late equaliser disallowed

Aberdeen were their own worst enemies this afternoon after a horrendous error gifted the home side the lead after only eight minutes. Further poor defending allowed United to double their advantage six minutes later through Feeney. Aberdeen then took control and dominated the remainder of the match. Lee Miller had a thunderous free kick touched on to the post and after the break Mackie pulled a goal back when he turned an Aluko cross into the net. The striker then looked to have secured a deserved share of the points when he turned the ball into the net when Zaluska couldn’t hold a Miller header. Mackie looked to have followed the ball in and it will be interesting to see the TV pictures of the incident.

After a minutes silence for remembrance Sunday Aberdeen kicked off and Zaluska had to look lively in the opening minute as he raced off his line to collect a Kerr cross. Aberdeen continued to press forward backed by a vociferous Dons support. Aluko was getting special attention in the early minutes and was struggling to make an impact. United had the ball in the net in the 6th minute but Jamie Langfield had clearly been impeded as the ball was swung in. A horrendous mistake in the 8th minute by both Severin and Diamond resulted in United taking an early lead.

Severin was trying to usher the ball out of play and allowed Gomis to get his foot around the ball and send it across goal. Diamond then attempted to chest the ball back to Langfield but made a hash of it and allowed Sandaza to slip in and tap it past Langfield who could possibly have reacted quicker. Not the start Aberdeen was looking for and probably the poorest goal they have conceded this season. United, who had barely been in the match, took confidence from the gift and doubled their lead in the 14th minute after some static defending.

Conway broke comfortably down the right, swung in a cross that was flicked on by Flood and turned in to the net by Feeney. Aluko had a shot blocked in the 17th minute, but the home side instantly broke and won the first corner of the game. United should have made it three two minutes later after some more horrendous defending allowed Feeney to turn the ball over the bar when it looked easier to score. Sone Aluko hit the bye line in the 20th minute but Mackie was penalised as the cross came in and the chance was gone.

Aberdeen won their first corner three minutes later, but Dods cleared a decent delivery from de Visscher. Severin then won a free kick in the 25th minute after being impeded, but Aluko’s effort was woeful as the Dons desperately looked for an opening back into the match. Aberdeen had a great chance in the 33rd minute when Aluko set up de Visscher, but the Dutchmen created space for himself then failed to hit the target with a poor finish. The Dons were on the attack again a minute later but the game was halted when Feeney went down inside his own box.

Two minutes later Diamond played the ball off Dixon to win a corner but referee Collum awarded a goal kick. Another free kick, won by de Visscher, saw Lee Miller smash a great effort that looked to be heading for the net before Zaluska turned the ball on to the post. Seconds later Kerr fired inches wide as the home defence started to creak under the pressure. Aberdeen were finishing the half strongly and de Visscher was causing the home defence some problems. Sandaza collected the first yellow card of the match in the 44th minute after a poor challenge on Severin and the Dons failed to pull a goal back despite a late free kick.

Calderwood replaced Derek Young with Charlie Mulgrew at the interval and Miller looked to have won a free kick in the 49th minute but referee Collum adjudged the Wilkie challenge to be fair. Aluko made a great run in the 54th minute and his cross caused problems but Miller couldn’t get himself repositioned to turn the ball in. Aberdeen were looking in the mood now and three minutes later Hodgkiss tried from distance but failed to hit the target seconds after Aluko had been upended by three United players that once again went unpenalised. Mackie should have released Aluko on the hour mark but his pass was too heavy.

A minute later Foster tried an effort from long range when he had players in support at either side. McDonald then replaced Hodgkiss as Calderwood tried to turn the game employing only two at the back. Mackie could have netted in the 64th minute after great play by Aluko on the left. The Englishman swung in a cross and Mackie’s header grazed the far post. Seconds later Zaluska touched a Miller header over the bar as Aberdeen desperately looked for an opening back into the match. The Dons finally made the breakthrough in the 66th minute when Mackie headed the ball into the net after Aluko had swung over a deep a cross that Miller did well to keep in play and loop a header back into the middle for Mackie to finish.

O’Donovan then came on for United and collected the second yellow card of the game within a minute after a petulant boot at the ball. Aberdeen increased the pressure and won a corner in the 70th minute when a Miller shot was blocked. United scrambled the ball out for a throw in as Aberdeen continued to probe. Flood became the third United player to be booked for a cynical tackle on Aluko as the home side looked rattled. Diamond was then booked and Dillon was lucky to escape a caution as he bundled Aluko off the ball. Kerr was caught in possession in the 75th minute but fortunately Sandaza failed to punish the Dons with a weak finish.

The referee harshly booked de Visscher in the 78th minute and from the resulting soft free kick the home side won a corner. Aberdeen comfortably cleared and the Dutchman was replaced by Maguire with eleven minutes remaining. A Mulgrew cross caused panic in the 83rd minute as it bounced of Wilkie for a corner. Unfortunately Mulgrew swung the ball out of play and the chance was gone. Mackie looked to have levelled in the 88th minute after the keeper had parried a Miller header into his path and he netted as he followed the ball in. For some reason the assistant referee flagged for offside and only TV pictures will confirm if the decision