Hibernian 1 Aberdeen 2

3 August 2002
Scottish Premier League
Scorers:
Hibernian: Luna.

Aberdeen: Mackie, Clark.

This is a copy of a report of the game as it appeared in the Scotland on Sunday on Sunday 4 August 2002

Aberdeen show their team spirit

ABERDEEN laid down a marker that they are determined at least to replicate their form of last season and their fourth place finish as they grasped a dramatic victory at Easter Road with a goal seven minutes into added on time from substitute Chris Clark.

Although his team may have left Easter Road bloodied and battered with both Kevin McNaughton and Darren Mackie stretchered off, Ebbe Skovdahl will be delighted with their spirit which should give them a lift for their forthcoming European tie.

Ironically Bobby Williamson had been discounting Hibs pre-season form although it was obviously better to start off unbeaten, whereas Aberdeen were still smarting from a football lesson from a rather ordinary Rapid Bucharest only a few days ago.

As a result there was more fluidity to Hibs’ play in the first half as they took the game to a rather hesitant Aberdeen. The centre of their midfield, Roberto Bisconti and Darren Young, were left marooned in the middle of Hibs’ new diamond shape which had Derek Townsley operating in a holding position while Grant Brebner was in a forward position just off the front men Paco Luna and Gary O’Connor.

Brebner appeared to relish his new position. With his continuous forays into the box, Hibs always looked more likely to open the scoring as they played neat triangles, prepared to go through the middle, keeping the ball on the ground, whereas Aberdeen adopted the more unimaginative approach of bearing down the wings.

However, they were unable to get behind the Hibs defence until the second half and when they started to do so it was at an alarming rate as far as Hibs were concerned. Till then, though, Hibs were prepared to push up with Tony Caig, a surprise choice in goal, acting as a sweeper. Obviously the Hibs manager Williamson considers him better with his feet than Nick Colgan.

This was all well and fine until Aberdeen, under Skovdahl’s order at half-time, started playing the ball into the gap between the goalkeeper and the Hibs flat back four. Meanwhile, though, Luna and O’Connor had been pressing up on the Aberdeen defence with the slight Spaniard giving them a fright when he outjumped them in the seventh minute.

With Aberdeen on edge the nervous defence succumbed to a deft goal from Hibs in the 31st minute. O’Connor came deep to flick onto O’Neil with a man up his back and the captain slid the ball across Phil McGuire for Luna to pick up, drift across the defender and poke the ball in off Peter Kjaer as the goalkeeper stabbed a foot out.

However, Hibs’ formation was not quite the same again after Brebner went off with a head knock in the 42nd minute to be substituted by Jarkko Wiss. Meanwhile, Skovdahl must have maintained hope as his midfield kept plugging away, especially Darren Young, although the captain was in danger of picking up a yellow card as he over-eagerly committed a quick succession of fouls.

More importantly, Aberdeen were beginning to hold the ball. Now the question was what to do with it, and at the start of the second half they began to play it in earlier, catching Hibs moving up. Three times in as many minutes at the restart they broke through on Hibs, with Mackie unfortunate to be caught offside twice.

But when they equalised in the 63rd minute he had timed his run perfectly. Gary Smith was caught on the back foot with a long ball and could only get a toe to it as McNaughton picked it up and slipped the ball to his left for the unmarked Mackie to shoot past Caig.

This time Hibs’ defence had been stretched to the limit and the full-backs in particular were guilty of not tucking in. Aberdeen could have been excused settling for a draw as they first lost McNaughton with a neck injury following a collision with Alen Orman and then scorer Mackie.

As full time approached Hibs still looked the likelier team to steal it as substitute Tom McManus almost beat Kjaer from outside the box. But as the game drifted into added on time, Aberdeen found a second wind and first Bisconti scorned a chance before Hibs were punished for their inability to push up properly.

With seven minutes added on, Fergus Tiernan chipped the ball over McManus for Derek Young to whip in a low cross, and Clark seized the chance in the centre of the box as Hibs’ defence floundered again.

It was particularly satisfying for Skovdahl as it was the first time Aberdeen have won their opening match of the season in his spell at the club. A portent of the new Aberdeen may be that he put it down to stamina and commitment.

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