Hibernian 0-1 Aberdeen
Easter Road
30/08/20
Aberdeen continued their return to form with an impressive win at high-flying Hibernian.
Lewis Ferguson scored from the penalty spot to put the Dons one-up in the first-half after Martin Boyle fouled Marley Watkins in the box, and that’s how the outcome of the game remained.
-Preview: Aberdeen v Hibs, SPL, matchday 12
-McCrorie scores first goal for club in Aberdeen win
If Aberdeen came away from Easter Road with three points they would go fourth in the table before the international break. A commendable first period finish after a chaotic start to their season.
Hibs were coming into the game unbeaten having only dropped two points in five, but their preparations for the game were thrown into disarray with midfield enforcer Alex Gogic suddenly dropping out the squad after returning a false positive coronavirus test, which apparently cancelled Hib’s training session on Friday.
It’s a harsh state of affairs for Gogic who has only just received a first call-up to his national side for the forth coming Nations League fixtures.
Team changes: Two changes from the side that thrashed NSI Runavik mid-week. Curtis Main and Dylan McGeouch dropped to the bench. Ryan Hedges was rewarded for his hat-trick with a place in the starting-11 alongside the returning Tommie Hoban. Bruce Anderson and Dean Campbell dropped out entirely.
Frantic half of football
Aberdeen almost conceded a goal in the first minute. Joe Newell’s lofted cross was spilt by Aberdeen keeper Joe Lewis. Scott Allan nicked the ball away and laid it off to Martin Boyle whose tame effort was gratefully held by the Dons’ skipper.
Aberdeen seemingly started composed with an air of caution to Derek McInnes’ team selection. Marley Watkins was up front on his own with Scott Wright playing a supporting role when the Dons were in possession, whilst Matty Kennedy and that old war horse Jonny Hayes would be doing the hard yards supporting as wingbacks.
It was Hibs carving open the first opportunities which started with a blistering strike by Josh Doig on ten minutes. The defender put his laces through a partially cleared corner which Joe Lewis did well to tip over the bar from 25 yards.
Six minutes later Dray Wright and Martin Boyle linked up well. Wright switched the play, Boyle took one touch coming in from the right side of the box and shot low but again Joe Lewis was equal to the effort.
The game was opening up and Aberdeen’s first real chance came through quick play between Wright and midweek hat-trick hero Ryan Hedges. Wright broke a couple challenges midway in Hibs’ half, Hedges took the ball, played a one-two with Wright and from the penalty spot had his shot smothered by Ofir Marciano.
Aberdeen were beginning to exert their superiority on the match and Marley Watkins almost opened his account for the Dons.
Hedges played it to Ross McCrorie who was surely fouled in the build-up, sliced down in a late challenge by Joe Newell, but Aberdeen played on and worked it through to Watkins whose strike was parried away by Marciano.
The breakthrough came on thirty-eight minutes when Boyle got himself in all sorts of problems trying to make a clearance. The Australian international dodged Ferguson and weaved round Andrew Considine trying to make the space to clear the ball but just as he was about to pull the trigger Watkins nipped in and instead of hoofing the ball Boyle hoofed at Watkin’s shin. Ferguson coolly slotted the penalty beyond Marciano sending the keeper the wrong way.
Fizz gone in the second
The imperious Hibs had been rattled by a buzzing Dons who were almost gifted a chance to go two up right at the beginning of the second-half. A misplaced pass was pounced on by Matty Kennedy who drove at the Hibs defenders. Porteous and co. backed off allowing Kennedy to get his shot away from 20 yards which stung the hands of Marciano.
Hibs boss Jack Ross changed it up early in the second-half giving a debut to former Rangers and Motherwell winger Jamie Murphy who replaced Scott Allan just after the fiftieth minute mark.
Sixty seconds later Ferguson was lucky to remain on the pitch receiving a yellow card for a wild sliding challenge on Joe Newell.
Scott McKenna had a chance to extend the Dons’ lead but blazed his header over the bar after standing firm in the box on a Hedges’ corner.
McInnes would have snapped an arm off anyone offering the Dons a one-nil lead at Easter Road with twenty minutes remaining. In light of this the Aberdeen boss began shoring the game up, taking off the hard working Wright for former Hibs’ enforcer Dylan McGeouch.
Two minutes later Watkins got a deserved rest with Curtis Main entering the fold.
Main almost had a chance to get his 2020/2021 scoring campaign off the mark. The big South Shields lad sauntered through the Hibs’ defence, defenders flying off him like bullets, and got a shot away which Marciano dived down low to save.
McGeouch could have scored against his old club but his rasping effort from eighteen yards was acrobatically saved by Marciano.
When Christian Doidge saw his header fall wide off of Hibs’ final corner, it was clear Aberdeen had managed to take the sting out the Hibees.
Goals: Ferguson 38′
Man of the match: Ryan Hedges
Watkins, Wright and the calm and collected Ross McCrorie all had shouts for MOTM, but Hedges showed nice periods of play up-front, causing the Hibs defenders all sorts of problems from a winger who is brimming with confidence.
Hibernian, 5-3-2: Merciano, McGinn, Porteous, Hanlon (c), Doig, Hallberg, Allan, Newell, Wright, Doidge, Boyle
Subs: Dabrowski, Gray, McGregor, Stevenson, Stirling, Mallan, Murray, Murphy, Gullan
Aberdeen, 5-4-1: Lewis (c), Hoban, Considine, McKenna, Hedges, Hayes, Ferguson, Wright, Kennedy, McCrorie, Watkins
Subs: Cerny, Logan, Ojo, Main, McGinn, Taylor, McGeouch, McLennan, Hernandez
Up next
The Dons resume after the international break with a home tie against Kilmarnock, 3pm Saturday the 12th of September.
Harry Jamshid Reporter Sports Pages 