Leighton Clarkson unleashed another wonder strike as Aberdeen bounced back from their Motherwell misery to pick up three points in Perth.
The Liverpool loanee executed a perfect 25-yard free kick after 56 minutes to separate the sides in a game the Dons bossed for large spells. Clarkson is already producing his own catalogue of goal of the season contenders after his thunderbolt blew away St Mirren at Pittodrie a fortnight ago. And this one was every bit as spectacular as he bent a right footed effort high into the top corner right in front of the large travelling Red Army. Andy Considine took centre stage pre-match against the side he left in the summer after 18 years and 571 appearances.
And the big defender took less than 20 minutes to make his presence felt as he went in dangerously high on Vicente Besuijen to earn himself the first booking of the match. After a 15 minute delay to kick off for a medical emergency in the stand, the away side had started on the front foot. Besuijen found space on the right and his cross looked perfect for Bojan Miovski to attack but the frontman got his timing all wrong and fluffed the header.
Moments later the Dutchman attempted the acrobatic but his bicycle kick fell flat as the ball bobbled wide. The Dons were getting plenty of joy down the right flank though and thought they’d gone ahead after 10 minutes when Miovski headed home a Johnny Hayes cross only to have strayed offside in doing so.
It seemed a matter of time for the Macedonian to get it right and he was inches away from connecting with a perfectly weighted low ball into the box from Leighton Clarkson.
Saints were working the ball well into wide areas and Kelle Roos smothered a low drive from Daniel Phillips before Theo Bair fresh aired a Jamie Murphy cutback.
The home side had certainly weathered the early Dons storm. For all their tidy build-up the Dons were yet to make Remi Matthews in the home goal earn his corn.
Liverpool loanee Leighton Clarkson was looking inventive whenever he picked the ball up in the Saints half and his 20 yard effort after 51 minutes just shaved the post. He was just getting his range.
Sixty seconds later he took the responsibility 25 yards out after Johnny Hayes was fouled. And with a flick of his right boot he bent an unstoppable effort high into Matthews’ top right hand corner.
The Dons’ tails were up again and Ross McCrorie stung Matthews hands with a 25 yarder which was pushed over the bar. The same player then volleyed just wide after a ball dropped on the edge of the box.
Miovski was denied by Matthews’ legs as Aberdeen looked to kill St Johnstone off.
And the need for that second goal was evident with eight minutes to go when Jamie Murphy danced through the Dons’ defence and saw his left footed effort brilliantly stopped by Roos’ left hand.
Aberdeen sub Shayden Morris was denied by a solid Matthews save in injury time but it didn’t matter as they comfortably held on. Here's 3 talking points from Perth.
CLARKSON CRACKER
This game was needing something special to separate the sides going into the second half and Liverpool loanee Leighton Clarkson produced it with a pearler of a free kick. Reminiscent of another Dons loanee from recent years James Maddison, the 20-year-old bent a right footed effort over the wall and into the top bin from 25 yards out to the left of centre. It was the icing on the cake of a superb performance from the midfielder who buzzed about the middle of the park looking to get on the ball and constantly probing the home backline. Two goals in three games and both of them absolute crackers. Goodwin looks to have found a gem to fill the Connor Barron void.
CONSI-DOWN
Eighteen years and 571 appearances went out the window as Andy Considine lined up against the club he’d spent every minute of his professional life with before moving to Perth in the summer. The manner of his departure from Pittodrie could have been handled better and the big defender looked like a man with a point to prove as he battered into Dons dangerman Vicente Besuijen twice in the opening 20 minutes - picking up the first booking of the day in the process. A shaky start for the 35-year-old but he settled into the game against to thwart the threat of Bojan Miovski. There was little he could do to stop Clarkson’s stunner though as the veteran ended up on the losing side.
RED REVIVAL?
A big three points for Jim Goodwin 's side after last week’s defeat at home to Motherwell stalled their early season promise. They were solid at the back with Kelle Roos producing an important save late on and Anthony Stewart and Liam Scales continuing to develop a relationship in the centre of defence. Clarkson was the pick of the midfield but Jonny Hayes, in his 300th appearance for the Dons, was a bundle of energy and attacking threat on one flank while Vicente Besuijen was a constant headache for Saints on the other. The Dons now have a chance to push on in a big three weeks with Livingston at home next before a trip to Ross County with the League Cup last 16 clash at Annan sandwiched in between. Then it’s Rangers at Pittodrie. Promising signs again but still early days for the Dons.
