Dec 282016
 

By Red Fin Hall.

The last home game for the Dons before the winter break, saw Hamilton make the trip north.

Having only won two games this season, one of which was a 1-0 victory when Aberdeen visited back in October, they were hoping to snatch at least a draw today.

The Dons, whose recent form has been, to say the least, erratic, fielded an team unchanged from that which beat Motherwell away from home last Friday.

Referee Andrew Dallas got the game underway on a crisp, cold but sunny day, with the underfoot playing conditions ideal.

Three minutes in, Aberdeen had their first free kick, swiftly followed by their first corner. It was from this corner that Mark Reynolds had the ball in the back of the net. But this brought about the first of many debatable decisions when he ruled that a foul had been committed and disallowed the goal.

Minutes later a sharp looking Jonnny Hayes won a second corner.

With 15 minutes gone Hamilton went looking for their first goal and a snapshot from Darian McKinnon from 25 yards out, caused Joe Lewis to do his job and divert the ball around the post for a corner.

Hayes was at it again, when he picked up a loose ball and fired it forward for Adam Rooney to chase, but it was too long for him to reach it.

Just after Kenny McLean and captain Ryan Jack had their shots blocked, a goalmouth scramble ensued when McLean, Andrew Considine and Reynolds also had shots blocked.

In 22 minutes Hamilton were scrambling about in the Aberdeen goal area, trying to make a breakthrough.

Meanwhile The Dons were winning corner after corner as they kept the pressure up on a poor Hamilton team who were getting away with foul after foul as the pace of the home team was proving too much.

After Rooney held the ball up, he found Graeme Shinnie, whose shot just went wide. Moments later the same player made Accies keeper, Gary Woods pull off a vital save.

Hayes, still causing the opposition grief, was fouled by McKinnon, who protested his innocence. Taking the free kick itself, he found the head of Ash Taylor, who had made his way forward from the centre of defence. His perfectly timed leap on the 33rd minute, directed the ball into the back of the net to give Aberdeen a well deserved lead.

1-0

Dallas was deservedly criticised when two minutes later he awarded a penalty, indicating that Lewis had brought down Danny Redmond. Dougie Imrie took the spot kick and buried into the back of the net.

1-1

The Dons, fans and players, were again decrying the referee moments later when Rooney was pushed over in the box. The referee awarded another free kick to Aberdeen when Shay Logan was brought down. Hayes again took the kick, and again he found the head of Taylor. This time the keeper saved it, resulting in another corner. 

Just before the halftime whistle blew, number seven for the visitors, Imrie received a yellow card.

Another claim for a penalty thereafter when Considine was held in the box..

The half time whistle blew and both teams went into the tunnel knowing that a draw at this point was extremely flattering to the visitors. But if the men in red had more guile and a killer touch, then the score would have been more.

Half time 1-1

No changes at half time for either side.

Aberdeen started the final 45 minutes as they finished the first 45 when McLean found Shinnie whose attempt was blocked by a resilient Lanarkshire defence.

Hayes again looked threatening after receiving a good pass from Rooney, but as seemed to be the way of things, his attempt to score should have been better.

Aberdeen took off Considine and replaced him with James Maddison.

Immediately, Lewis pulled off a fine save after a breakthrough from Rakush Bingham, whose pass set up an Ali Crawford shot on goal.

With 20 minutes left on the clock, Logan passed to Maddison whose shot was parried by the Hamilton keeper. Rooney did what Rooney does best, and cleanly put away the rebound.

2-1

On minute 90, Maddison was booked for diving – a decision that not many can argue with. This is the second game in a row that the loan player didn’t start the game, and the second comfortable victory. Will we miss him if he returns to Norwich in January?

Let’s leave that hanging there.

With 2 of the 3 stoppage time minutes gone, Hayes was yet again brought down just outside the box and a red card was shown to the perpetrator, Scott McMann.
 
