HIBERNIAN 2 ABERDEEN 0
William Hill Premiership
Saturday 1st February 2025
Easter Road
Ref: Don Robertson
Attendance: 16,533
Aberdeen’s grim run extended to 14 games without a win at Easter Road, a promising first 20 minutes undone by conceding a poor goal from a corner. From there, it was comfortable for the hosts with the Dons continuing to fire blanks in front of goal.
Following last weekend’s home defeat to St Mirren, there were two changes for the Dons with Sivert Heltne Nilsen and Slobodan Rubezic starting on the bench, Ante Palaversa and Alfie Dorrington coming in to replace them, Dorrington making the first start of his senior career.
Hibs drew 1-1 at Ross County last Saturday and they named an unchanged side for the game at Easter Road.
Aberdeen had the first shot of the game after Graeme Shinnie won the ball in midfield and sent Pape Gueye on the attack. He played the ball into the path of Leighton Clarkson, but his low shot from a dozen yards was easily dealt with by Smith in the fifth minute.
It was part of a boisterous opening from Aberdeen, Shinnie snapping away in midfield, Clarkson looking a threat, Palaversa prompting with some decent balls forward. The visitors were very much the better side in the opening 20 minutes, but couldn’t quite find a way through the Hibs rear-guard.
Hibs finally got into the Aberdeen area on 23, but two blocks in quick succession from Nicky Devlin and Topi Keskinen saw the ball behind for a corner. But from the ball in, Aberdeen were behind. Boyle’s delivery to the back post found Campbell who won the header all too easily, putting the ball back across the face, where Triantis was standing all alone to nod in from eight yards out.
Palaversa’s corner from the left looked as if it might be curling in at the near post on 35 minutes, Smith doing well to scramble the ball away as the Dons responded well to going behind.
Dorrington made a neat interception deep in his own half on 41, and from there went on a meandering run to the Hibs by-line only to find just Gueye in the box as he tried to cross, Hibs mopping up the danger.
HALF-TIME: HIBERNIAN 1 ABERDEEN 0
Within three minutes of the restart, Hibs had the ball in the net again. Chris Cadden, out on the right touchline, bent in a cross, Nicky Cadden ghosting in at the back post, completely unmarked, to head in off the bar. A VAR check for offside ensued before the goal was allowed to stand, doubling the hosts’ lead.
A good ball from Clarkson found Gueye in the box on 58 but as he tried to bustle his way through, two Hibs defenders converged on him to snuff out the danger.
On the hour, Peter Ambrose, Jack MacKenzie and Kevin Nisbet replaced Jeppe Okkels, Nicky Devlin and Topi Keskinen. Clarkson was playing in front of the two centre-halves now, the width coming from the full-backs. Hibs responded by replacing Gayle with Bowie on 62.
MacKenzie tried his luck from 25 yards after 65 minutes, Smith saving comfortably. Three minutes later, Bushiri sliced a clearance behind for a corner, but Clarkson’s delivery did not cause any real problems, until there was another VAR check for a possible hand ball as Bushiri went up to win a header against Ambrose. The referee went to the monitor but concluded there was no infringement. In the aftermath, Duk replaced Gueye and Hyeok-kyu and Miller coming on for Chris Cadden and Levitt.
Hibs almost sealed the game immediately thereafter, Boyle racing through on his own, but Doohan was quickly off his line to spread himself and made a really good save. From the corner, Triantis headed over at the back post. Bowie was booked for a foul on Palaversa after 76 minutes. Shayden Morris came on in the 84th minute as Aberdeen’s last change, Palaversa making way. Two minutes later, Nicky Cadden and Boyle were replaced by Obita and Hoilett.
Aberdeen produced some prolonged pressure in the 88th minute with good play from Duk and Jensen, the ball eventually coming to Nisbet’s feet eight yards out, but he scooped his shot over the bar as the side’s dismal run in front of goal continued.
Clarkson’s near post corner in the 90th minute found Ambrose’s run to the near post, but his glancing header went straight into the palms of Smith as the game headed into nine added minutes.
Bowie wasn’t far away in the 95th minute, but his shot from just inside the box was straight at Doohan after the Hibs man had created space with a clever turn.
HIBERNIAN: Smith, O’Hora, Bushiri, Iredale, Chris Cadden (Hyeok-Kyu 73), Triantis, Levitt (Miller 73), Nicky Cadden (Obita 86), Campbell, Boyle (Hoilett 86), Gayle (Bowie 62).
Subs not used: Bursik, Molotnikov, Kuharevich, Moriah-Welsh.
GOALS: Triantis (24), N Cadden (48)
BOOKED: Bowie
ABERDEEN: Doohan, Devlin (MacKenzie 60), Tobers, Dorrington, Jensen, Shinnie, Palaversa (Morris 84), Okkels (Ambrose 60), Clarkson, Keskinen (Nisbet 60), Gueye (Duk 72).
Subs not used: Ritchie, Heltne Nilsen, Rubezic, Boyd.
