THE league race stutters on, officially at least, for another week, thanks to the sort of robust and assertive performance that Aberdeen must only wish they could produce every week.
Celtic’s 3-1 lunchtime win at Tynecastle meant that, thanks to their massively superior goal difference, they had all but secured the title before this game kicked off. But Aberdeen – who are now a mere 35 goals adrift of the champions, not to mention their nine-point deficit with three games to go – knew that victory here would not only postpone the definitive verdict on the title for another week, it would also give them a chance to keep the issue technically alive beyond the following fixture, as they visit Celtic a week today.
That proved sufficient motivation for them to demonstrate that, for all that they have faltered at vital points of the chase, they could still rise to the occasion when the pressure was on. An early penalty from Kenny McLean settled the nerves, a second midway through the first half from Niall McGinn cemented their dominance, and the rest was decoration.
“I’m just delighted with the performance,” Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes said. “To cement second spot with three games to go pleases me - and to do it with such a convincing performance. There were so many positives to take from today.”
One positive was the return of Adam Rooney after two months out with injury – although the first-half substitute had to be replaced himself after the break after feeling his thigh tighten up. “If I’ve redone it, that’s my season over,” Rooney said. The man whose place he took, Simon Church, could also be out for the remaining three games after picking up a knock.
The home team began with an impressive urgency, and took the lead with their first real attack of the match. Jonny Hayes won the award, darting past Louis Laing on the left of the area and then being brought down by the Motherwell man. McLean dispatched it, calmly scoring into the bottom right corner as Connor Ripley went the wrong way.
Twenty uneventful minutes later it was 2-0. A diagonal ball from McGinn put Shay Logan in space near the right corner, and the full-back’s outswinging cross was met by McGinn himself with a low, first-time shot that found the net from ten yards out.
In a move that was greeted as warmly as either goal, Rooney then came off the bench, and ten minutes into the second half he grabbed the third goal. Andrew Considine was unlucky to see his header come back off the bar after Ripley had got a slight touch, but the substitute was well positioned to seize on the rebound and turn it in from a tight angle to claim his 20th goal of the season on his 100th appearance for Aberdeen .
Motherwell pulled a goal back when substitute Chris Cadden’s shot was headed past his own goalkeeper by Ash Taylor. It was a glimmer of hope for the visitors, and the prospect of an unlikely comeback would have grown had Louis Moult been on target when through on Adam Collin instead of pulling his shot wide of the far post.
The home defence, previously composed, remained jittery after that let-off, but Hayes dispelled their worries with a fourth goal quarter of an hour from time. He had it all to do when confronted by Hall and Kieran Kennedy on the edge of the box, but squirmed free of the two big men before scoring with a low shot.
Motherwell’s woes were compounded by the late dismissal of Keith Lasley for a foul on McLean. Bobby Madden initially appeared to be content with a yellow card, but upgraded the punishment on the advice of his assistant. Motherwell assistant manager Steve Robinson was then sent to the stand for protesting too vigorously as a relatively demure encounter ended in discord.
“The fourth official was abrasive throughout the game,” visiting manager Mark McGhee said. “I was a bit surprised when the referee changed his mind [about Lasley], but he was entitled to.”
The result, as McInnes said, means Aberdeen have finally secured second place, seeing off a challenge from Hearts that had faltered in very similar fashion to their own fitful attempts to stay in touch with Celtic. But being confirmed as best of the rest can surely be no consolation at the end of a campaign in which they were chasing a higher prize.
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