Aberdeen 2-1 Livingston
Pittodrie Stadium
23/08/20
Aberdeen beat Livingston 2-1 with Curtis Main returning to the fold for the first time this season.
Lewis Ferguson broke the deadlock with a penalty three minutes into the second half. Five minutes later Scott Wright doubled the lead with a neat finish in the box. Scott Pittman pulled one back for Livingston with just over twenty minutes to play.
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In a surprise twist Curtis Main made his first appearance of the season replacing new boy Marley Watkins with ten minutes to go. Main was drafted in at the last minute to replace Craig Bryson on the bench.
The Dons get their second win of the season and move up to seventh before a hectic schedule of league and European football begins, whilst Livingston remain rooted to the bottom of the SPL.
Raft of changes in twin attack
With half an eye on Europa League qualifying commencing midweek, Dons’ manager Derek McInnes made a raft of changes from the stuttering one-nil win at St Johnstone on Thursday. Out went Hernandez, Hoban, Ojo, Campbell and McGuinn. In came Logan, McKenna, Hedges, Kennedy and new signing Marley Watkins.
The Welsh international, who joins the Dons on loan from Bristol City till January, is much needed cover for the forward line with Sam Cosgrove and Ryan Edmondson long term injury concerns and Niall McGuinn missing out today having picked up an ankle knock.
Watkins comes to North East with a host of experience having won the Scottish Cup with Inverness and playing four seasons in the Championship, his most prolific campaign coming in the 2016/17 season where he scored ten goals for Barnsley.
There was some more good news for the Dons in the striking department with Curtis Main back on the bench, but how fit the forward really is remains to be seen.
Livingston came into the tie having announced the signing of former Celtic and Hibernian striker Anthony Stokes on a one year deal. Stokes, who didn’t make the game today, comes to Livi having been on quite a trip after his second spell with Hibs ended. In the last two years the Irishman has played in Greece, Turkey and Iran.
In an intriguing sub-plot, new Aberdeen signing Ross McCrorie was coming up against twin brother Robbie who was in the sticks for Livi. Both player’s careers have taken similar trajectories starting out at Rangers, with Ross spending last year on loan at Portsmouth and Robbie having been on loan at Queen of the South.
Jekyll and Hyde halves
The Dons started brightly but fell away in what turned into a drab affair of a first half with only two shots registered on target between the teams.
Aberdeen came out a different side in the second.
The Dons took a quick two goal lead with Ferguson winning and scoring a penalty after being upended by Craig Sibbald in the box.
Six minutes later Aberdeen doubled their lead with a quality goal scored by Scott Wright. The Aberdonian exchanged a neat one-two with Ryan Hedges and finished well in the box.
Even though Livingston looked dead and buried, with Aberdeen creating a host of chances, the Lions hung in there and pulled a goal back through Scott Pittman who poked home from Jack Fitzwater’s cross.
In the last five minutes the Lions roared for a penalty handball against Shay Logan.
Aberdeen, 4-5-1: Lewis (c), Logan, Taylor, McKenna, Hayes, McCrorie, Ferguson, Wright, Hedges, Kennedy, Watkins
Subs: Cerny, Hernandez, Hoban, Ojo, McGeouch, Main, McLennan, Anderson
Livingston, 4-4-1-1: McCrorie, Devlin, Guthrie, Fitzwater, McMillan, Bartley, Sibbald, Holt, Pittman, Forest, Robinson
Subs: Stryjek, Taylor-Sinclair, Ambrose, Serrano, Crawford, Tiffoney, Hamilton, Kouider-Aissa
Goals: Ferguson 49′, Wright 56′, Pittman 70′
Up next for the Dons
Aberdeen have their first qualifying match for the Europa League group stages on Thursday (27th).
Harry Jamshid Reporter Sports Pages 