THERE was a burning sense of injustice in the air around Firhill last night following the blatant hand-ball from Adam Rooney that preceded Aberdeen’s first goal and permitted them to equal their best start to a league season since the days in which they used to go on and actually lift top-flight titles.
Thistle’s anger, as visiting boss Derek McInnes said himself, was perfectly understandable. For Aberdeen, though, there was no appetite for looking back at past events, no matter how recent.
It is what comes next that will offer the greatest sign of what their current collection of players is truly capable of after opening the season with five consecutive wins for the first time since 1984, conceding just one goal.
Celtic travel to Pittodrie in the first game back after the international break on September 12. The dust had barely settled on this match before that fixture became a conversation topic and the appetite for welcoming the champions to the Granite City is undisguised.
“Equalling that record is great,” said Kenny McLean, who ringfenced the points yesterday with his side’s second. “The manager told us about it during the week and it was a good incentive. It sets up the Celtic game. Our fans will be right behind us and we will look to win.”
Aberdeen failed to take a point from Celtic last term, but McInnes believes it can be rectified in less than a fortnight’s time by a squad which he believes has greater potential to go the distance.
“I think we are better equipped to deal with the demands of the season,” said the 44-year-old, who has also completed a deal to bring in right-back Ryan McLaughlin from Liverpool on loan.
“Celtic are a good side and will want to come up, give us a slap and put us in our place. It has all the makings of a great game for everyone. I think we have a squad that can get a result.”
For Aberdeen, David Goodwillie was the central focus with Niall McGinn, Rooney and Jonny Hayes operating behind and frequently switching roles. It was quite bamboozling at times.
Hayes and McGinn forced Tomas Cerny, the Thistle keeper, into a couple of straightforward saves, but chances did not come easily. Rooney, for a little while at least, was moved into a more central role at the start of the second half against a home defence that had lost Frederic Frans through hamstring trouble and it paid off following one or two rather difficult moments.
Two minutes into the second half, Thistle midfielder Sean Welsh released a shot that produced a fine save from Danny Ward. From Stuart Bannigan’s corner, Liam Lindsay moved onto the ball after it had broken off Mathias Pogba and should maybe have found the target rather than flashing his effort wide.
The opening goal would come two minutes later and leave the hosts spitting blood at referee Stephen Finnie.
McLean fired a shot into the area from the right that headed straight for Rooney rather than the goal. A matter of yards from the target, the Irishman attempted a first-time effort and saw the ball come up off his boot.
It struck his arm, but the officials were content to allow him to meet the ball on the bounce and tuck it past Cerny, sparking furious protests.
“I think everyone in the stadium could see it was a handball,” said Alan Archibald, the Partick boss. “I know I have said it is a grey area, but, if it precedes a goal or a penalty, the referee has got to give it. It came at such a pivotal point as we had started brightly in the second half. It will just go away, though.”
Despite the furore, Aberdeen deserved their win with McLean making it that little bit more emphatic on 58 minutes. A shot from Goodwillie was saved by Cerny low to his right, but the Czech could not stop the ball from landing in the path of the former St Mirren man and he notched up his fifth of the season with ease.
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