Aberdeen 3 - 1 St. Mirren

A first ever Aberdeen goal for Pape Gueye, a first for the Dons since October 2022 for Vicente Besuijen, and a rather more regular strike from Jamie McGrath saw the Dons to their 200th win since the start of the SPFL Premiership as they extended the winning run to six of the best at the start of Jimmy Thelin’s first campaign at the helm.

There was just one change to the Aberdeen side that won 2-1 at St Johnstone on Monday night, Pape Gueye starting in place of Bojan Miovski, who was on the bench. Fletcher Boyd was also among the subs in place of Alfie Stewart.

St Mirren drew 1-1 with Brann in Paisley in their third qualifying round UEFA Conference League qualifier on Thursday evening and made five changes to their starting line-up. Alex Iacovitti, Dennis Adeniran, Scott Tanser, James Scott and Toyosi Olusanya replaced Jonah Ayunga, Oisin Smyth, Jaden Brown, Richard Taylor and Mikael Mandron, who all started from the bench.

Under sunny skies, it was a lively start to the game and the Dons had the first real break on three minutes. Shayden Morris exchanged sharp passes with Ester Sokler on halfway before a beautifully weighted pass from Morris got Sokler in front of Gogic. As he advanced on goal, Sokler took a nudge from behind and went sprawling on the edge of the box, but there was no free-kick despite the striker’s protests.

There were more calls on the referee on seven minutes as McGrath was sandwiched by Gogic and Rooney in the St Mirren box, but again the complaints were waved away.

Sivert Heltne Nilsen was booked after 13 minutes for a late challenge on Olusanya some 40 yards out, the danger coming from his own misplaced pass moments earlier.

The pace of Olusanya caused the Dons some discomfort on the quarter hour, accelerating away from Slobodan Rubezic as he chased a long ball, but the angle was against him and his shot flew harmlessly across the face of goal.

Idowu joined Heltne Nilsen in the book on 17 minutes after chopping Nicky Devlin down as he tried to bring the ball forward.

Gueye was on the gallop after 22 minutes, collecting a long ball from Graeme Shinnie out on the left. His first touch was good, giving him the chance to run away from the defender and cut inside, but ultimately the angle defeated him and he could only shoot into the side netting.

Shinnie went down for treatment on the half hour following an earlier tackle, but he was able to continue after a couple of minutes. Rooney became the third man to be booked following a real lunge on Sokler around the halfway line after 34 minutes.

There was a chance for Aberdeen on 38 as Sokler closed down Balcombe’s clearance, but the ball bounced wide of goal and though Aberdeen tried to rework it into a scoring position, they could only win a corner as Sokler had a shot blocked wide. But what a corner it was, Jamie McGrath’s delivery arcing over everyone to the back post, Gueye rising to guide his header into the gaping goal from three yards out, the first strike of his Aberdeen career.

With half-time beckoning, there was disaster for the Dons. An aimless long ball came in from Scott from in front of the dugouts for St Mirren. It bounced over Molloy, as Olusanya got in between him and Rubezic, just inside the six yard box. The St Mirren man got to the dropping ball and despite an initial save, he was able to bundle it through Dimi Mitov and in for the equaliser.

HALF-TIME: ABERDEEN 1 ST MIRREN 1

Smyth replaced Idowu for the visitors at the break.

Jack MacKenzie was on the run forward on 49 minutes to collect a McGrath pass, his low drive into the box deflected behind by Gogic, this corner coming to nothing. Four minutes later, Shinnie threaded the ball through the box from deep on the right but there were no takers in a red shirt.

There were on 55 minutes, as an emphatic finish from McGrath made it 2-1 to the Dons. Good work from Morris got the ball down, and it was fed out to Sokler on the right. He pulled it back into the area and a Morris shot was miscued across the box but into the path of McGrath whose first time blow curled around Balcombe and into the far corner.

St Mirren came back at Aberdeen, Scott drifting inside from the right and curling a shot at goal, Mitov up to save on 58 minutes. Tanser and Scott made way for Brown and Mandron on 64 minutes as the Buddies looked to change things up. Aberdeen responded with their own double change, Morris and Gueye replaced by Vicente Besuijen and Peter Ambrose three minutes later.

Mitov had to be alert to clutch a Boyd-Munce shot from distance after 74 minutes before MacKenzie needed treatment from the physios. While that was going on, Olusanya and Rooney went off for St Mirren, Ayunga and Bwomono coming on.

MacKenzie and Besuijen combined down the left on 78. MacKenzie squared a low cross that reached Sokler, but his drive at goal took a thick deflection and looped up just over the bar.

Nicky Devlin was booked for time wasting with ten minutes to go as he tried to take a throw. There was little more need to run the clock down a minute later as Shinnie collected a loose ball, deep on the right flank and speared a superb first time cross through the penalty area that picked out Besuijen, stealing in behind the defence to plant a diving header beyond Balcombe at the back post.

Heltne Nilsen took a whack and needed the tender care of the physios after 84 minutes before he was able to carry on, but as we headed into added time, Richard Jensen entered the fray in his place. Bojan Miovski took the applause of Pittodrie as he replaced Sokler two minutes later in the last meaningful action of the day.

3 minutes added at end 1st half.
4 minutes added at end 2nd half.