Aberdeen book European spot with comfortable St Mirren win

1 week ago 41

Aberdeen sealed 3rd spot successful the Premiership and a spot successful Europe adjacent play arsenic their 3-0 triumph implicit 10-man St Mirren allied to Hearts' gully astatine Ibrox enactment the Dons 4 points wide of the Edinburgh side.

On-loan midfield duo Leighton Clarkson and Graeme Shinnie had the Dons connected casual thoroughfare with first-half goals either broadside of Thierry Small's reddish card, and Shinnie added a 3rd aboriginal successful the 2nd half.

After a cagey opening, Clarkson opened the scoring from 20 yards arsenic helium curled an unstoppable free-kick past Trevor Carson astatine the adjacent station aft Greg Kiltie had bundled implicit Jonny Hayes.

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Much of the play was successful midfield, but St Mirren's Curtis Main and Alex Gogic some went adjacent with headers successful the abstraction of 60 seconds midway done the archetypal half.

But the Buddies were reduced to 10 men connected the half-hour arsenic Small's chaotic situation connected Dons striker Bojan Miovski near the North Macedonian striker stricken, and aft a yellowish paper was initially brandished by referee Don Robertson, a VAR cheque saw that upgraded to red.

Joe Lewis, Angus MacDonald and Mattie Pollock celebrate

Aberdeen were undeterred by Miovski's wounded and aft Carson parried a Luis Lopes strike, Ross McCrorie conscionable failed to get capable connected the follow-up to bushed the St Mirren keeper.

But they doubled their pb 2 minutes from the interruption arsenic Carson inexplicably scooped a Marley Watkins transverse into the aerial and Shinnie gratefully accepted the acquisition to motion location from adjacent range.

Shinnie was astatine it again 4 minutes aft the interval arsenic helium netted his second, a uncommon right-footed onslaught aft Ylber Ramadani's cutback, but again Carson should person done overmuch amended successful his effort to artifact the effort.

St Mirren threatened from a set-piece of their ain 20 yards retired but Ryan Strain's whipped effort was good held by Kelle Roos.

And Roos again stood steadfast aft a mix-up betwixt Angus MacDonald and Liam Scales fto Main successful down the Dons defence, but determination was nary mode past the Dutch goalkeeper.

Aberdeen were getting lax astatine the backmost against the 10 men and with 15 minutes near Roos was again called into action, this clip to bushed distant Mark O'Hara's curled effort from the borderline of the area.

Watkins and McCrorie passed up precocious chances to adhd a 4th for the Dons, but the hosts sent their fans location blessed with European shot adjacent play guaranteed.

What the managers said...

Aberdeen brag Barry Robson: "The astir important happening is however arrogant we are of the players," helium said. "You saw contiguous however well-structured we were and it's not casual to bash some sides of the crippled similar we privation to.

"Leighton has the prime that erstwhile helium puts the shot down, you deliberation it could beryllium a extremity and he's been a large portion of our team.

"Shinnie has the thrust and enthusiasm. A batch of radical get caught up connected passing, but the crippled is truthful overmuch much than that and helium brings that broadside of the game.

"We've got up to third, but we request to hold to spot wherever we're going to beryllium connected the European front. Success is large astatine the infinitesimal but we request to travel backmost successful the summertime and spell again."

St Mirren brag Stephen Robinson: "We were masters of our ain downfall. Credit to the lad (Clarkson) it was a fantastic free-kick to springiness them the pb and past the reddish paper comes from a rash decision. It's a pugnacious task from past connected in.

"It's a reddish card. I've not seen it backmost connected video but it looked a wide reddish paper to me. Thierry is an 18-year-old kid and he's going to beryllium a precise bully player. He's made a rash determination and been punished for it, but it's not the crushed we mislaid the game.

"It conscionable wasn't to beryllium tonight. I don't privation to overwrite what has been a fantastic season."