Saints 0-1 Aberdeen
First Team

Saints 0-1 Aberdeen

20th August 2020

Saints 0-1 Aberdeen

A deflected Ryan Hedges goal in the latter stages of the match left Saints on the wrong end of a 1-0 scoreline at McDiarmid Park in Callum Davidson's first home match in charge this evening.

In a game of few chances, the match looked destined for a goalless draw before the deflection took the ball cruelly past Elliott Parish and sent the visitors home with all three points.


Callum Davidson made two changes from the weekend's 2-1 victory at Rugby Park with David Wotherspoon and Jamie McCart coming in for Craig Conway and Shaun Rooney.

And his side started brightly, controlling the early exchanges without creating too much in the way of chances.

David Wotherspoon had the first sight of goal on five minutes but after some nice work to create the space his goalbound effort was blocked by the Aberdeen defence.

It was Danny McNamara who came closest for Saints on 14 minutes, when his effort stung the palms of Joe Lewis as the Dons 'keeper turned the ball away for a corner.

Callum Hendry saw his shot crash off the woodwork on 21 minutes but referee Willie Collum had already blown for a foul in the box.

Ojo came close for Aberdeen on 37 minutes when he connected with a Johnny Hayes cross but his effort crept just wide of Elliott Parish's right-hand post.

Goalless at the interval, Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes made a double change during the break with ex-Saints man Matty Kennedy and Connor McLennan entering the action in place of Ronnie Hernandez and Dean Campbell.

Chances were still hard to come by, with Callum Hendry and Liam Craig both trying their luck but not testing Joe Lewis.

Craig Conway was introduced in place of Hendry to try and find a breakthrough, while Isaac Olaofe also entered the action in place of David Wotherspoon.

On 79 minutes, Ryan Hedges came on for Niall McGinn and it was a substitution that proved to be the difference.

Three minutes later, Hedges saw his effort take a cruel deflection which took the ball past Elliott Parish and into the back of the net.

In a final roll of the dice, Saints boss Callum Davidson brought on Shaun Rooney and Callum Hendry for Danny McNamara and Liam Gordon.

Craig Conway tried his luck from distance in stoppage time but couldn't test Joe Lewis before Willie Collum brought the action to a close with the Dons heading back up north with all three points.


SAINTS: Parish, Kerr (c), Gordon (Rooney 85), McCart, McNamara (Robertson 85), Tanser, Craig, McCann, O'Halloran, Wotherspoon (Olaofe 74), Hendry (Conway 68)

UNUSED SUBS: Sinclair, Duffy, Ballantyne

ABERDEEN: Lewis (c), Hernandez (Kennedy 45), Taylor, Hoban, Hayes, McCrorie, Ferguson, Campbell (McLennan 45), Ojo (Bryson 69), Wright (Logan 84), McGinn (Hedges 79)

UNUSED SUBS: Cerny, MacKenzie, McGeouch, Ruth

SCORER: Hedges (81)

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