Aberdeen made it seven wins on the spin as they ended a SEVEN-year wait for a Pittodrie victory with a 2-0 win to leave Rangers reeling ahead of their season-salvaging Scottish Cup semi-final showdown against Celtic at Hampden.
Barry Robson earned the biggest result of his time in charge of the Reds and on-loan Celtic man Liam Scales set them on their way to a famous victory that leaves his parent club just one victory away now from sealing their second consecutive Scottish Premiership.
Scales netted a stunner early in the second half before Bojan Miovski headed home for his 18th of the season and keep the Dons in pole position for third spot. Rangers dominated the first half but couldn’t make it count and they were made to pay but their hosts who hadn’t won at home to Gers since 2016 when Mark Warburton was in charge of the visitors and James Maddison scored a last-gasp free-kick stunner. Beale, with that huge Hampden showdown against Celtic next up, stick with the same XI who swatted St Mirren aside last week while Barry Robson replaced banned skipper Graeme Shinnie with Ylber Ramadani while Ross McCrorie took the armband.
On a wild, wet and windy day in the north east it was a frenetic start and it was the visitors who are so close to grabbing the lead when Fashion Sakala headed a deep James Tavernier cross to Alfredo Morelos who brought it under control with a couple of touches and his acrobatic effort was brilliantly cleared off the line by Leighton Clarkson.
Keeper Kelle Roos had his team-mate to thank on that occasion but the Dutchman was the saviour moments later with a huge save to keep the game deadlocked. Malik Tillman released Fashion Sakala who got away from Liam Scales and was clean through on goal but the Zambian was denied by Roos when he should have done better.
The best chances all fell to the visitors in the first half who dominated possession. A well-worked move involving Morelos, Tillman and Borna Barisic led to a shooting chance for the Croatian but he sent his angled drive off the outside of the upright.
Aberdeen hadn’t lost a goal from open play in a six-game winning run and Mattie Pollock has been a big part of that and the Watford loanee made a magnificent challenge as Nico Raskin pulled the trigger after a neat lay-off from Sakala.
Robson’s Reds struggled to find any rhythm and their best chances came from Gers mistakes. Ben Davies was guilty of a sloppy pass straight to Ramadani but the Albanian’s shot was saved by Allan McGregor. Tillman was then sloppy moments later to concede possession but John Lundstram was alert to snuff out the threat.
Those were the best opportunities for the Dons and Robson needed more from his men after the break. And he got it just two minutes after the restart as the Dons took the lead in spectacular fashion. Tavernier played a ball out of defence and Morelos was slow to react with Scales alert to nab it and he sent a 40-yard cross-cum-shot which dipped over the head of the despairing McGregor and into the back of the net.
Pittodrie erupted after that and eight minutes later they doubled that lead. Clarkson delivered a great cross and Miovski got ahead of Barisic to head home. It went to VAR for an offside check but the goal stood and the Red Army could finally celebrate.
Scott Arfield produced a two-goal late show to dig Gers out on their last trip to Aberdeen but this time Beale turned to whipping boy Rabbi Matondo, although Arfield was brought on later. The visitors still had chances but Roos pulled off a magnificent save to deny Tavernier and Matondo was clean through but struck the post.
Here's three talkings points from the north east:
Robson passes big test
Barry Robson has taken to management like a duck to water and has totally lifted the Dons. Much was made about the impressive six-game winning run but this was a completely different test. Aberdeen hadn’t beaten Rangers for five years and it was seven years and 10 games since they tasted victory at Pittodrie against their fierce rivals. So full credit to Robson, who came through the youth ranks at Ibrox as a player, who is in pole position to lead the Reds to third place. And few could have produced that before he got the job. His success has been built on a solid defence and it's now 10 hours and 31 minutes since they conceded a goal from open play.
Cup of fear
Rangers can count themselves lucky that Celtic slipped up against Motherwell 24 hours earlier because the picture would have looked much bleaker after this defeat. The league is gone regardless, but a 15-point deficit would have looked worse and few would have had any hope of a result against the Hoops at Hampden.
It’s still a tall order going into that Scottish Cup semi-final as they look to salvage their season and this will have dented their confidence. Michael Beale has a big job in picking up his depleted troops after only his second league defeat in charge of the Light Blues.
Frustrating Fashion
Fashion Sakala is always a threat with his pace but there is no doubt he lacks composure. The Zambian was clean through with only Aberdeen keeper Kelle Roos to beat but there is never real confidence that the striker is going to convert, even in situations like that where is the favourite. Roos made the decision to go to ground early on and if Sakala had delayed his shot he could have gone round the keeper. He isn’t clinical enough and while it was a good save from the Dons’ Dutchman he should have done better. Then again, if the ex Oostende man had that ruthless streak to go with his pace then he probably wouldn’t be playing in the Scottish Premiership.
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