ABERDEEN overcame their jinx against PETERHEAD with a win against Neale Cooper’s side up at the Balmoor Stadium last night, but the result was far from convincing. The Dons found themselves 2-0 down at half-time to the Division 2 side but recovered through goals from Lee Miller, Sone Aluko and Michael Paton to record a hard fought 3-2 win.
Aberdeen boss McGhee was in Paris last night to sign up defender Reda Johnson and he’ll no doubt be working extra hard to secure Johnson’s signature, as Aberdeen’s only other match-fit central defender Andrew Considine picked up a back injury. With a European qualifier coming up next week, McGhee will want to make sure he’s got a settled side with a settled formation in order to make progress in the competition. What is amazing however is the fact that for the second season in a row, Peterhead have given Aberdeen, their glamorous cousins from down the road a real fright. Neale Cooper’s side finished in the top half of the table last season, and based on last nights performance look set for another bumper season.
CELTIC held on for a 0-0 draw against CARDIFF. I a near full-strength lineup, new signings Fortune and N’Guemo looked impressive throughout, but chances where few and far between. In a game with little to separate the sides, Celtic certainly had the better first half, while Cardiff probably had the better second half.
Another side that failed to score was HAMILTON, away at DARLINGTON. With James McCarthy watching from the stands, Accies had five trialists in the starting line up and Billy Reid made two triple substitutions in the second half as he looked at a variety of players and looked to give as many as he could a run out again. Richard Offiong had a chance to win the game at the end, but the game remained goalless. Accies will now travel to Ireland to complete their pre-season fixtures.
In a top-secret fixture which, as predicted, was not streamed live on the Internet, ST MIRREN got tanked 4-0 by Italian Serie A side CHIEVO. We’ve no idea who scored (does it matter, you’re not going to know them anyway or see them in a St Mirren strip anytime soon), but now that the official St Mirren site has officially recognised that a) the game took place and b) they lost, it’s enough to say that St Mirren only had 13 outfield players at their disposal in searing temperatures, so perhaps it’s not all bad. Gaffer Gus McPherson was really delighted with the game, apparently.
Of all the SPL teams on show last night, ST JOHNSTONE had the best evening. They came back from a goal behind to kick off their tour of Northern Ireland with a victory over DISTILLERY last night. After conceding a soft opener after only seven minutes, Derek McInnnes’ men, looking forward to their first season back in the SPL for seven years recovered through goals from Gavin Swankie, Liam Craig and Chris Millar.
INVERNESS CALEY THISTLE completed their pre-season preparations by defeating an impressive FORRES MECHANICS side in a friendly at Mosset Park last night. The 2-0 scoreline flattered to deceive, Forres apparently putting in a sterling effort to test Caley all the way. Trialists Daniel Stratford and Slovakian forward Robert Ujcik scored for the Caley Jags in a far from comprehensive win. New signing Robert Eagle started in midfield, while trialists Narius Bulvitis, Stratford and Slovakian attackers Ujcik and Jaroslav Machovec also started for Caley.
In a one-sided affair, DUMBARTON lost 5-0 to Championship side MIDDLESBROUGH, the gap between the two sides clearly proving a bit too much. Actually, surprising there where not more goals. Anyway, Gary O’Neil, Justin Hoyte, Jeremie Aliadiere and Rhys Williams scored for the English side. Dumbarton next face Stirling Albion at the Forthbank, though in light of the news that STIRLING ALBION chairman Peter McKenzie not only turned down an offer from the ‘Buy Stirling Albion’ organisation, but then went and put up the price, you’d wonder if that game will go ahead. Stirling are being chased by the council for unpaid rent, said to be around £50,000 and face an uncertain future.
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- The Ballbag’s Scottish Football Four to Follow
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Tags: Aberdeen, Celtic, Dumbarton, Forres Mechanics, Hamilton, Inverness Caley Thistle, Peterhead, St. Mirren, Stirling Albion