Aberdeen U18 0 v 1 Hibernian U18 CAS Under 18 2024/25 Cormack Park Friday 11th April 2025
Summary:
Aberdeen U18’s suffered a tough 1-0 defeat to Hibernian at Cormack Park on Friday despite a strong showing of determination from the young Dons. The visitors came into the game two points behind Rangers and had to face a resilient Aberdeen side. The game began with both sides desperate to take an early lead with chances from Aberdeen’s Jack Searle and Hibs’ Logan Jimenez testing each other’s backlines.
The Dons went into the second half looking strong, getting the best of Hibs on multiple occasions to create dangerous chances that lacked the final touch. Despite this, Hibs’ Luke Davidson netted a powerful header into the back of the net moments before the referee blew for full time leaving the hosts devastated to be finishing the game with nothing to show for their valiant efforts.
Report:
Both sides looked keen to take an early lead with Dylan Ross making a lobbed pass from outside the box in the direction of Noah McDonell or Sam McLean, but neither could get their head to it. The Dons continued to pile on the pressure when Ellis Clark and Jack Searle linked up on the right wing and almost got in on goal, but Hibs’ Lewis Gillie got a touch to it and cleared it on.
It was then Hibs’ turn to have a go at taking the lead with Logan Jimenez forcing the Aberdeen backline to scramble the ball away from danger. Jimenez was back in a dangerous position when he cut into the box and moves the ball towards to Rory Whittaker who would then shift it in the direction of a waiting Zach Bruce whose shot was marred by a pressuring Aberdeen defence, the chance going over the bar.
After a frantic opening period, both sides eased into the game and looked unwilling to put themselves at risk of a counterattack and commenced a fierce midfield battle, Cooper Masson did well to squash a series of Hibs advances. Twenty minutes in, Searle made an advance down the wing and sent a great ball over the top and it took a diving Ryan Mallon stop to palm it out wide.
Owen Calder started to give the Dons a headache when he sent a ball in the direction of Jimenez who just could not get his foot to it thanks to pressure from Lewis Carroll.
Aberdeen had potentially the best chance of the half when Masson sent a great corner into the scrimmage and Dylan Ross rose to the challenge of getting his head to it and forced a difficult save. The corner that followed this led to another Aberdeen chance when Masson got on the end of a cross and had his shot saved. Moments before the half time whistle blew, Jimenez was found on the end of a long ball, but Vitols came off his line to pressure the striker into sending his shot over the bar bringing a goalless yet tense half to a close.
HT: Aberdeen U18 0 – 0 Hibernian U18
The Dons had early efforts from Jack Searle who had a powerful header cleared by Hibs’ Ryan Mallon. Searle was back at the Hibs backline minutes later when Zak To laid him up but had his effort deflected out wide.
Searle was not the only busy Dons player making strides going forward, Joseph Teasdale was making consistent runs around the visitors’ box, keeping the Hibs keeper under consistent pressure. Just past the hour mark Teasdale was found by Ellis Clark deep in the Hibernian box, but he takes his shot down the middle and into the clutches of Ryan Mallon.
Hibs began to push back with long balls evading the Aberdeen backline and creating trouble for Dons skipper Rodrigo Vitols between the sticks. Dean Cleland profited off of one of these lobbed passes and went one on one with Vitols but put too much of his laces behind the ball and could not get enough direction on the shot and gave up a goal kick.
With 15 minutes to go, Hibs started to ramp up their efforts to find a winner and one of their finer efforts came from a corner from Luke Davidson where the ball met the head of Logan Jimenez who blasted a headed effort low and into the hands of Vitols.
As the match started to wind down both teams were insistent on not conceding. The game looked certain to end as a stalemate but moments before the referee blew for full time, Rory Whittaker whipped a ball into the box from a freekick and found Luke Davidson who rose above the Aberdeen defence and tucked a clean header past Rodrigo Vitols to give the visitors a late lead and moments later, the three points that would send the visitors top of the league.
FT: Aberdeen U18 0 – 1 Hibernian U18
Aberdeen: 1. Rodrigo Vitols, 3. Dylan Ross, 4. Lewis Carrol, 7. Ellis Clark (12. Aaron Cummings, 74’), 8. Cooper Masson, 10. Fletcher Boyd (2. Oliver Green, 46’), 11. Joseph Teasdale, 14. Jack Searle, 16. Zak To, 17. Noah McDonnell, 18. Samuel McLean (9. Bradley Chikomo, 85’)
Unused: 20. Conner Douglas (GK), 15. Tristan Stephen
Hibs: 1. Ryan Mallon (GK), 2. Rory Whittaker, 3. Owen Calder, 4. Lewis Gillie, 5. Joseph McGrath (C), 6. Zach Bruce, 7. Dean Cleland, 8. Adam Buckley, 9. Logan Jimenez, 10. Josh McDonald, 11. Jamie McMurdo (12. Luke Davidson, 74’)
Unused: 13. Ellis McGurk (GK), 14. Arran McSporran, 15. Lewis McNeill
Goals: Davidson (90’)
