St Mirren dealt 10-man Aberdeen their third hammer blow in a week with a stunning 3-1 win after being awarded THREE penalties in a Christmas Eve cracker.
Stephen Robinson’s men only converted one of the three but still ran out winners, coming from behind to secure the victory with a Kelle Roos own goal after Mark O’Hara’s spot kick hit the post then the keeper and into the net. O’Hara scored the second spot kick, Jonah Ayunga then missed one and in injury time Greg Kiltie delivered the final blow from 40 yards with Roos stranded upfield after going up for a corner.
Saints were in action for the first time since the 1-1 draw with Rangers on November 12 but their visitors have packed in two matches against the Old Firm in the past week, losing both late in the matches and boss JIm Goodwin was looking for a response. What he got was plenty of endeavour but terrible defending that cost his side dear.
Of course, the fact that Goodwin was returning to Paisley for the first time since leaving for Pittodrie in February added a little extra spice to the occasion, and he made only one change from the team that conceded those two late goals to Rangers with Jayden Richardson dropping out to make way for Matty Kennedy. And it was Kennedy who sparked the game to life after eight minutes - smashing the post after cutting in from the right wing and then bulleting a stunning 25 yarder high past Trevor Carson 30 seconds later.
It really was a terrific strike and one that rocked Saints back on their heels but they responded well with a sustained spell of pressure that forced some last ditch defending from the Dons. The closest they came to levelling during that stage, though, was a volley from Ethan Erhahon after Kelle Roos had punched a long Declan Gallagher throw-in out to the edge of the box in the 24th minute.
Jonah Ayungu then fizzed a shot over the top after Ylber Ramadani had been caught in possession but in the 37th minute the big striker robbed Anthony Stewart on the edge of the box and was hauled down by the Dons captain. Nick Walsh sent Stewart off and after a VAR check on whether the offence was inside the box, pointed to the spot.
The drama wasn’t finished there. Mark O’Hara’s kick struck the post, bounced out, hit the diving Roos’ leg and spun back into the net for the equaliser. It got worse for the visitors five minutes into the second half when more dreadful defending gifted St Mirren another penalty.
O’Hara’s header into the box should have been mopped up by either Roos or Ross McCrorie but as they left it to each other, Main burst in and was clipped by Roos. A quick VAR check confirmed Nick Walsh’s decision and this time O’Hara buried the kick emphatically, low to Roos’ right.
Incredibly, Saints were awarded a third penalty in the 61st minute after McCrorie brought down Ayunga, and this time O’Hara allowed the striker to take it. He shot down the middle and Roos saved with his legs to keep Dons in the game. In the 74th minute they came within inches of levelling, Ylber Ramadani’s shot from the edge of the box thudding off the underside of the bar and out to safety.
Carson then kept out a netbound Jack Mackenzie drive with his leg as the Dons pressed hard for the equaliser. And they should have had it six minutes from time when sub Ryan Duncan somehow missed the target from three yards after Kennedy’s corner had eluded everyone in the packed penalty box.
In the fifth minute of injury time, Dons threw Roos up for a corner and it backfired spectacularly. The keeper actually got a touch but Saints hoofed it clear and from about 40 yards sub Greg Kiltie kept his cool to guide his shot into the unguarded net to seal a fabulous victory.
Here are Record Sport's three talking points
Shaking off the rust
St Mirren started like a team which hadn’t played a competitive match for six weeks. But after going a goal behind, they found their feet, knocked the ball around well, mixing it up with Declan Gallagher’s long throws into the box for Curtis Main’s aerial prowess to cause problems for the visiting defence.
Their pressing and energy was rewarded in the build-up to the penalty with Ayunga doing brilliantly to rob Stewart and win the spot kick and Main’s sharpness won the second penalty and they should have been out of sight but squandered their third penalty before clinching it in injury time. After such a long lay-off, Stephen Robinson would have been delighted with his team’s attitude and application as they moved to within a point of their visitors.
Three's a crowd
Three defeats in a row for Aberdeen now and the manner of this one would have stung Jim Goodwin as much as the two Old Firm losses because it was entirely self-inflcited. Goodwin’s decision to switch to a back three and operate Kennedy and Coulson in the wing back areas looked like being vindicated as early as the ninth minute when Kennedy rifled the Dons into the lead, but they were allowing St Mirren back into the game even before Stewart’s red card and subsequent leveller from the spot.
Not for the first time, the captain was guilty of being too slack in possession on the edge of his own area and he paid a heavy price for the foul on Ayunga that led to the red card. The second penalty was just as bad, McCrorie and Roos leaving a ‘nothing’ ball into the box to each other and although they got away with the concession of a third spot kick, it was nowhere near good enough.
Decisions, decisions, decisions
VAR official Steven Kirkland would have needed a lie down after this one but the new system worked today as a number of contentious issues were dealt with. All three of St Mirren’s penalties were checked out and from the first, which ref Nick Walsh appeared to have given as a free kick outside the box.
The offence which led to Anthony Stewart’s red card, was deemed to have been committed inside the area. Injuries and VAR interventions meant Saints had to survive eight minutes of time added on and ensured nobody in the bumper crowd of 7394 left early.
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