ABERDEEN 0 ST MIRREN 3

SPFL Premiership

Saturday 25th January 2025

Pittodrie

Ref: Chris Graham

Attendance: 15,829

Aberdeen’s miserable league run continued with defeat at home to St Mirren, two cheap goals gifted to the Buddies in the first half leaving the Dons with a mountain they could not climb. 

After beating Elgin City in the Scottish Cup last weekend, there were five changes to the Aberdeen side with Graeme Shinnie, Leighton Clarkson, Jeppe Okkels, Topi Keskinen and Pape Gueye all returning to the starting XI. Ante Palaversa, Shayden Morris, Duk and Peter Ambrose were on the bench with Dante Polvara injured. Jack MacKenzie and Fletcher Boyd returned to the matchday squad, James McGarry missing out.

St Mirren won 3-1 at Queen of the South in the Scottish Cup last weekend and made two changes, with Richard Taylor and Caolan Boyd-Munce replacing Oisin Smyth and Alex Iacovitti. 

In the wake of Storm Éowyn, conditions were surprisingly good at Pittodrie as the day’s proceedings began with a minutes applause in memory of Jimmy Calderwood.

An energetic start from the visitors kept Aberdeen penned in early on, before a disastrous miscommunication at the back from the Dons gave the Buddies the seventh minute lead. A long ball forward over the top from Taylor saw Ross Doohan coming out of his area to clear, but Slobodan Rubezic got there first as he ran back. As Doohan came running out, Rubi’s header back went past his own goalkeeper, Olusanya nipping beyond them both to roll the ball into an empty net. 

Aberdeen were close to an equaliser on 14. Okkels’ low strike through a crowd of players forced Hemming into a low save to parry, but Gueye was quickly onto it, going round a defender only to find Hemming diving at his feet to smother the shot. 

There was more good play from Okkels a minute later, cutting inside from the left, slaloming past two defenders, but he didn’t fully connect with his shot and Hemming saved comfortably. It was Okkels again on 17, sprinting away down the left before playing in a dangerous ball through the six-yard area that had no takers. 

Okkels was having a field day down the left, and on 20 he combined with Alexander Jensen, whose cross reached Keskinen, Taylor blocking his effort at full stretch. Penman was booked on 22 for trying to rip the shirt off Okkels’ back, seemingly the only way St Mirren could stop him. Penman was replaced by Bwomono after 26 minutes.

It was 2-0 on 36, after Aberdeen looked like scoring at the other end. Okkels played a ball across the box which looked threatening, only for Taylor to intercept it and then set the Buddies off on the break. Olusanya looked second favourite but he turned on the afterburners and beat Rubezic to the ball and cut the ball back for Mandron, standing alone, to slot in from ten yards. Four minutes later, Alfie Dorrington replaced Rubezic. Keskinen was booked on 41 after he disagreed with the assistant referee.

A Dons corner in the second added minute forced Hemming into a save, a short corner routine between Clarkson and Okkels ending with Clarkson crossing into the box. Gueye won the header ten yards out, but Hemming clutched the ball easily enough. 

HALF-TIME: ABERDEEN 0 ST MIRREN 2

Kiltie came on for O’Hara and Ante Palaversa replaced Sivert Heltne Nilsen at the break and within 59 seconds, he almost had Aberdeen back in the game, pouncing on a weak clearance on the edge of the area, but his rising shot flashed just over the bar. 

Shinnie drove the side forward on 52, finding Okkels. His curling cross to the back post picked out Gueye but he put his header wide. In the aftermath, Hemming was booked for time wasting. Clarkson was replaced by Kevin Nisbet after 55 minutes. 

 A Palaversa free-kick from out on the left caused problems a minute later, Hemming having to tip the ball behind for a corner at the far post after it had eluded everyone. 

Another free-kick almost did the job on the hour, Nisbet stepping up to take to the left of the D from 25 yards, his direct effort arcing over the wall but clipping the top of the bar. St Mirren were still dangerous though, Olusanya taking an air shot at an overhead kick from eight yards out four minutes later. Bwomono was booked for a foul on Okkels moments later.

Aberdeen were close twice inside a few seconds on 69. Keskinen weaved into space and cut the ball back for Nisbet whose shot was well saved at the near post. The ball came to Jensen who shaped a shot across goal but just wide of the far post. Okkels and Gueye made way for Duk and Morris immediately afterwards in Aberdeen’s final changes. Morris quickly forced Tanser into taking a yellow card for a foul. Smyth replaced Boyd-Munce in the 72nd minute. 

Mandron sealed victory for the visitors in the 78th minute. He chased a long ball forward, accelerating away from the defence and letting the ball bounce twice before clubbing a first time shot across the face of goal and into the bottom corner from 18 yards out. The Buddies then had the luxury of replacing their two goalscorers, Mooney and Oseni joining the battle.

 Nisbet looked for a late consolation on 87, set away by a clever turn from Keskinen, but his shot at goal was saved by Hemming as the game petered out.

 ABERDEEN: Doohan, Devlin, Tobers, Rubezic (Dorrington 40), Jensen, Shinnie, Heltne Nilsen (Palaversa 46), Okkels (Morris 70), Clarkson (Nisbet 55), Keskinen, Gueye (Duk 70).

Subs Not Used: Ritchie, Ambrose, MacKenzie, Boyd.

 BOOKED: Keskinen, Duk.

 ST MIRREN: Hemming, Fraser, Taylor, Gogic, Penman (Bwomono 26), Boyd-Munce (Smyth 72), Phillips, O’Hara (Kiltie 46), Tanser, Mandron (Oseni 81), Olusanya (Mooney 81).

Subs not used: Urminsky, Kenny, John, Scott.

GOALS: Olusanya (7), Mandron (36, 78).

BOOKED: Penman, Hemming, Bwomono, Tanser, Kiltie.