-match, the home fans were in fine voice in the opening stages of this game. They were silenced, though, when Boyd opened the scoring.
He took Michael Gardyne's pass in his stride and, with his back to goal, turned his man before angling a low shot across Jamie Langfield and into the net. The Dons could have hit back immediately, but Cammy Smith's left-foot shot from the edge of the area was well wide, after an inviting space had opened up for him. Smith had come into the Dons starting X1 in place of Johnny Hayes who fractured a collarbone in the League Cup final win, and he was among the more creative of the Aberdeen players. And he played his part in the leveller after 17 minutes.
His pass found Rooney on the edge of the area, and the Irishman's low shot found the back of the net, although Craig Samson in the Kilmarnock goal will surely feel he could have done more. Two minutes later, the hosts should have been ahead. Rooney was the provider this time, his cut-back finding Niall McGinn six yards out, but the former Celtic man blazed uncharacteristically over the bar. It was the same outcome 10 minutes from the interval when McGinn again found himself on the six-yard line after excellent approach play from Smith.
The striker was also clipped as he shot, but referee Craig Thomson was not interested in any penalty claims. Bizarrely, the striker came closer from 25 yards, with a wickedly swerving shot which passed narrowly wide of the target. The visitors also came close through Vitalijs Maksimenko, but his header was comfortably dealt with by Langfield.
Allan Johnston made the first show of his hand from the bench at the interval, as he introduced the on-loan Sunderland winger David Karlsson in place of Chris Johnston
The reverse switch had been one of three changes Johnston made to his starting line-up after the 3-0 defeat to Celtic. However, it was a subdued opening to the second period, bar Boyd's long-range effort which failed to trouble Langfield. McInnes took steps to address the situation after the hour, as he brought on Barry Robson for Nicky Low, and the experienced midfielder made an impact, one of his vicious inswinging corners seeing Samson flap aimlessly at the ball, but the home side could not take advantage. Killie's second change saw the Finland international Alexei Eremenko enter the fray in place of Gardyne. But it was Aberdeen who went in front, after 71 minutes.
Willo Flood's free-kick was not dealt with by the Killie defence, and Jack popped up to stroke through a ruck of bodies with his weaker left foot from 15 yards. It should have been all over when Jack's pass found McGinn on the edge of the area with 10 minutes remaining, but the striker passed up his third clear opportunity of the afternoon, firing wide of the upright. Declan McManus replaced McGinn with five minutes remaining as the Dons saw time out, and he looked lively without affecting the scoresheet.
Source : PA
Source: PA