Killer touch evades lacklustre Aberdeen

Published on Saturday 28 February 2009 18:55

Aberdeen 0 Kilmarnock 0

With seconds left in Kilmarnock's 0-0 draw at Aberdeen, the Rugby Park star – himself a half-time replacement for Mehdi Taouil – was hooked in favour of Danny Invincibile and stormed up the tunnel, stripping off in the process. That act is likely to cost him wages, with Kilmarnock manager Jim Jefferies pulling no punches in his post-match press conference.

"I heard about Willie chucking his jersey away and it's not acceptable," said Jefferies. "It's an act of petulance that we don't stand for. I had good reasons for taking him off as we were under pressure and needed someone like Danny on to deal with that. Whether or not Willie thinks differently, I don't know, but he shouldn't have done what he did."

Funny that such an incident should occur on a day where very little else did. If watching the likes of Barcelona, Manchester United and Liverpool can turn on even the most impassive football fan, then games like this will turn off even the most ardent supporter. Aberdeen have ambitions of making it into the Europa League but few across the continent will be rubbing the hands at the prospect of watching them if this is the sort of fare they serve up.

Aberdeen can play better. A lot better. However, to the 11,457 souls who wasted their afternoon at Pittodrie, that was little consolation. A dismal no-score draw against a side who are toiling. Hardly the sort of display from a team who want to grab a European spot.

Kilmarnock have been tumbling down the league since the turn of 2009, amassing two points from a potential 21, while looking over their shoulder at the relegation battle. Yet they were, marginally, the better side yesterday.

Aberdeen did look lively early on, though, and again, the enigmatic talents of Sone Aluko were central to their inventive play. One run from the youngster came close to a seventh-minute opener only for Craig Bryson to clear.

Bryson was then involved at the other end as he tumbled in the box under the challenge of Aberdeen keeper Jamie Langfield. However, referee Dougie McDonald dismissed any hopes of a penalty by booking Bryson for diving and Aberdeen continued to press for a goal at the other end. They so nearly got it on 17 minutes as Darren Mackie played in Javan Vidal who drilled the ball just inches wide of Alan Combe's right post.

Kilmarnock were making very little progress but they did have a flurry towards the end of the first half, David Lilley connecting with a Jamie Hammill free-kick to head straight at Langfield.

Langfield had to be a lot more alert after the break as Kilmarnock began to up the ante. His instinctive reactions saved the home side on 51 minutes as Hammill found space on the corner of the six-yard box to strike, the keeper beating the ball away to safety.

Aberdeen striker Mackie then tried his luck from 20 yards but his tame effort was fired straight at keeper Combe.

In a game largely devoid of invention and ideas, the one bright spark was Killie's floating midfielder Hammill. He underlined his status as a rising talent in Scottish football last week with a goal in his side's 3-1 defeat to Rangers and he was again the one shining beacon in the Ayrshire side's ranks yesterday. He used his pace to outstrip Charlie Mulgrew on 57 minutes but his cross just evaded Kevin Kyle and Aberdeen again survived.

With referee Dougie McDonald under fire from the home crowd for his over-fussy approach, the chants of "You don't know what you're doing!" rung around the stands. On a day where skill was at a premium, perhaps those songs would have been better aimed at the players.

Certainly, for Aberdeen this was a poor afternoon's work. On this form it's hard to see them clinching a European spot with ease and even Aluko was losing his touch. So often the master of the unexpected, he tried to lob Combe from 20 yards but it was an easy take for the keeper.

Aberdeen's day was summed up when Jimmy Calderwood hooked Mackie to ironic cheers from the home crowd. Those cheers were so nearly turned to jeers moments later as David Fernandez slipped in Bryson and the Killie star cracked a drive off the post in what was to prove the best effort in a dull affair.

There was to be one final incident as Gibson stormed off to earn himself a fine from Kilmarnock.