St Mirren Comfortably Defeat Aberdeen On Stephen Robinson’s Return To Paisley | OneFootball

Stephen Robinson’s return to Paisley as Aberdeen manager to face former club St Mirren ended in a chastening two-nil defeat for his side, who now face a serious battle to avoid the relegation playoff from the Scottish Premiership.

The match began at a blistering pace, with St Mirren immediately asserting themselves and taking control of the early exchanges. Liam Donnelly squandered two excellent opportunities within the opening ten minutes, both from Declan John’s deliveries. His first header was brilliantly saved by Aberdeen goalkeeper Per Kristian Bratveit, who was quick to palm the ball over the bar. Moments later, Donnelly’s second attempt, another header, struck the crossbar before bouncing out for a goal kick.

Mikael Mandron also came close to breaking the deadlock in St Mirren’s favour in the twentieth minute when he connected with another precise corner from John, but his header narrowly missed the target, flashing just wide of the post.

Aberdeen’s best moment of the first half arrived shortly after, as Marko Lazetic showcased his dribbling skills, weaving past two St Mirren defenders. His curled shot from the edge of the box, however, drifted agonizingly wide of the left-hand post, much to the frustration of the away side.

It was St Mirren who deservedly took the lead in the 40th minute. Jonah Ayunga reacted quickest to a loose ball at the edge of the Aberdeen penalty area, cutting inside with finesse before drilling a low shot past Per Kristian Bratveit and into the bottom-left corner. The goal capped off a dominant first-half performance from the home side, who were relentless in their pursuit of the opener.

Stephen Robinson responded to a lacklustre first half from his side as he made three half-time changes, bringing on Toyosi Olusanya, Kevin Nisbet, and Stuart Armstrong in place of Kenan Bilalovic, Marko Lazetic, and Topi Keskinen.

The changes sparked much-needed verve into Aberdeen’s play as they started the second half on the front foot, albeit without carving out a clear-cut opportunity before the hour mark.

In response, Craig McLeish made his own tactical adjustments, introducing Dan Nlundulu and Scott Tanser in place of Killian Phillips and Declan John. The double change aimed to inject fresh legs and attacking threat into his side as they sought to regain control of the match.

The second half descended into a scrappy contest as St Mirren defended resolutely, maintaining their shape and limiting Aberdeen’s attacking options. The ‘Dons best chance to level came in the final fifteen minutes, but Toyosi Olusanya’s header lacked conviction, sailing harmlessly over the crossbar without ever posing a serious threat to Saints goalkeeper George.

Things then went from bad to worse for Stephen Robinson and Aberdeen as St Mirren extended their lead with just seven minutes remaining. Alex Gogic rose highest to meet a driven Scott Tanser corner, powering a header past Bratveit into the back of the net. The goal effectively sealed the victory for the home side, as Aberdeen found themselves two goals down and with little time left to mount a response.

The goal was the icing on the cake for a disciplined and clinical St Mirren performance, lifting the Saints level on points with Aberdeen in ninth place. For the visitors, the defeat leaves them with just six games remaining to try and shake off their mid-season slump. Aberdeen now face an uphill battle in the final stretch of the season, with their hopes of a resurgence looking increasingly precarious as the clock ticks down on their campaign.

WFi player of the match: Alex Gogic (St Mirren) – Another commanding display from the Cypriot international topped off with a crucial goal.

Substitutes: Mullen, Richardson, King, Tanser, Idowu, McMenamin, Etete, Young, Nlundulu.