Full time came soon after. 2-1

The score should have been much higher and if Aberdeen want to seriously challenge for second place, then they are going to have to find a way to get more goals against teams of this ilk. With three yellow cards and a red awarded to the visitors and more corners than I could count, they will be in a dogfight to remain safe from relegation.

Next home game. 21.01.17 Scottish Cup v Stranraer.

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Apr 042016
 

Aberdeen hammered three goals past a hapless Hamilton side, says Voice reporter Andrew Watson.

pittodrie2Conditions were wet, perhaps nourishing a quite ravaged pitch.
‘Why Does It Always Rain Me’ by Travis was an apt song given the weather prior to and during the match.

Furthermore ‘I Am The Resurrection’ by The Stone Roses was perhaps aimed towards a hoped resurgence in form after losing to Motherwell the other week, rising from the ashes of defeat at Fir Park.

Then came the customary blasting through the tannoys of Hard-Fi’s ‘Hard to Beat’; which of course was a tad ironic, given that trip to Lanarkshire. AC/DC’s moody ‘Thunderstruck’ bizarrely seemed to be willing worse weather we were having.

Finally, just before the game kicked off, there were the strains of ‘Right Here, Right Now’ by Fatboy Slim. This was the Dons getting pumped, with timely urgency and an all out desire to win.

Keeper Scott Brown was forced into an early clearance, which went out for a throw in.

Down the other end, a cross only just evaded an Aberdeen attack.

Big man at the back, Ashton Taylor, made a lunging run, but a subsequent slack pass was intercepted.

Kenny McLean reached a long pass, and his cross turned into a shot hitting off the far post.

Winger, Jonny Hayes, came in with a perfect cross for Simon Church to header in.  Emphatic and powerful, a surge of passion from the Red Army as it smashed into the net.

1 – 0 Aberdeen – only 5 minutes into the game!

McLean then almost came in with a goal of this own.

Slack passing and shooting prevented a second goal for the Dons.

Pocket rocket at the back, Shaleum Logan, was unfortunate with a chipped ball which put Church offside.

Hayes then won a free kick after a deft, long ball.

Willo Flood came in with a timely challenge to deny Hamilton, the ball going out for a throw.

Hayes found fruitful play for his team, after being taken down twice and earning a free kick in the second instance. McLean seemed to be going for a shot with the resulting set piece.

Logan, however, was appearing to go for a cross later, but turned into a shot.

There was then applause for a recent bereavement in the Aberdeen community, and this was followed promptly with a second goal.

2-0!  Niall McGinn stroked it into the net, only 15 minutes into the game.

There was a subsequent attempt, a low one, just wide of the post.  Aberdeen were definitely stamping their authority on the game.

Hamilton once again cleared their lines, preventing a third goal. They suffered an onslaught with their keeper parrying away a low header into the corner.

On the other hand, down the other end of the pitch, Aberdeen were a tad lucky not to concede.

McGinn, though, was unlucky later trying to receive Logan’s cross.

Then, with Aberdeen slightly under the cosh, Flood cleared the box and made an expert pass to create another Aberdeen advance.

Hamilton’s Kemy Agustien was booked for challenge on Graeme Shinnie. They then cleared their box for an Aberdeen corner.

Flood reared his head, again, this time beating his man to instigate an attack, one which somehow was absorbed by Hamilton.

Logan came in with a deflected low drive, but subsequently won a corner.

McGinn put corner into six yard box, an ideal location, but nobody was there.

Church was then penalised contesting the ball, perhaps unfairly.

Shinnie came in with an excellent sliding challenge, snuffing out what seemed a dangerous Hamilton advance.

An Aberdeen advance, however, cut in and McLean pounced after 33 minutes.

3-0!

Another header, like Church’s earlier, but from a free kick, went wide.

Hamilton stopper, Michael McGovern put himself in harm’s way to reduce space Aberdeen had for a potential fourth goal and Aberdeen were snuffed.

