A POOR refereeing decision, as has been witnessed on numerous occasions in the past week never mind this season, has a tendency to overshadow all other events.
So it was inevitable the aftermath of the first meeting between Aberdeen and Rangers in nearly five years – a Ladbrokes Premiership game which somehow managed to live up to all of the pre-match hyperbole – was dominated by just one incident.
Mark Warburton was incensed, with good reason it must be said, that match official John Beaton had awarded a free-kick to the home team in a dangerous area just outside his side’s penalty box after ruling erroneously that James Tavernier had fouled Jonny Hayes.
James Maddison, the 19-year-old who is on loan from Norwich City, promptly stepped forward and stroked an exceptional effort beyond Wes Foderingham and into the top corner from 25 yards out in the final minute to clinch a 2-1 win.
Television replays later showed conclusively that Tavernier had won the ball fairly. To lose to such fierce rivals is painful in any circumstances. To do so as the direct result of such a glaring error by the referee was hard to bear. So Warburton’s unhappiness was genuine and justitfied.
The narrow defeat left Rangers languishing in the bottom half of the table with just two wins in their opening seven games and propelled Aberdeen into second spot.
Yet, the hugely controversial denouement to this league outing masked the same old failings in the Ibrox club’s play which once again cost them dear. Their manager would do well to focus on them, not the referee’s blunder, in the coming days.
The Championship winners certainly retained possession for long periods of time and put their opponents under pressure with their constant movement and impressive tempo. But they lacked a cutting edge up front.
Joe Lewis in the Aberdeen goal swatted aside a Joe Garner strike which deflected off the outstretched leg of Shay Logan and also blocked a header from the striker in the first half. Those saves aside, though, he was rarely tested during the course of the 90 minutes.
The Championship winners have now scored just eight times in the top flight. Only Ross County, Partick Thistle and bottom-placed Hamilton have netted on so few occasions in the 2016/17 campaign. It is a problem which will have to be addressed, and quickly, if they are to halt their disappointing run of results.
Defensively, too, Rangers continue to toil. The opening goal was reminiscent of so many the Glasgow club have conceded both last season and this and must have been exasperating for their supporters to witness. Why, they are rightly asking, do their team continue to make such basic mistakes at the back?
Lewis shelled the ball upfield, Aberdeen striker Adam Rooney beat Rangers centre half Danny Wilson to it and sent Hayes through with a glancing header. The winger, playing up front as a striker, buried a shot underneath Foderingham. Just 22 seconds of the second half had elapsed.
“We dominated the ball first half completely, moved the ball really well, were brave and pressed a good quality team,” said Warburton. “We went in at half-time frustrated it was 0-0. Then we were undone by a schoolboy error.”
Warburton declined to single out any individual for criticism later on. But where was Tavernier when the home team’s best player waltzed in on goal unopposed? Posted missing. The right back was caught badly out of position, and not for the first time either.
The Englishman, like so many in his team, performed well by and large. But he is better going forward. That is something which has not been lost on top flight clubs in recent weeks.
It was ironic that a goal scored by playing Route One football – something that is anathema to Warburton – broke the deadlock given just how ineffective the neat passing interplay of Rangers had proved.
Derek McInnes, the Aberdeen manager, had made an inspired substitution at half-time when he brought on Maddison for the disappointing Peter Pawlett. His side looked dangerous on the counter attack after taking the lead with the youngster on the field.
Rangers levelled when Hayes brought down Lee Wallace inside his own area with just 12 minutes remaining. Andy Halliday sent Lewis the wrong way with a confident left foot shot from the spot. A draw would not have been an unfair outcome.
McInnes, who has transformed the patchy early season form of his side, urged caution afterwards amid the euphoria that broke out in the stands, but it was clear he was quietly satisfied with his week’s work with a League Cup semi-final spot having been secured with victory over St. Johnstone on Thursday evening.
His charges only had two days to recover – as opposed to the four Rangers had to prepare after their cup quarter-final against Queen of the South on Tuesday – which made their performance and triumph all the more remarkable.
“It’s only three points, but it’s good to beat a team of Rangers’ quality,” said McInnes. “It’s a good day for our football club. The club was at its best, full house, fans right up for the game. But it’s the same three points next week at Kilmarnock so we won’t get carried away.”
Beaton dished out nine yellow cards in a game which wasn’t nearly as bad tempered as it could have been. His readiness to book players for the slightest of infractions led directly to the highly contentious ending.
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