It’s been a while since Aberdeen took to the field, but tonight the lads get a chance of a nice runaround against a team that for most of the season has been below us in the league but which, largely through our own fault rather than their outstanding form, now find themselves above us, if only by a single point.
A combination of early Cup exits has meant we’ve not had too much to write about since our last exploits against Hamilton Accies on the 6th March. About the only thing worth mentioning about the game, other than the game marked Zander Diamond’s 200th appearance for the club (and what a way to celebrate, scoring the equalizer on 75 minutes) and the fact that the Dons where dismal was the low number of away supporters. According to some reports, only 450 turned up for the game, compared with last seasons fixture where we filled the away end at New Douglas Park.
It’s a(nother) sign, if one where needed, of the dissatisfaction with the current situation at the club. At the risk of depressing myself and the general readership I’ll not go into it again. If I was to take one positive out of it, it would be that the point salvaged at least means we still have a small chance of making into the top six.
Admittedly it’s an outside chance, but with Hearts losing on Saturday to Motherwell the gap between ourselves and sixth place remains only(!) seven points. We have two games in hand (this one tonight and Dundee United on Saturday) to claw back that difference, with the game on Saturday being interesting as Hearts are at home to Hibs in the second Edinburgh derby game of the season. Wins for Hibs and Aberdeen would certainly put the seagull back amongst the pigeons, and if St Johnstone would be so kind as to lose to Celtic at Parkhead on the same day, we’d only be 1 point of sixth place, and a hope of at least achieving something this season.
Our run-in, post the United game, includes a tricky away fixture at Ibrox, but after that, we’ve got St Mirren, Kilmarnock and St Johnstone (again) before the league splits, games where we could “easily”) salvage our season. Aside from Hearts, St Johnstone have probably the trickiest run-in to come, having to play Celtic, Dundee United and Rangers again before the end of the season, as well as Falkirk who by that time (if not already, hopefully) are going to make every game tough for their opponents as they fight for SPL survival.
Bizarrely enough (call it Karma), for a while I thought our biggest rivals for the sixth place is Kilmarnock. The Ayrshire side have done well to claw themselves back from the brink. Six points of the bottom may not seem much, but until the 2-0 home defeat at the hands of Rangers back on the 9th, the gap of 11 points (and only four games, meaning they’ll have to beat Celtic, Aberdeen and Hearts, unlikely somehow) has put them out of contention.
The last time the two teams met in Perth was back in February 2002 with Aberdeen inflicting a narrow 0 – 1 defeat upon the Saints in a Scottish Premier match. A full form-guide is here (albeit somewhat confusing and unpleasant on the eye) but in summary: Aberdeen have not lost in Perth since 2000, so if the form guide is anything to go by, it’s a safe three points for the Dons.
How do I see it? It’s going to be another tricky, clenched-arsed game, but what game isn’t these days? I reckon the Dons will pull it off – don’t ask me why, the planets are aligned or something. A narrow 1-0 win.
Phew. The games are coming thick and fast. We’ve only just recovered from Wednesday night and lo, here comes another batch of top-flight action. As I was saying to The Scottish Football Blog during their live-cast from the Motherwell-Rangers game on Wednesday, it was a strange evening altogether: Celtic picked up points, Rangers dropped them at time we didn’t think they would, United got pounded by a team at the bottom of the league and Aberdeen scored two goals. In the same game.