Kemy Agustien, not long after, was on the deck. Cue cynical cries from Pittodrie faithful.

McGinn came in with an ambitious shot, and was applauded rather than jeered. After all, Aberdeen can’t pass it into the net all the time.

Taylor was then found playing dangerously, down the other end. He was lucky to have Brown to rely on as an option to pass back to.

Logan took a tumble, his subsequent throw in was poor.

One minute additional play for first half.

Halftime 3-0.

Taylor was taken off, in favour of Andrew Considine after the break.

Brown then mopped up low shot from Dougie Imrie.

McLean, up the other end, came into the box and his advance went out for a corner. Then on followed a flurry chances for Aberdeen.

Hayes was flat out on his back. He got up, eventually.

Aberdeen almost came unstuck, though the rather negative attack by Hamilton was very much to the Dons benefit.

Hamilton then won a corner. The taker came up for some stick:

“Imrie, you’re shite!”

A subsequent Aberdeen shot was definitely going for glory, parried away for corner. There was then a tussle in the box, resulting in a ball that almost bobbled over the line.

Hayes came in with a clever chip. Caught easily by the keeper, though.

Mark Reynolds went for a curling long ball, but the execution was too slack.

McLean found himself on the ground, later, but this went on unnoticed.  Boos from the home support.

After some good linkup play, McGinn floating a shot of little threat.

Considine was in with a timely slide to deny Hamilton credible pop at goal.

Not long after was a pass across goal, almost not picked up by the sleeping Accies.

McGinn danced past a few players, shifting into another gear as he homed in on goal. He rocketed a shot barely over the top of the crossbar. Again, plaudits for taking initiative from distance, something Aberdeen don’t do a lot and, arguably, enough.

Action aplenty and another attempt went in the side netting, although Aberdeen really were fortunate not to have lost at least one goal.

Again, there was plenty of action around the Hamilton goal, going wide but never in.

Hamilton, though, forced themselves a corner.

Flood was taken off, in favour of Craig Storie after 78 minutes. Power of work by the former, determined as ever.

Then yet another corner. The fans were desperate for another goal. Then another, absolute bombardment.

Shinnie was proving to be as vital as ever. The defensive stalwart. Hamilton did, though, get a corner later on.

Hayes displayed some absolute class to get ball out of his half.

Frank Ross came on, in favour of Ryan Jack, after 85 minutes.

Prior substitute, Storie, found himself booked.

Final score:  3-0.

Sep 162015
 

Aberdeen survived some scares to win against quite a good Hamilton side, says Andrew Watson.

pittodrieThe start was a nervy one, with both sides feeling their way into the game.

Aberdeen were the first to suss their opposition out, but struggled initially.

Some smart play was hampered by too many passes being short of their target.

It was Graeme Shinnie that really kicked off things, when he instigated a second penalty in two games.

Once again, it was Adam Rooney who stepped up. If he could score that League Cup securing goal a couple seasons back, it could more or less be said he’d score this one. He did, coolly slotting it away.

1-0 after 23 minutes!

The Dons came out a completely different team in the second half, and seemed very timid. The Accies were beginning to take a foothold of the game, and there were moments they proved they definitely deserved a point from the game.

Josh Parker came on the pitch to replace Jonny Hayes 72 minutes into proceedings. A minute later, Ryan McLaughlin came off for Shaleum Logan.

McInnes made his final substitute at 82 minutes, with Peter Pawlett coming on for Kenny McLean.

Parker probably had the best chance of the game towards the end, coming more or less one on one with the keeper.

The Red Army were probably expecting him to lob the keeper, but he elected instead to control the ball and drive it low. It went wide.

Ashton Taylor was also taken off near the end. Thankfully he appeared to walk off the pitch without a limp, so hopefully the injury is minor and that he can play at Tynecastle.

It could be a tough one, away from home, so as strong a squad as possible would be ideal.

Final score:  1-0.