ABERDEEN 0 ST JOHNSTONE 1 SPFL Premiership Sunday October 11 2026 Pittodrie Ref: Ryan Lee Attendance: 16,706

With both sides struggling to shake off the rust after the three week break, the game was decided in favour of the visitors by the early VAR award of a penalty. Returning after the international break, there were two changes for Aberdeen from the side that drew at Easter Road. Ayoub Mouloua and Brad Lyons were handed starts, Toyosi Olusanya and Afeez Aremu starting on the bench. St Johnstone drew 1-1 at home to Falkirk before the break, and they made five changes for the trip to Pittodrie with Stanton, Foulds, Finlayson, Todd and Paton replacing Mitchell, Diabite, Campbell, Cotterill and Steven. It was a quiet start to the game, both sides looking a bit rusty after the break. The first bit of action came when St Johnstone claimed a penalty in the 10th minute, Fowler’s volley hitting Jack Milne’s hand from point blank range. VAR sent the referee to the monitor and a penalty was given. Fowler stepped up and sent Marius Muller the wrong way to make it 1-0. Milne tried to level things up on 17, coming onto a lay off from Kevin Nisbet, but his shot from 20 yards flew over the bar. Lyons needed treatment after McAlear caught him down the back of his right ankle after shoving him to the floor in the 25th minute. Lyons was eventually able to come back after a long wait on the touchline. Chris Cadden caused chaos in the Saints’ box with a low cross that pinballed off three defenders before dropping into the arms of Steward in the 29th minute. Steward had to be in more difficult action a minute later, Mouloua drifting a shot across goal towards the far corner, Steward clawing it away at full stretch. In the aftermath, Mouloua went down and required treatment, perhaps the consequence of a collision with Steward a few minutes earlier where he caught the goalkeeper’s shoulder on the side of the head. Back on his feet, he was clearly uncomfortable and was replaced by Lewis Smith. Aberdeen should have been level after 36 minutes, a superb ball forward from Lyons getting Nisbet behind the defence, but Steward stayed big and made the save. In the second minute of added time, Smith collected a knock down from Nisbet and wriggled into the box, his shot deflecting wide of the target as the Dons tried to find a leveller. HALF-TIME: ABERDEEN 0 ST JOHNSTONE 1 There was more urgency from Aberdeen on the resumption, winning a trio of early corners, but Saints were able to defend their goal, Connor Ronan coming closest with a rasping shot that was deflected over. Ronan was closer still on 51. Collecting a pass from Smith, his persistence took him deep into the box before he flicked a shot across the face with the outside of his right boot that drifted inches wide. A short ball back from Mats Knoester put the Dons in trouble a minute later, Muller having to come chasing out to clear. His kick cannoned into Paton and thankfully the ball ballooned away from goal and Aberdeen escaped. Findlay Marshall was next to try his luck, another one who saw his shot from distance deflected away as the St Johnstone box was a mass of blue shirts. A surging run from Milne took him deep into the opposition half before feeding Smith. His low cross into the near post was sliced wide of his ow goal by Finlayson. Paton made way for Cotterill on 59 minutes, Aberdeen bringing on Stuart Armstrong and Tony Yogane for Ronan and Marshall at the same time. A long throw from Nesta Guinness-Walker saw Milne flick a header across goal at the near post, but there were no takers at the back post in the 64th minute as the Dons continued to be frustrated. Two minutes later, good feet by Yogane gave him a crossing opportunity, Nisbet dummied for Cadden coming in behind, but his drive at goal was over the bar. Todd picked up an injury and was replaced by Todd on 67, Aberdeen taking the chance to give Hicham Mahou a debut in place of Guinness-Walker. Yogane was picked out the edge of the box by Smith on 72, but as he tried to shape the ball into the bottom corner, he didn’t get enough power on his effort and it was an easy save for Steward. A fine curling cross from Mahou in the 74th minute looked as if it had found Nisbet six yards out, but it skimmed the top of the striker’s head and was cleared by Steward, another great opportunity gone begging. Gullan and Campbell made their way into the action on 78, Stanton and Fowler replaced. Yogane drifted a cross to the back post on 82, Mahou heading against a defender before volleying the rebound into the side netting. Aberdeen were camped in the opposition half, the visitors were defending well, Steward making another useful low save from a Nisbet header in the 84th minute. A looping Armstrong free-kick from deep found Milne ten yards out in the 89th minute, but at full stretch, he headed over the bar. Aremu then came on for Cadden straight afterwards, Finlayson replaced by Mikulic. Muller was booked for dissent for suggesting St Johnstone might like to hurry things up at a goal kick as the three minutes of added time slipped away. FULL-TIME: ABERDEEN 0 ST JOHNSTONE 1 ABERDEEN: Muller, Cadden (Aremu 90), Milne, Knoester, Molloy, Guinness-Walker (Mahou 67), Lyons, Marshall (Armstrong 59), Ronan (Yogane 59), Mouloua (Smith 35), Nisbet. Subs not used: Klein, Happe, Olusanya, Mayo, Aremu. Booked: Muller

ST JOHNSTONE: Steward, Smith, Foulds, Finlayson (Mikulic 90), Alic, McAlear, Holt, Todd (Steven 67), Stanton (Campbell 78), Paton (Cotterill 59), Fowler (Gullan 78). Subs not used: Sinclair, Fotheringham, Schmidt, Chalmers. Goal: Fowler (14 (pen))