Ross County 4-1 Aberdeen
SPL
16/01/21
Aberdeen drop to fourth in the league after receiving a 4-1 battering by Ross County at Victoria Park.
Oli Shaw scored within the first minute and added a second five minutes before the end. Charlie Lakin got one and a Jermaine Hylton finish in injury-time served Aberdeen their first defeat in Dingwall in five years.
It’s also five years (13 games) since Aberdeen last conceded four against the Staggies.
The Dons dragged themselves back into the match through a Alex Iacovitti own goal making it 2-1 at half-time, but it wasn’t enough to try salvage a turgid weekend which also saw Ash Taylor and Jonny Hayes leave the field injured.
Aberdeen pass by another chance to catch second placed Celtic who were held at home to Livingston.
The Dons drop to fourth, a point behind Hibs with two games in hand after the Hibees overcame Kilmarnock 2-0 at Easter Road.
Ding-dong in Dingwall sees Aberdeen floored
“We were guilty again of missing chances. I know the keepers had a couple of good saves but some of the chances we missed at that stage was not good enough.”
Maybe it wasn’t ideal preparation having to make a midweek trip to West Lothian for a match against Livingston which was called off for a second time. The reason on this occasion being a waterlogged pitch.
It’s clutching at straws saying the Livingston dead rubber effected the performance. To be honest it’s probably more to do with John ‘Yogi’ Hughes’ work in turning round the fortunes of a club that looked resigned to relegation after losing eight matches in a row.
Since taking over from Stuart Kettlewell who was sacked in December, Hughes is overseeing an up serge in Staggies form having led them to two wins, a draw and a loss in their last four games.
Hughes said of the game today: “We got off to a fantastic start with pace and energy in the team.
“I take it day by day, game by game but what I will say is what they (the players) have given since I came in is everything they got. I think I have a really committed bunch of boys and I am really pleased for them.”
Further articles:
–Six Nations 2021 preview: Little in form due to covid but lets get the tournament going to raise our spirits in lockdown
–McInnes says he’s calm about Scott Wright’s future ahead of trip to County
Without the suspended Ryan Hedges, Aberdeen played both Curtis Main and Sam Cosgrove in a match that should have suited the strikers with a free flowing game that was end to end.
However neither frontman scored and Aberdeen’s best chance probably fell to winger Matty Kennedy who saw his shot from six yards blocked by Staggies keeper Ross Laidlaw before Alex Iacovitti guided Tommie Hoban’s header into his own net.
Derek McInnes tried to take the positives from the match, particularly managing to get Aberdeen into more scoring positions.
McInnes told the BBC after the game: “The opening period was not good enough. The opening two goals we have to defend much better.
“After that we create numerous chances and get a goal before half-time and the talk was to pick up where we left off and I thought we did that at the start of the second half, I thought we got in some good areas.
“We were guilty again of missing chances. I know the keepers had a couple of good saves but some of the chances we missed at that stage was not good enough.”
Aberdeen have still not won a game in 2021 after drawing with United and losing to Rangers.
Next up for the Dons is Motherwell at Pittodrie, Saturday 23rd, kick-off 3pm.
Harry Jamshid Reporter Sports Pages 