Miller at the double

Lee Miller continued his fine form at Rugby Park tonight as a well taken double took Aberdeen into fourth place in the SPL. The Dons fought back well after going behind to a Russell strike in the 10th minute. Miller levelled on the half hour mark with a well taken goal at the near post from a Mulgrew corner. Just before the hour mark a bullet header from Miller gave Rascle no chance and sealed the three points, which on the second half performance they probably deserved. The referee somehow managed to find four minutes of injury time and the Dons were hanging on near the end, but held out well.

Aberdeen kicked off in front of a sparse Rugby Park crowd, but it was the home side who made a positive start and won the first corner of the match in the 3rd minute. The move ended when the half-cleared ball was fired high over the bar. A minute later Russell fired into the side netting as the Dons made a shaky start. Aluko caused the home side some trouble after five minutes, but the Dons were unable to convert. Two minutes later a Miller shot was blocked before Aluko fired inches wide with his weaker left foot.

The game had opened up at this stage and play was raging from end to end. Fernandez won a free kick in the 10th minute and as the ball came into the box it looked as if Invincible handled before Russell slammed it past a protesting Jamie Langfield. The home side took confidence from the goal, but four minutes later Mulgrew won a free kick wide right and a Severin header was cleared as Aberdeen looked to level. Kilmarnock went close from their second corner of the match when a Russell header was deflected wide.

The series of corners was halted when Aberdeen broke forward but the threat ended when Mulgrew swung a cross out of play after some good build up play. Kerr almost released Aluko in the 24th minute, but Rascle was quick off his line to snub the threat. At the other end Diamond had to make a telling header to deny the home side a second goal. Two minutes later the Dons were unlucky not to level when McDonald headed a Mulgrew cross inches wide of the target with Rascle well beaten. A Dons corner on the half hour mark did produce an equaliser when a Mulgrew delivery to the near post saw Miller skilfully steer the ball past the keeper.

Langfield kept the Dons on level terms with a fine save from Bryson in the 35th minute and seconds later Pascali was booked for a foul on Miller. The subsequent Mulgrew free kick caused problems for Rascle and the ball was turned out for a corner. The Dons defence got themselves into a real mess in the 41st minute and were lucky to escape with just the loss of a corner. Two minutes later Considine was forced to scramble the ball clear as the Dons made a nervous end to the half.

Aberdeen started the second half positively with Diamond heading a Mulgrew corner over the bar in the 47th minute. Another corner in the 53rd minute was comfortably cleared by the home defence, but the play was certainly swinging from end to end at the start of the half. A clever turn by Aluko resulted in the Englishman having the legs taken from him by Wright. It could have resulted in a yellow but the referee settled for a quiet word. The resultant free kick was fired in by Miller, but the keeper punched the ball clear.

Gibson was cautioned for a blatant dive in the 58th minute and a minute later Lee Miller grabbed both his and Aberdeen’s second with a looping header after good build up play from Aluko and Mackie. The Dons were having a good spell now and Miller was close to claiming a hat trick in the 62nd minute but Wright intercepted a Mulgrew cross as the striker looked set to pounce. A minute later fine play by Aluko produced a cross that was cut out by keeper Rascle. Aluko should have made it three a minute later when he beat several defenders, rounded the keeper and hit the post when he really should have scored despite two defenders being on the line.

Seconds later Miller controlled a ball over the top before the keeper comfortably held his shot. At the other end Kilmarnock won a corner, but were unable to threaten. Considine was cautioned in the 66th minute as he conceded a free kick in a dangerous area. Fortunately Willie Gibson made a real mess of his effort. Kilmarnock went closer in the 71st minute, but great defending by Considine saved the day as he beat two Killie players to the ball. Mackie, Diamond, Taouil and Fernandez were all booked in the 74th minute although it did appear to be a bit of an over reaction by the official.

A Severin shot went wildly wide then in the 80th minute Miller played a perfect pass to release Aluko, but the Englishman was controversially flagged offside. Mair replaced the injured Severin two minutes later before Kilmarnock went close in the 87th minute as Aberdeen were pushed deeper. Taouil took a blatant dive a minute later and for some reason the official failed to produce a second yellow. A weak shot by McDonald in the 90th minute was comfortably saved before the referee somehow found four minutes of stoppage time. Aberdeen held out for the win and now look forward to their Old Firm double header.