Turnaround against Hibs gives Aberdeen a shot at second place

Andrew Considine heads past Ofir Marciano to score Aberdeens equaliser at Easter Road on Saturday. Picture: SNS.

Despite the disappointment of losing an early goal, it took Derek McInnes’ men just over ten minutes to overhaul Hibs’ lead. The subsequent three points allowed them to move ahead of Kilmarnock in the Premiership table and left them only two points behind Rangers and breathing down their necks ahead of their midweek head-to-head.

But, as Aberdeen focus on efforts to secure their fifth successive runners-up spot in the Premiership, Hibs, who spent most of last season challenging for that position, have had to tweak their targets.

The loss of key players, a raft of injuries, disappointing form, behind the scenes unrest and the unseemly departure of manager Neil Lennon have all played a part in them being forced to reassess their ambitions as the points tally and the confidence levels suffered. Now they are immersed in a really tough battle to even make it into the top six.

Five points adrift of St Johnstone, with Livingston and Motherwell also determined to have a say in how things pan out come the split, the Easter Road team need a strong finish to the campaign but, instead of any points on Saturday, they were left frustrated. Oli Shaw had driven a shot beyond Joe Lewis in the ninth minute to lift the team and fans’ mood but, within three minutes, the fragile feeling of positivity had been tested when Andrew Considine headed past Ofir Marciano, below, to equalise and shattered when Gary Mackay-Steven completed the comeback in the 22nd minute as he and Stevie May embarrassed the Hibs defence following in a powerful Greg Stewart strike that Marciano was unable to hold. May’s shot was blocked but Mackay-Steven buried his effort.

For large spells in the match Aberdeen pulled the strings, dominating the play and setting the tempo as they went looking for the third goal to kill off the game.

Even when top scorer Sam Cosgrove and goalkeeper Joe Lewis were forced off with injuries, the home side struggled to contain or bypass their respective understudies, as James Wilson carved out several chances, while Tomas Cerny, making his debut, looked comfortable in goal, even when Hibs eventually threw on Ryan Gauld, Gael Bigirimana and Marc McNulty, who had been brought in to try to spark some life into Hibs’ season but had surprisingly been held back on the bench.

“We are frustrated,” said Hibs keeper Marciano, who had given his side a bit of impetus with a second-half penalty save from Mackay-Steven. “We didn’t make the most of our action up top plus, of course, with our defending. But we have to move forward and try to make it better in the future.”

The appointment of Lennon’s successor would seem to be vital in that but Marciano said it would come down to the players.

“In the last two and a half years, Neil really made a high standard for the club,” he added. “But I also believe it came from us as players. We have a really strong dressing room, really good professional players who really want to succeed.

“And I think, at the end of the day, this is what makes us a good team.”