Main, Cosgrove and McKenna on Target For Dons

What a difference a week makes!

The fall out from the match last Sunday, was made up during our midweek match against Hamilton and this match against Kilmarnock at Pittodrie, as the Dons took six points in three games to maintain our fourth position in the Scottish Premiership.

Aberdeen made two changes to the team that defeated Hamilton on Wednesday.

Craig Bryson dropped out of the team after going off during the Hamilton match at half time with an ankle injury.  Curtis Main came in as his replacement.

Andy Considine was benched with Mikey Devlin taking his spot in the starting XI.

It didn’t take long for the Dons to get on the scoresheet, after Lewis Ferguson put in a fantastic cross, which Curtis Main picked up well and drove home the diving header from six yards out and into the back of the net.

Joe Lewis blocked a well taken drive from Rory McKenzie in the 17th minute.

Sam Cosgrove continues his scoring form, a put in his sixteenth of the season, after he picked up the ball from a Niall McGinn’s corner and he headed down the ball and it bounced into the net for our second of the day.

Joe Lewis was on hand again to block a header from Gary Dicker on the half-hour mark and he parried an Alan Power shot just before half-time that took a deflection.

Cosgrove went close again in the 50th minute after his 25 yarder crashed off the far post.

Sam went down with an injury in the 65th minute and was forced off and was replaced by Connor McLennan.

And Connor didn’t take long to make his mark on Kilmarnock, driving a powerful shot at Branescu, which was unfortunately blocked.

There was still a goal in this game and it came from a corner kick from McLennan, flicked on by Greg Leigh at the near post and Scott McKenna picked up the ball at the back post and fired the shot in from close range.

A fantastic end to the game, and a deserved win for the Dons at a dreich Pittodrie.

Derek McInnes told the club website following the match:  “To score three goals against a team like Kilmarnock who are normally very difficult to breach – they are a good side and have a good thing going – it is never easy against them.
“We go with a front two today.

“We had to try and impose ourselves on them. We had to take advantage of Kilmarnock’s challenges of not having any natural centre backs. They have got injury and suspensions and we had to try and impose ourselves there.

“At set plays we looked a real threat. In open play every time we got a cross in the box, we looked dangerous. We had the advantage of having two strikers in the final third.

“When you go with two strikers you don’t get that element of control and I thought that Kilmarnock showed how good a side they are.

“When we didn’t have the ball in the first half, they had far too much possession for my liking and they had a few shots. Joe makes a good save with his face. That was maybe a pivotal moment.

“I don’t think anyone could deny that we were the better team today. We hit the post; we should have had a penalty with Cosgrove in the second half after he gets wiped out in the bottom corner. It was good to get the third goal to add a bit of polish to the result.

“It’s good to get the three goals as well as the three points.

“Kilmarnock don’t lose too many and I am pleased we have managed to get that type of score line against them.”

“Curtis will do well.

“The difficulty we have is Cosgrove has come off the back of such an unbelievable season and started this season in the same form.

“We normally go 4-3-3 and it is difficult to get the two of them on the pitch at the same time.

“Curtis has been working away and waiting for his opportunity. He got his opportunity against Hibs and I thought he played well in the game until he got sent off.

“He has then got to sit and kick his heels for a two-game suspension, but he is bursting to do well.

“He is loving living in the area and he just wants to be a key player for us.

“There will be certain games where we can go with a front two and today was a game, we thought it was worth the risk.

“I spoke to Curtis in the dressing room after the game at Hamilton and I told him my thinking was going 4-4-2 with two strikers and to get himself ready for today.

“With Bryson’s injury being confirmed yesterday and not wanting to take the risk, it allowed us to go 4-4-2. Even if Bryson had been fit, I would have tried to find a way to get the two of them on the pitch.

“It is good that we know that we have that combination of striker play if required in certain games.”

“Sam is okay. He just felt that his groin was a bit tight.

“We were just debating as a staff which striker to take off. We were trying to go 4-4-2 when Dicker goes into midfield.

“That combination in midfield of Dicker and Power needed to be contained and we wanted to go with an extra midfielder in there.

“He probably could have played on, but we decided not to take that risk with his groin being a bit tight.

“Sam will be fine for next week as will Bryson, the game just came too quickly for him today.”

“(Lewis) had to pick and choose his battles in there with Kilmarnock playing with three midfielders.

“He couldn’t always go and make that contact and get on the ball as much as he usually does.

“You saw his influence a bit more when we went to 4-3-3. He had a good range of passes, his skills and his driving runs. His power in there, his tenacity in there is key for me and key for our team.

“You forget his age at times but he just getting better and better.

“I don’t think we lose the manner in which we did against Celtic if Lewis is in my team.

“He has had two sending’s off now. He does play that bit on the edge because he cares, and he is aggressive. He makes tackles and I want my team to make more tackles.

“We will try and get the balance right in between his work and going away with Scotland U21’s.

“He has played every game for me if he is available. I cannot leave him out and I don’t intend to.”

“The two results are great. There was a bit of scrutiny on us after Celtic. The players have done extremely well to win both games, with two clean sheets.

“It is just a start for us and hopefully we can go and get the third win in a row against Ross County next week and go into the next international break feeling a bit better about ourselves.”

Shay Logan said: “There has been a good vibe in training this week.

“There are good things happening at the club.

“We put in a professional performance and we got a solid victory.

“I said to Curtis before the game to go and get a goal.

“He scores for fun in training, but it is tough for him as well because he is up against Sam who is scoring left right and centre.

“I thought that he held the ball up well and he got us off and running with a great header.

“He is a very strong player. I think the formation that we played today suited him and he brought a lot to the game. I am buzzing for him that he scored because he is such a good guy.

“I speak to Sam all the time; I just want the best for him and all he can do is keep on scoring and keep putting in good performances. If he keeps doing what he is doing, he is going to have all sorts of eyes on him. I just don’t want him to go anywhere yet!

“Scott McKenna scored a rocket against them a couple of seasons ago. I think that was a one off because his shots are nowhere near it these days!

“I thought Cormack Park looked really professional. As a professional playing football, you want a base. Now we have got base it is somewhere we can call home. It is great to have our own training ground. Everything is right.

“We trained there yesterday, and it set us up for today and we got a good result.

“I have not scored in 54 games; it is always nice to get a goal. Hopefully I can score soon, maybe next week as I have a good record against Ross County. As long as the team are winning and getting the three points that is all that matters to me.”