ST MIRREN 1 ABERDEEN 0
Scottish Premiership
Saturday 3rd May 2025
The SMISA Stadium
Ref: Ross Hardie
Attendance: 7,587
A game of very few chances ended with the Dons on the wrong end of the one that was taken, Aberdeen having a first half goal chalked off by VAR and never being able to recapture the same attacking threat thereafter.
Aberdeen made two changes to the side that beat Hibernian 1-0 last Saturday with Alexander Jensen out injured and Pape Gueye starting from the bench. Into the side came Nicky Devlin, for his first start since 1st February, and Jeppe Okkels. Peter Ambrose returned among the substitutes, while Leighton Clarkson made his 100th start, in all competitions, for the Dons.
St Mirren twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with Rangers in Paisley last Saturday, and made just one change from that side, Caolan Boyd-Munce replaced by Oisin Smyth.
It was a bright start from Aberdeen, winning a string of early corners. From the second in the fifth minute, Clarkson’s cross found Ante Palaversa running into the box, his header blocked away by a defender. A third corner a minute later was met by O’Hara at the near post and his glancing header almost drifted into his own net. A fourth followed in the seventh minute and while the Buddies half cleared it, Clarkson got a strike at goal from the corner of the box which flew into the side netting.
Devlin went in the book on 13 minutes for a late challenge on halfway as the hosts gradually began to find their way into the game. Ayunga joined him there on 17 minutes for a hack at Graeme Shinnie. The Aberdeen skipper was the third to be cautioned, this one for a foul on Alebiosu in the 23rd minute.
On 25, the Dons had the ball in the net after some sustained pressure, with crosses coming in from right, left and right again. The conclusive one was from Clarkson on the right which reached Okkels at the back post to produce a fine first time finish from an awkward height. A lengthy VAR check followed and the goal was ruled out, with the ball flicking Nisbet’s hand as he jumped at the near post – Nisbet looked as if he had been knocked off balance by Gogic as the two went up for the ball, hence the outstretched arm.
The Buddies responded with an Ayunga shot from 20 yards, the ball swerving away from the far post as it flew across goal on the half hour. A St Mirren cross a minute later wasn’t cleared by the Dons, the ball dropping for O’Hara ten yards out, but Dimitar Mitov was sharply down to his left to make a good save.
Shayden Morris nearly opened up the home side on 33, accelerating past a defender and into the box, his dangerous looking cross deflected behind for a corner. Up the other end, Mitov was in action again three minutes later, keeping out a Mandron effort with some ease.
Phillips was booked for a shove on Shinnie as he was on the charge down the left in the 41st minute. Alfie Dorrington had to make a decisive intervention three minutes later, scooping the ball past his own post from Alebiosu’s cross with Mandron waiting behind him to slot in.
HALF-TIME: ST MIRREN 0 ABERDEEN 0
The Buddies brought on Idowu for Ayunga at the break, Aberdeen unchanged. Mandron was booked in the 47th minute, trying an overhead kick in the penalty area and catching Palaversa with his boot as he did so. Aberdeen made their first changes in the 55th minute Okkels and Clarkson replaced by Dante Polvara and Jamie McGrath.
The home side were in front on the hour. Phillips won a free-kick ten yards into Aberdeen’s half and the ball was hoisted into the box by O’Hara. From there, Mandron took the ball down on his chest leaning back and then poked a clever volleyed finish just inside the post, a well-taken goal, confirmed after another VAR check.
Topi Keskinen made way for Oday Dabbagh in the 66th minute, while St Mirren brought on Boyd-Munce for Smyth a minute later. A cross from McGrath caused confusion after 69 minutes, Hemming having to claw it away from the top corner at full stretch. From Shinnie’s corner, Mats Knoester glanced a header wide.
A good move from back to front by the Dons ended with a Morris cross blocked in the 71st minute, as the visitors looked to build up a head of steam. McGrath curled in a cross a minute later, Hemming punching clear before colliding with Nisbet.
O’Hara was replaced by Scott in the 79th minute as St Mirren made their third change. Pape Gueye and Fletcher Boyd came on for Dorrington and Palaversa in the Dons’ final changes in the 83rd minute as Aberdeen went hunting a goal.
John created an opening after 87, his angled cross giving Mandron an inviting opportunity but he glanced his header wide of the far post. McGrath started a fresh attack immediately, Gueye chasing after it and then trying to cut the ball back, but Gogic was able to cut it out at the near post.
The Dons huffed and puffed through added time, but they were unable to find a way through the well organised massed ranks of St Mirren defenders, Devlin having to prevent matters getting worse with a brilliant block from Scott’s shot as the hosts counter-attacked in the 96th minute. Mitov had to make a fine save from Idowu from the resultant corner, but the game was already gone.
ST MIRREN: Hemming, Fraser, Gogic, Taylor, Alebiosu, Phillips, Smyth (Boyd-Munce 67), O’Hara (Scott 79), John, Ayunga (Idowu 46), Mandron.
Subs not used: Urminsky, Iacovitti, Kiltie, McMenamin, Oseni, Tanser.
GOAL: Mandron (62)
BOOKED: Ayunga, Phillips, Mandron
ABERDEEN: Mitov, Devlin, Dorrington (Gueye 83), Knoester, Shinnie, Clarkson (McGrath 56), Palaversa (Boyd 83), Morris, Okkels (Polvara 56), Keskinen (Dabbagh 66), Nisbet.
Subs not used: Doohan, Milne, MacKenzie, Ambrose.
BOOKED: Devlin, Shinnie
