ABERDEEN 3 ST. MIRREN 3 Wednesday 3 December 2025 William Hill Premiership Pittodrie Stadium Attendance: 14,826 Referee: Steven McLean
An enthralling second half of six goals saw Aberdeen come from behind to twice lead the game, only to concede an equaliser deep into added time having gone down to ten men through injury for the last dozen minutes.
There were four changes to the Aberdeen side that won at Livingston on Sunday with Graeme Shinnie, Sivert Heltne Nilsen, Jesper Karlsson and Marko Lazetic on the bench, to be replaced by Alexander Jensen, Dante Polvara, Topi Keskinen and Kevin Nisbet. Kenan Bilalovic replaced Nicolas Milanovic among the subs.
St. Mirren lost 3-1 at Dens Park on Saturday and made three changes for the game with Conor McMenamin, Dan Nlundulu and Declan John replaced by Scott Tanser, Fraser Taylor and Jonah Ayungu.
There was a stiff breeze blowing across Pittodrie as the game began, the Dons attacking the Red Shed. A dangerous looking corner from Stuart Armstrong almost found Nisbet at the back post in the eighth minute, but the ball just drifted beyond him.
A good move involving Armstrong, Aouchiche and Jensen culminated in Keskinen bending a shot through the box and off the post on nine minutes. Aberdeen kept hold of the ball with Dylan Lobban, but from his cross, a stooping header from Aouchiche was straight at George.
A well worked corner gave Nisbet a chance on 21. Armstrong’s delivery was flighted to the far corner of the box where Nisbet was waiting all alone, but he pushed his sidefooted volley back across goal just wide of the target. Two minutes later, he headed over after Mats Knoester came marauding forward before crossing to the back post
Taylor was the first player to be cautioned, getting a card for a late challenge on Polvara on 28 minutes.
Keskinen was in on goal on 33, chasing a poor header back from Freckleton, but he couldn’t find a shooting chance before he was crowded out, the ball breaking for Nisbet whose shot was blocked behind by Gogic.
The Dons got away with one in the 36th minute as St Mirren had the ball in the net, only for the referee to chalk it off. Taylor’s ball in was not cleared by Lobban, his header going high in the air but back into the middle of the box. Dimitar Mitov came to claim, but spilled the ball under pressure from Tanser, who drove it into the net off Nicky Devlin on the line. Fortunately, the goal was disallowed for a foul on the goalkeeper.
Nisbet should have capitalised on that let off on 38. Lobban crossed a glorious ball in for the striker but at full stretch, from six yards out, he headed the ball back towards where it came from rather than at goal. Moments later, a low shot from Armstrong was pawed wide by George at his near post.
A long kick out from the keeper was flicked on and sat up nicely for Mandron to thump at goal from 20 yards after 42 minutes, Mitov away to his right to make a sharp save.
HALF-TIME: ABERDEEN 0 ST MIRREN 0
Baccus had the second half’s first opportunity, coming onto a loose ball from a St Mirren free-kick before blazing the ball over the bar from a dozen yards out. There was a VAR check for handball against Knoester, the referee sent to the monitor to look at it before giving the penalty, the ball catching Knoester. Fraser took the kick and sent Mitov the wrong way to put the Buddies in front after 55 minutes.
Two minutes later, Polvara took a pot shot from 30 yards that George saved at the second attempt as the Dons looked to up the tempo. Karlsson replaced Jensen after 59 minutes.
Karlsson and Aouchiche should both have scored in the 61st minute. Polvara played a defence splitting ball to set Keskinen on his way and he produced a precise pull-back for Karlsson. His shot was blocked by a defender but the rebound went straight to Aouchiche who stabbed the ball over the bar from the edge of the area.
Another snapshot from Polvara from 25 yards forced another sharp save from George in the 67th minute as Aberdeen looked to turn up the wick. Lazetic came on for Aouchiche a minute later.
The equaliser came in the 71st minute. Another fine corner from Armstrong caused chaos at the near post. George fumbled, Mandron tried to scoop clear, but it went straight at Polvara who smashed the ball first time into the net from the corner of the six-yard box.
Two minutes later, the Dons were in front. Armstrong’s corner was half cleared out to Karlsson and he put a low shot in at goal from 20 yards. George had it and spilled it, Lazetic following in to pick up the pieces and tapped in. The obligatory VAR check for offside followed before the goal was eventually given.
The visitors made four changes in the wake of the goals, Richardson, Baccus, Tanser and Taylor making way for Donnelly, McMenamin, King and Nlundulu after 78 minutes. Mooney came on for Mandron three minutes later.
There should have been a third for Aberdeen on 82 but instead, the visitors broke to make it 2-2. A ball to the back post gave Nisbet a great chance but he headed back across goal instead of trying to score. St Mirren took possession and launched it forward. Under pressure from Ayunga, Milne slipped and the striker was in on goal from there, drilling the ball through Mitov at the near post.
The Dons weren’t finished though. Armstrong got the ball out on the left flank and arced a glorious cross through the area, Lazetic getting himself free of the defence to prod in from five yards out. 3-2 Aberdeen.
Heltne Nilsen and Gavin Molloy joined the fray in Aberdeen’s final changes on 89, Armstrong and Keskinen making way. Molloy was immediately involved in a heavy challenge, both requiring very lengthy treatment before carrying on. Molloy went down again moments later and his race was run, the Dons down to ten men having used all three breaks in play to make changes.
Mooney wriggled into space on 95, Knoester producing a terrific block to deny the shot. But the ten men could not hang on, conceding an equaliser in the 99th minute. McMenamin stood the ball up to the back post where King was the most determined to get on the end of it, heading home from a tight angle.
Aberdeen: Mitov, Lobban, Devlin, Knoester, Milne, Jensen (Karlsson 59), Polvara, Aouchiche (Lazetic 68), Keskinen (Molloy 89), Armstrong (Heltne Nilsen 89), Nisbet.
Subs not used: Suman, Shinnie, Clarkson, Bilalovic, Kjartansson.
Goals: Polvara (71), Lazetic (73, 85)
St. Mirren: George, Fraser, Gogic, Freckleton, Richardson (McMenamin 78), Phillips, Baccus (Nlundulu 78), Tanser (King 78), Taylor (Donnelly 78), Mandron (Mooney 81), Ayunga.
Subs not used: Mullen, Dijksteel, Idowu, Sobowale.
Goals: Fraser (55 (pen)), Ayunga (82), King (90+9)
Booked: Taylor
