Aberdeen in “baffling” draw with St Mirren to drop back to fourth in SPL after Ferguson sees red: Reaction

St Mirren 1-1 Aberdeen
SPL
05/12/20

Thankfully Aberdeen don’t have to go to Paisley anytime soon after being knocked out the league cup last weekend and drawing in the SPL this weekend.

The draw sees Derek McInnes’ Dons drop back to fourth, a point behind Hibs with a game in hand, but worryingly having not won in four.

Aberdeen have conceded three goals in a week against bottom of the SPL St Mirren, letting in two last Saturday and one this Saturday with Jamie McGrath’s 44^th minute penalty cancelling out Johnny Hayes’ first half effort.

Lewis Ferguson was sent off 6 minutes into the second half by referee Bobby Madden for a second bookable offence, leaving Aberdeen’s hands tied for almost half the match.

“I think any time you go down to 10 men, particularly away from home, and you feel a sense of injustice, there has to be a degree of spirit.”

Derek McInnes pleased with his team’s fighting spirit after drawing 1-1 with St Mirren

Both bosses were left dissatisfied with the draw.

Dons boss Derek McInnes was “baffled” by both key decisions, first to award the penalty against Tommie Hoban at the end of the first half, and then to send off Ferguson.

McInnes told the BBC after the game: “I don’t know what Tommie’s supposed to do. It’s hit him from half a yard, it’s so harsh.”

On Ferguson’s red card McInnes said: “It’s a coming together. I don’t think it stops a promising attack. It baffles me at times (the decision to award the yellow card), it really does.”

St Mirren boss Jim Goodwin felt the draw was a defeat after not capitalising on his team having the extra-man.

Goodwin said after the final whistle: “We’re very disappointed.

“Under normal circumstances a point against Aberdeen is normally a decent result but tonight playing against ten men for forty minutes of the second half, unfortunately we haven’t been able to capitalise on that.

“I suppose you have to give Aberdeen credit for the way they dug in but at the moment it feels like a defeat.”

Further articles:
–Sorry to say Dave, but fans back in stadiums? Fat chance: Opinion
–Dons draw with Hamilton on the day Diego Maradona dies: Reaction
–Dons news: Battle brewing between hospitality and football after chaotic scenes at Aberdeen bar during Scotland’s Euros qualification
–Relive the magic. Scotland are in the Euros proper after beating Serbia on pens: Match report and reaction

Other Dons news:
Scientist at Aberdeen Uni says in their opinion fan return done right is safe, and Considine makes the brave call to aim for the Champions League

Dave Cormack’s instance that fans must be allowed back to stadiums has been supported by an epidemiologist at Aberdeen University who says done right the risk of fans catching covid at games is “extremely low”.

Epidemiology is the study of distribution and patterns including in diseases.

Cormack has called on support after the Dons announced that almost a third of profit has been wiped out of the club’s accounts due to covid restrictions.

Aberdeen FC aim to welcome 1,000 fans to the game versus Ross County on December the 12^th and then 2,000 fans to the Boxing Day game against St Johnstone and Dundee United on 2nd of January, following government permission.

Professor Gary Macfarlane, Chair in Epidemiology at Aberdeen Uni told the AberdeenFC website: “It is my view that the highly-regulated, outdoor environment at Pittodrie, tested with just over 2,000 fans socially distanced at two metres, would ensure that the risk to individuals is extremely low.”

After the Dons call in support from an epidemiologist Andrew Considine raises the bar by saying he believes Champions League qualification is in the Dons’ reach this season.

Considine told the P&J this week: “Can we get second and the champions league spot? Of course, why not? I feel we can handle ourselves against the top two teams so I think second place is definitely up for grabs.”

Has Considine already had too much Christmas punch to make such an outlandish claim or is it really possible that Neymar, Messi, Ronaldo and co could be strutting their stuff at Pittodrie next season?

Well, due to Steve Clarke and the Scotland team’s heroics in European qualification the SPL receives an extra qualifying birth in next season’s Champions League with the runner-up in the league also entering the competition.

However for Considine to be chapping at the heels of Lewandowski, Aberdeen still have to finish second

The Dons finished second four times in a row between 2015 and 2018, but before Rangers’ collapse the previous second place finish was the 93/94 season, and as down in the dumps as Celtic are at the moment you’d have to be realistic in thinking Lennon’s side will finish ahead of Aberdeen being two points ahead of the Dons with two games in hand, one to be played tomorrow, while Rangers are far in the distance.

Doesn’t stop us from dreaming though Andy.

Up next: Ross County, Home, SPL
Aberdeen welcome Ross County to Pittodrie on Saturday the 12^th December, kick-off 3pm.

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