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Considine Goal Paves Way To Victory

11 November 2008

Late goals seal win

Aberdeen left it late at Pittodrie this evening as goals from Considine and Aluko added shine to a rather dismal match. Neither side could break the deadlock in the first half with Lee Miller going closest with a fierce free kick five minutes from the break. The first half hour of the second half was instantly forgettable but with 10 minutes remaining Considine crashed the ball past Howard from 12 yards and Aluko sealed the win a minute from the end with a calmly taken solo effort to send the fans home happy.

The Dons kicked off on a damp night in Aberdeen but it was the visitors who won the first corner after only four minutes. The threat came to nothing as Langfield comfortably clutched the ball from the air. A minute later Aluko tested Howard with a low drive but the keeper was equal to the task. The Dons threatened again in the 7th minute and once more it was Aluko who supplied the ammunition, but the Saints defence scrambled the ball clear. Four minutes later Miller had a good chance inside the box but he failed to make a decent connection.

Foster secured the Dons first corner in the 13th minute but the Aluko delivery was powerfully cleared. Seconds later Considine was found on the left of the penalty area but his header failed to test the keeper. There was little to warm the fans at this stage but when Aluko won a corner in the 20th minute the St. Mirren defence were fortunate to survive as the ball bounced around the six yard box before it was eventually deflected wide. The second corner saw Diamond head tamely at the keeper before St. Mirren enjoyed a spell of pressure around the 25 minute mark as Aberdeen were forced to defend.

Darren Mackie carved out a good chance on the half hour mark when he chased a lost cause and steered the ball back into the danger area where the Saints defence reacted quickly to clear. Four minutes later Mulgrew whipped in a free kick that Miller nodded down but the ball just evaded Considine as he looked to pounce. Miller set up Considine again a few minutes later but again the defender failed to connect. Howard in the Saints goal earned a yellow card in the 40th minute when he collected the ball from just outside his area. From the resulting free kick the keeper did well to claw a fierce Miller shot away and once again the ball evaded the on rushing Kerr as the best chance of the half was lost. Three minutes later the keeper earned his corn again when he dived at the feet of Mackie to prevent the striker from opening the scoring.

The second half began as low key as the first had and the first chance didn’t come until the 52nd minute when Young tried an effort from distance that failed to worry Howard. Kerr was cautioned in the 58th minute for a foul on Hamilton and the resulting free kick was ballooned well over the bar. A Considine booking quickly followed as the match failed to produce any rhythm. Hamilton became the fourth player to be booked as the frustration of the players equaled the frustration on the terraces.

A combination of Diamond and Langfield prevented a goal in the 70th minute and Langfield had to make another stop seconds later as the home crowd started to get restless. Young tried another wild effort in the 74th minute and a minute later he was replaced by Maguire. The game finally burst into life in the 80th minute after a Mulgrew free kick was punched cleared by Howard. The ball landed at the feet of Kerr who fed the ball wide right and after a Saints defender slipped on the bye line the ball was cut back to Andy Considine and the defender drilled it past Howard from 12 yards.

A minute later Hodgkiss replaced Mulgrew and in the 87th minute Aberdeen should have added a second following a great flowing move started by Lee Miller deep in his own half. Miller nutmegged one player, raced up the field and released Chris Maguire. Unfortunately the youngster screwed his effort wide but Aluko sealed the win two minutes later when he slipped clear of the Saints defence and calmly drilled the ball past the hapless Howard. It wasn’t pretty to watch, but the three points will be welcome as the Dons move into the top six.

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