KILMARNOCK 0 ABERDEEN 1

Wednesday 29 October 2025

SPFL Premiership

Rugy Park

Attendance: 5,118

Referee: Don Nicolson

A hard-fought clean sheet to back up Stuart Armstrong’s excellent first half goal saw Aberdeen to a third win in four Premiership games, and a consecutive victory on the road. 

Following the 2-1 defeat to Hibernian at the weekend, there were four changes to the Aberdeen side, with Dylan Lobban coming in his for his Aberdeen debut at right-wing-back. Also back in the side were Graeme Shinnie, Dante Polvara and Mareko Lazetic. Gavin Molloy, Kevin Nisbet and Adil Aouchiche were on the bench, with Ante Palaversa missing out. Kusini Yengi was on the bench in place of Alfie Dorrington.

Kilmarnock lost 3-1 at Rangers on Sunday and made four changes to their side. Tobi Oluwayemi, Ben Brannan, Zac Williams and Liam Polworth replaced Eddie Beach, Lewis Mayo, Jamie Brandon and Bruce Anderson.

It was a scrappy opening to proceedings, neither side really able to get on the ball in the early exchanges. After 10 minutes, a good ball from Lazetic looked to have put Alexander Jensen away through the middle, but his first touch allowed Oluwayemi to come off his line to smother.

The Dons had the lead after 18 minutes though. Jesper Karlsson drifted inside from the left and though his shot from 20 yards was blocked by Deas, the ball looped up invitingly for Stuart Armstrong to run on to, and he produced a clever finish, guided his shot into the pitch and up over the goalkeeper and just inside the far post for his first goal for the Dons.

Killie had a chance to respond a couple of minutes later but from a corner Dackers glanced his header over the bar, a warning for Aberdeen. Shinnie got the game’s first yellow card on 24, taking one for the team as Killie looked to break on halfway.

Lazetic followed him in on 31, slightly late as he looked to close down Deas. Deas took revenge on 33 as the two tangled on halfway. As they fell, he aimed a kick at Lazetic. Watson was also booked for dissent before Lazetic and Deas clashed again as the feud continued moments later and they received a stern lecture from a referee.

A lovely flowing Aberdeen move from back to front won a corner on 39, Devlin, Lobban and Armstrong all involved, Lazetic producing another sumptuous turn and pass on to Karlsson, only for Deas to cut out the final through ball.

Polvara had a pop at goal on 44, 20 yards out, Oluwayemi palmed the ball away, his defenders completing the job for him.

HALF-TIME: KILMARNOCK 0 ABERDEEN 1

Killie should have been level on 47, Thompson arcing a corner over to the back post where Deas had got himself free, but from five yards out, the goal at his mercy, he volleyed over the bar.

They did have the ball in the net three minutes later, but the flag was raised long before it went into the net, presumably for a foul on Mitov who needed prolonged treatment afterwards.

A surging run by Shinnie took him to the brink of the Killie box before he was floored by Lyons, who was booked for his trouble on the hour. Karlsson buried the free-kick into the wall. Killie brought on Anderson three minutes later, replacing Polworth.

Kiltie got a booking on 66, grabbing Lobban round the neck and throwing him to the floor as he tried to lead a counter-attack. Karlsson was booked a minute later for preventing Killie taking a quick free-kick. Stanger was in the book too for dissent after questioning the award of an Aberdeen free-kick.

This game was certainly not a classic but the Dons were doing just enough to keep the home side out.

Lazetic made way for Nisbet after 71 minutes in the Dons’ first switch. Killie responded with the introduction of Tiffoney for Kiltie.

Killie came close from a Thompson corner again on 74. Another ball to the back post was met by an acrobatic volley from Deas, but he was bested by a brilliant stop from Mitov from point blank range. Two minutes later, a clever flick from Dackers drifted only just wide of the far post as the Dons were under real pressure at this of proceedings.

Lobban was next to be carded for scything down Lyons as he tried to get away down the left on 78 minutes. Lyons then missed a glorious chance on 80, another Thompson corner causing havoc. Six yards out in the centre of the goal, he got the angles all wrong and the ball flew off his head and wide. Polvara was next to be booked a minute later for another desperate attempt to end a breakaway.

A double change came from Killie on 82, Williams and Lyons replaced by John-Jules and McKenzie. The hosts put the Dons under siege from there, but the Dons stood firm, Dackers reduced to a desperate dive in the 90th minute to try to win a penalty.

Six minutes were added, Mitov booked in the first of them for wasting time. It was one way traffic now, but Aberdeen were denying Kilmarnock any clear sight of goal, Mats Knoester producing two superb blocks in quick succession to deny Anderson and John-Jules. The Dons were home.

KILMARNOCK: Oluwayemi, Brannan, Stanger, Williams (McKenzie 82), Deas, Watson, Lyons (John-Jules 82), Kiltie (Tiffoney 73), Polworth (Anderson 63), Thompson, Dackers.

Subs not used: Beach, Brown, Magennis, Lowery, Schilte-Brown.

BOOKED: Watson, Lyons, Kiltie, Stanger

ABERDEEN: Mitov, Lobban, Devlin, Knoester, Milne, Jensen, Shinnie, Armstrong, Polvara, Karlsson, Lazetic (Nisbet 71).

Subs not used: Suman, Aouchiche, Keskinen, Clarkson, Milanovic, Kjartansson, Molloy, Yengi.

GOAL: Armstrong (18)

BOOKED: Shinnie, Lazetic, Karlsson, Lobban, Polvara, Mitov