Dons v Hibs match report

Aberdeen came from a goal down to take all points from ten man Hibs in a battling Monday night contest at a drenched Pittodrie with a 2-1 victory. Scott Severin’s magnificent twenty five yard, left footed injury time strike moved the Dons up to fourth place and firmly on track for the manager`s aims for the season.

The conditions were to play their part as tackles flew in on the wet Pittodrie surface and Jones, Martis, Whittaker, Stewart and Thomson all received yellow as well as striker Chris Killen who received yellow then red for bookable offences on Russell Anderson and Gary Dempsey. The Dons themselves had Diamond, Nicholson and Foster entered into referee Kenny Clark’s book in a match that fulfilled manager Jimmy Calderwood`s plea for more excitement in the SPL.

Indeed, despite the commitment shown by both sets of players in the first half, it appeared as if the Dons manager was not content with the 0-0 half-time result and instructed his defence to gift Hibernian a goal straight from kick off to further liven proceedings. Zander Diamond lost the ball to Zemmama who squared to New Zealander Killen and he coolly fired past Langfield from twelve yards. Diamond was unfortunate that it was his mistake that had helped contribute to Killen`s goal tally as team mates Severin, Anderson and Langfield had all committed errors in the first half that had gone unpunished.

Calderwood would have been pleased by the response his players gave him as they immediately attacked Hibs in search of an equalizer and were rewarded on 55 minutes. Lee Miller, who had been searching for his first goal since March, converted Gary Dempsey’s pass from twelve yards with a sharp turn and shot to bring the teams level and instill a new belief that The Reds could go on and claim victory.

The Dons were given more hope after Chris Killen was sent packing for a stamp on Dempsey and from then on it looked like Aberdeen would have too much for their Edinburgh opponents and seal the match although the Hibs counterattack still looked dangerous.

The Hibernian caretaker manager Mark Proctor rang the changes in his team and looked happy to settle for a share of the points whilst Calderwood brought on teenage striker Chris Maguire for the effective Gary Dempsey with 13 minutes to go, hoping for a win.

The Dons were piling on the pressure with Severin coming close with a drive that shaved the post as well as a shot that brought a great save from Malkowski with a top-corner bound effort. The Dons also had decent penalty claims rejected as Martis appeared to bring Mackie down and Lee Miller also looked to be upended but Kenny Clark waved play on despite a long hard look.

As the three minutes of injury time were announced, it was Hibs who almost stole it with a Martis headed effort coming close. The Dons knew time was running out in a match that should have been sewn up and Scott Severin took some revenge on the Hibs fans, who had been tormenting him about his previous Hearts employment. Severin controlled the ball in the last minute of injury time, sidestepped the on-rushing Kevin Thomson and unleashed a shot from 25 yards that beat the Polish ‘keeper low to his left hand post, sending the fans into delirium and his team mates into a spontaneous huddle at the final whistle which came seconds later.

Jimmy Calderwood can now look forward to taking the Dons further up the table as injuries to Smith, Touzani, Byrne and Lovell relent and the fixture card pits his team against opposition that he must be hoping to take maximum points from.

Calderwood told BBC Scotland ‘It gives us confidence because we have beaten a very good Hibs team here tonight”. He then went on to say ‘We haven`t been playing well but we are right up to fourth place now and we have to build on this’.

Report by Jamie Thomson Cole