Scottish Premier League - Wednesday, 10th February 2010
Fester Road, Edinburgh
For those Dandies at tonight’s game who also made the first trip down to Easter Road last season, they could be forgiven for wondering if they were suffering from a case of deja vu as they once again watched their team surrender a two-goal lead to Hibs in the dying minutes. That day, a Steven Fletcher goal deep in stoppage time saw the Dons denied all three points, and tonight, with two minutes to go, it was a Benji penalty that ensured Mark McGhee’s team travelled home again with just a single point, and extended the Hibees unbeaten run at home against the Dons to over four years.
On a poor pitch both sides struggled to make any real head way in the opening exchanges. McDonald’s shot was blocked by Bamba on the edge of the box, and Mulgrew wasted a free kick from the right touchline, failing to clear the first man. Stokes fired wide on 14 minutes, while McLean just failed to get on the end of a Foster through ball a minute later at the other end.
Zander Diamond had come into the team to partner Mulgrew in the centre of defence, replacing Ifil , but you would have struggled to tell the swap had actually happened, so poor was his distribution early on. By this point, the Dons had been enjoying the better of the possession, but it was Hibs who had the ball in the net after 20 mins, although thankfully Stokes was flagged offside.
A Riordan free kick precipitated a scramble at the back post, Langfield having to dive bravely to block Murray’s net-bound shot as the ball broke loose. Ratboy Riordan then found some space on the edge of the box but his shot was comfortably saved by Clangers.
Then, with 25 minutes gone, a McDonald knock-down from a Mulgrew freekick found Paton, who deftly hooked the ball into the far corner to put the Dons one-up. Although largely anonymous up until this point, it was a well-taken goal by the youngster, whose confidence and influence in the game grew as a result.
Hibs were immediately on the counter though and Nish turned a half-chance over, before a Paton cross from the right found its way to MacDonald who did well to connect, but his weak shot failed to trouble Smith.
The home team had a decent shout for a penalty after 32 minutes as the ball got caught between Kerr and Stokes. It definitely hit the captain’s arm but it would have been a harsh foul to give as Stokes looked to be culpable of a similar contact. Paton went down in the box at the other end shortly after, but there looked to be little in it.
A period of sustained pressure from the Dons saw the ball drop to Paton on the corner of the box after 34 minutes. His first-time volley flew towards goal, and Mclean did brilliantly to get a touch with his head to steer it in, away from the despairing dive of Smith.
Aberdeen were putting together some good passing moves now, probing down both flanks, although Hibs continued to look dangerous, winning a succession of corners, but their only real chance came when Rankin sclaffed a shot well wide. The Dons then went on the counter-attack, Foster bursting clear over the halfway line at speed before being cynically tripped by McBride, who was lucky only to be booked for his troubles. The away support were incensed at the challenge, given that the former Falkirk man made absolutely no attempt to chase the ball, simply choosing to kick Foster’s legs away from underneath him instead.
He was subsequently replaced by Zemmama at half-time, and it was the introduction of the little Moroccan that seemed to make the difference in the second-half, his trickery and directness posing the Reds real problems.
Mulgrew fired a freekick just over the bar after 48 minutes after good work from Aluko, but Aberdeen were lucky to survive when the Hibernian forwards contrived to blast over from 6 yards after a Nish header was only half-cleared. That scare panicked the Dons, and just moments later Hibs had pulled a goal back. Diamond backed off the impressive Stokes, whose low, swerving shot fooled Langfield, the wrong-footed keeper only able to divert the ball into his own net.
Mulgrew then failed to clear his lines, but thankfully the ball fell to Rankin who sliced another shot wide.
Aluko was replaced by Ifil as the Dons looked to shore up defensively, and Mclean did well to direct a header goalwards from another Macdonald knockdown, although he struggled to get any power behind it. Good link up play between Mackie and Mclean then saw the former flash a centre across the face of goal, Paton nearly getting on the end of it.
Shankin’ Rankin then finally managed to produce something resembling a shot after an hour, curling the ball a couple of yards wide of the upright, but Langfield watched it wide.
Zemmama was booked for dissent before McDonald also picked up a card booked for diving in the box.
Bamba and Nish managed to get in each other’s way when they should have scored, and McLean turned well from a Mulgrew freekick, but his snapshot was straight at Smith.
Hughes, chasing the equaliser, went with five up bringing on Benji for fullback Wotherspoon and by this point the Aberdeen box was starting to resemble the Alamo, two desperate blocks denying Riordan twice in 30 seconds, while Mulgrew was the subject of another handball claim after 75 minutes.
Hibs were leaving space at the back though, and a good break by the Dons saw Mackie and McLean with a two-on-one which was unjustly deemed to be offside. Paton then did brilliantly to find space, but was unlucky to see his shot come back off the bar with Smith well beaten. The men from the North then missed the perfect chance to kill off the game. Coming off the back of the move of the game, a neat once-touch move involving Paton, Paterson and McLean saw substitute Duff beat the offside trap, drawing Smith out of his box – his first touch took him wide of the keeper, but instead of continuing towards goal and getting it under control, he bobbled his shot high into the stand.
He was made to rue that missed chance a few minute later when it was a case of third-time lucky for Hibs after Nish’s header was adjudged to have hit Diamonds hand with two minutes to go. Benji coolly sent Langfield the wrong way from the resulting spotkick. Both teams had chances to nick it at the death – Zander heading over from a Mulgrew freekick and Duff dithering over the ball when Foster had made a good run outside him in the box, while Stokes beat Ifil but failed to pick out anyone apart from Langfield with the cross.
All in all, it was a real blow for the Dons, who had played well and battled hard. On the plus side though, Paton looked lively, while McLean was also very good – he looks more mobile than Miller, and his link up play was excellent.
Sieve
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