Aberdeen breaking records at right time ahead of cup final

On Saturday at Pittodrie Aberdeen FC put to bed two very unwelcomed records. Our come-from-behind victory against Hearts was the first in the League since March 2022. Just to put that into context Aberdeen had failed to win any of their previous 23 games when falling behind. It was also the first time since October 2020 that the Dons scored a dramatic injury-time winner to seal a victory. It was Aberdeen’s first win in eight games and a very welcome three points for an under-pressure Barry Robson, whose side was roundly booed off the park at the break having succumbed to Lawrence Shankland’s 20th-minute header. At this point in the proceedings, I feared the worst. The break came just at the right time not just for the players but the fans too, whose frustrations were starting to show. It was all so passive in the opening 45 minutes, and something had to give.

From the restart, Aberdeen went on the front foot. There was a new energy about the style of play that had been so lacking in the opening period. Like so many games before us, there was a sense of night and day. Why was the intensity so vacant in the first forty-five yet so evident in the second? It’s utterly baffling. Right from the restart there appeared to be a determination to do better, to get the fans back on their side you could argue. Jamie McGrath, who I think has been a fantastic signing for the Dons this season, refused to give up in the 53rd minute when he went down under a challenge just outside the box but had the foresight to battle on and play a pass to Bojan Miovski who finished superbly into the bottom corner for his 12th goal of the season.

If there was a determination about the equaliser the winning goal was all about spirit and tenacity. Skipper Graeme Shinnie robbed Kyosuke Tagawa of the ball deep into Aberdeen’s own third, which in turn freed Nicky Devlin to sprint down the by-line before playing a superb over-the-top ball for Duk to chase down. All Duk needed to do was draw Zander Clark in the Hearts goal before slipping a square pass to Leighton Clarkson who fired home from close range much to the delight of the home fans. If you ever wanted to know what the victory meant just watch Graeme Shinnie’s reaction on the full-time whistle as he falls to his knees with his arms reaching for the heavens. They know what it means. Achieving the result was massive for Aberdeen and Barry Robson but for the Dons to start mounting a serious challenge for third spot we have to find a level of consistency over 90 minutes. It’s not just that, Aberdeen needs to start putting a run of games together where points and performances are perfectly matched. Barry has to find a way.

I’m going to finish this column by offering support to a fellow Aberdeen fan who, after appearing on the BBC last week, was on the receiving end of some unjust and appalling abuse. Erin Grieve has appeared a number of times on my own YouTube channel ABTV to discuss the plight of the Dons and I have found her intelligent, forthright and versed on all things Aberdeen. She is a breath of fresh air. I cannot fathom why any fellow Dons fan would want to take to social media and offer up the type of bile that they did. I was ashamed and embarrassed. We are all entitled to our opinions no matter our gender. We are all football fans at the end of the day! Erin is more than entitled to her opinion given the hours spent following the Dons all over Scotland and beyond. Football is for everyone!

During my time in Australia last summer while working on the FIFA Women’s World Cup our esteemed panel of pundits was predominantly made up of current and ex-women players. I was not the least bit surprised to discover a work ethic that put them above many of their male counterparts who I have worked with previously. The attention to detail and insightful analysis made for some magnificent ‘on-air’ debates and discussions. Their research was methodical as it was detailed, and I came away from the studio most nights feeling very proud of the work that went before us. Let me ask you this, would you rather listen to Emma Hayes or with the greatest respect, Kris Boyd? I know who I would pick!