ABERDEEN 2 KILMARNOCK 1 Sunday 14 December 2025 William Premiership Pittodrie Stadium Attendance: 15,472 Referee: Ross Hardie
A rousing second half display, inspired by a magnificent blood and thunder performance from Graeme Shinnie, saw the Dons recover from a lethargic first half to win the game with an all guns blazing recovery.
There were two changes to the Aberdeen side narrowly beaten by Strasbourg on Thursday night, with Dante Polvara and Kevin Nisbet coming in for Dylan Lobban and Marko Lazetic, who were among the substitutes.
Kilmarnock lost 3-0 at home to Rangers last Saturday and made four changes with George Stanger, Tom Lowery, Brad Lyons and Tyreece John-Jules replacing Marcus Dackers, Greg Kiltie, David Watson and Scott Tiffoney.
It was a sedate start to the afternoon on a surface where a number of players were losing their footing in the rain early on. The first real action came as the physios had to run on after ten minutes, Mats Knoester and Lyons having a clash of heads in the Aberdeen area and requiring treatment. Both were able to continue.
Killie had the lead on 16 minutes with the first shot of the game. Topi Keskinen slipped on halfway, Brown collecting the loose ball and he threaded it through to John-Jules. The pass was nicely weighted, and he ran away from the defence to get in on Dimitar Mitov and dink a precise finish over the goalkeeper and in.
They nearly had a second on 24 as Polworth pirouetted beyond Adil Aouchiche to bend a shot just wide of the goal from the edge of the area, as the Dons struggled to get going.
On the half hour, a long free-kick came in through a crowd of players, hit Jack Milne on the arm and a penalty was given. VAR checked and rightly the referee to the monitor to rule it out.
Alexander Jensen had the Dons’ first shot on 35 minutes. Milne drilled a pass across the field and Jensen ran onto it on the corner of the box, catching it sweetly on the volley. It was a decent attempt but just too high as it flashed across goal.
A low cross from Jesper Karlsson reached Topi Keskinen on the far side of the area on 43, but his first touch allowed Killie to close him down and his shot was blocked.
He was closer two minutes later, a defensive header out dropping for him just inside the area, his fierce effort deflected wide. From Stuart Amstrong’s corner, Nisbet’s header was pawed away by the goalkeeper and Killie were on the break, Mitov spreading himself well to save from Anderson.
HALF-TIME: ABERDEEN 0 KILMARNOCK 1
Skipper Graeme Shinnie replaced Jensen for Aberdeen at the break and went hurtling into a tackle onto Killie full back Brown.
He nearly scored in the 48th minute, lovely football down the right between Armstrong and Aouchiche set Karlsson away. The cross set off a goalmouth scramble that eventually ended at Shinnie’s feet six yards out. Two jabbed efforts were both cleared off the line and Kilmarnock survived.
Stanger was booked on 51 for a shove on Shinnie who was here, there and everywhere, getting his side going at last.
A string of corners followed, the third almost bringing the goal after 54 minutes. Aouchiche pounced on another goalmouth melee as first Nicky Devlin and then Milne had a shot blocked, the Frenchman hammering a ferocious drive off the bar and away.
Deas was cautioned after 57 minutes for kicking the ball away, Lyons following him in for four minutes later for a hack at Aouchiche.
Killie’s goal lived a charmed life again on 62. Karlsson’s free-kick from 35 yards was straight at the goalkeeper, who surprisingly spilled it. Polvara was onto the loose ball but Oluwayemi was up quickly to make a fine point blank save to protect the lead. Oluwayemi was down to his right to field a low drive from Aouchiche a minute later.
Polvara made way for Lazetic on 65 as Killie brought on Kiltie for John-Jules. Brown was booked for time wasting after 69 minutes.
Good play from Shinnie again almost created an opening in the 70th minute, drilling in a low, near post cross, Oluwayemi bravely down at Lazetic’s feet to deny him. Keskinen was replaced by Kenan Bilalovic on 72 as Anderson was swapped for Dackers by the visitors. A late tackle from Lazetic saw him booked three minutes later.
The goal finally arrived on 79, a first strike for Bilalovic. A well played pass from Knoester helped Nisbet beat the offside trap down the left and his low cross was met by Bilalovic who produced a crisp first time finish from close range to level it up.
A swift counter-attack won Aberdeen a corner two minutes later. The first one was put behind for another, and from that, Lyons’ arm was raised and blocked a Lazetic header, again totally accidentally. A penalty was given, VAR reviewed and the decision stood. It looked a very harsh call. Karlsson took the kick and rattled it into the bottom corner to give the Dons the lead on 85 minutes.
Kilmarnock responded with a triple change a minute later, Brannan, Ethan Brown and Thomson joining the fray in place of Stanger, Lyons and Lowery.
Aouchiche was booked for time wasting on 88, Polworth booked for an off the ball swipe at Lazetic in the 93rd minute as the Dons managed the final minutes superbly. Seven games unbeaten in the league, 17 points bagged.
Aberdeen: Mitov, Jensen (Shinnie 46), Devlin, Knoester, Milne, Keskinen (Bilalovic 72), Polvara (Lazetic 65), Aouchiche, Armstrong, Karlsson, Nisbet.
Subs not used: Suman, Heltne Nilsen, Milanovic, Dorrington, Lobban, Kjartansson.
Goals: Bilalovic (79), Karlsson (85 (pen))
Booked: Lazetic, Aouchiche
Kilmarnock: Oluwayemi, J. Brown, Mayo, Deas, Stanger (E. Brown 86), Thompson, Polworth, Lowery (Thomson 86), Lyons (Brannan 86), Anderson (Dackers 72), John-Jules (Kiltie 65).
Subs not used: Beach, Tiffoney, Coughlin, Williams,.
Goal: John-Jules (16)
Booked: Stanger, Deas, Lyons, Brown, Polworth
