ABERDEEN 1 KILMARNOCK 0 SPFL Premiership Saturday 22nd February 2025 Pittodrie Ref: Nick Walsh Attendance: 16,993
It was okay for Oday as Aberdeen’s new striker pounced in added time to give the Dons three valuable points and finally see off Kilmarnock in a game of few real chances.
Following the 2-1 win at Dens Park last weekend, there was just one change to the Aberdeen side, with Dimitar Mitov returning in goal and Ross Doohan on the bench.
Kilmarnock beat St Johnstone 3-1 at home last weekend and made just the one change also, Liam Donnelly replacing Kyle Magennis.
Bright sunshine greeted the sides as the Dons attacked the RDS in the first half. It was a confident start from the home side as they probed for an opening but it was Killie who had the first shot in anger, Mitov punching a Murray corner out to the edge of the area in the 15th minute. Donnelly had time and space to collect the ball but looped his shot well over the target. A couple of minutes later, Wales was booked for a foul on Pape Gueye.
Lyons forced Mitov into a sprawling save low to his right in the 21st minute, the goalkeeper pawing his shot from distance behind for a corner. It was a replica of the previous one initially, Mitov punching to the edge of the area, Donnelly collecting it, but this time his low shot back into the middle was flicked goalwards by Wright, Mitov collecting under the bar.
There was a good chance for Aberdeen on 26. Intricate play from Sivert Heltne Nilsen and Kevin Nisbet looked to have Topi Keskinen in on goal but the tenacious Deas defended superbly to crowd him out and clear the danger.
Ante Palaversa caused confusion in the 32nd minute, taking a corner and receiving the ball back before chipping a clever ball to the back post that dumbfounded everybody but drifted wide. He found himself in the book two minutes later for a foul on Wales.
The visitors won a penalty in the 36th minute, Donnelly skipping into the area before going down under challenge from Kristers Tobers as he got his shot away. The referee was eventually sent to the monitor and rescinded his decision.
Mitov restarted play by launching the ball forward into the Killie box. Jeppe Gueye and Okkels combined before Okkels created himself enough space to arrow his drive across the face of goal and into the far corner. Another VAR check followed, before the goal was chalked off for offside.
Lyons was booked in the 45th minute, catching Jack MacKenzie as he tried to cross from near the left corner flag. MacKenzie required lengthy treatment before returning, albeit gingerly.
HALF-TIME: ABERDEEN 0 KILMARNOCK 0
Nicky Devlin replaced the injured MacKenzie at the break. He took a real whack from Murray as he defended a cross at the back post in the 52nd minute. Devlin required some treatment on his shoulder while Murray required a yellow card.
Keskinen was firing a shot off at goal in the 54th minute, collecting a neat pass and trying to beat O’Hara at his near post. The goalkeeper made a good save to turn it behind.
Devlin needed more treatment after 64 minutes as the Dons prepared to make a slew of substitutions. This time, his race was run and he was replaced, along with Gueye and Palaversa, as Graeme Shinnie, Oday Dabbagh and Leighton Clarkson got in on the action.
Almost immediately afterwards, there was a horrible clash of heads between Nisbet and Wright that needed more tender care from the physios before they got back on their feet. Kilmarnock made their first change on 70, Anderson replacing Wales. Shayden Morris was Aberdeen’s last substitution, coming on for Okkels after 73 minutes.
Good close control from Dabbagh on the edge of the area almost created room for a shot on 75, before he eventually farmed the ball out to Morris. His dangerous cross through the box found nobody ready to take advantage.
On 81, Armstrong and Watson replaced Donnelly and Lyons for the visitors as Aberdeen started to set up camp in the Killie half, but without creating any real chances. They found one on 84, Clarkson picking out Heltne Nilsen’s run. He squared the ball for Nisbet, but his guided shot from a dozen yards thumped off the base of the post and away to safety.
On the break, Killie showed they were still in it, Mitov having to make a sharp save down to his left in the 88th minute, moments before Murray and Watkins were replaced by Kennedy and Cameron.
Into the first minute of added time and Aberdeen’s late pressure finally told. Clarkson’s corner from the left sailed across goal to the back post where Nisbet diverted the ball towards goal, Dabbagh lurking in the six yard box to turn it over the line. Pittodrie erupted.
The Dons still had five minutes to see out, which they did thanks to some strong defending from Tobers and Knoester.
ABERDEEN: Mitov, Jensen, Tobers, Knoester, MacKenzie (Devlin 46 (Shinnie 65)), Heltne Nilsen, Palaversa (Clarkson 66), Okkels (Morris 73), Keskinen, Gueye (Dabbagh 65), Nisbet. Subs not used: Doohan, Ambrose, Dorrington, Boyd.
GOAL: Dabbagh (90+2). BOOKED: Palaversa, Heltne Nilsen.
KILMARNOCK: O’Hara, Lyons (Watson 81), Wright, Mayo, Deas, Donnelly (Armstrong 81), Polworth, Ndaba, Wales (Anderson 70), Watkins (Cameron 89), Murray (Kennedy 89). Subs not used: McCrorie, McKenzie, Ramsay, Wilson-Brown.
BOOKED: Wales, Lyons, Murray.
