TWO eye-catching second-half strikes from Ryan Hedges put Aberdeen into the play-off stage of the European Conference League – and a significant increase on the asking price should keen clubs south of the border come calling.

The free-running front man was in sparkling form as he ran riot against Iceland’s Breidablik in a Pittodrie thriller last night and made the £500,000 bid made for him this week from an unnamed English Championship club seem inadequate.

Blackburn Rovers and Middlesbrough are the front-runners for his signature and they will know that the Dons knew what they were doing by rejecting half-a-million pounds to allow him to leave.

The Dons now face Qarabag in Azerbaijan next Thursday with the 15,000 Pittodrie faithful, hailing manager Stephen Glass a hero.

They were keen to see their new-look team in live action for the first time since Covid forced football into the shadows, set eyes on summer signings Declan Gallagher, Christian Ramirez and Scott Brown, at least in the Dons’ colours, for the first time.

Aberdeen’s 3-2 win in the first leg of this third qualifying round had come at a price as the men from Reykjavík refused to capitulate when two-nil down with Ramirez’s second strike of the night, early in the second half, proving the winner.

The post-match comments of Oskar Hrafn Thorvaldsson, Breidablik’s head coach, last Thursday night in Iceland’s national stadium that he didn’t rate his side’s Scottish opponents highly, may have been regarded in the Pittodrie camp as gamesmanship, but it was clear from their attacks, particularly down the flanks, that last night’s visitors were capable performers.

Yet, it was Ryan Hedges who had the best chance of a tight first half. However, he contrived to fire his shot from 12 yards straight into the arms of Anton Ari Einarsson who, moments later had to deal with a fizzing strike from full-back Jack MacKenzie by turning it round the post.

And, when Lewis Ferguson slipped the ball through to Ramirez just before the break, the American’s effort lacked conviction and offered the Icelandic goalkeeper to save without too much trouble.

Glass, perhaps unconvinced by Aberdeen’s lack of cutting edge, or maybe concerned about retaining their first-leg lead, removed Gallagher and Dylan McGeouch at the interval and replaced them with Connor McLennan and Funso Ojo.

No sooner had the game re-started than Ojo, a born-again Don following his return from Wigan where he had been dispatched on loan for the latter part of last season, produced the spark Glass demanded.

His dribble down the left wing in the 47th minute took him to the bye-line before touching the ball back Hedges who, this time, made his shot count.

Suddenly, Breidablik looked ragged and weary and the hosts upped the tempo, albeit temporarily.

Their heads may have been momentarily bowed, but when they spotted a gap in the Reds’ defence just before an hour had been played and the ball was presented to Gisli Eyjolfsson, he was afforded time and space to deliver a stunning strike to beat goalkeeper Joe Lewis and once more give this tie an edge.

The Icemen had cometh and, as if a switch had been flicked, they found the electricity they needed, shrugging off an attempted retaliation by Hedges as he tried to find the net through Einarsson’s stomach, to press the Aberdeen defence.

By then, however, there seemed to be no stopping Hedges as the Wales
international’s enthusiasm and energy was palpable. He taunted the
opposing defence again and again and finished a superb manoeuvre as
Ramirez stunned a high ball into the Breidablik penalty area for his
team-mate to race in and smash it home for his second goal.

Aberdeen want to hang on to the former Barnsley attacker, but whatever happens potential suitors will know they will have to produce a hefty fee for his services.