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Aberdeen hit by late sucker punch as St Johnstone claim first win of the season at Pittodrie

Christian Ramirez rues a missed chance at Pittodrie
Christian Ramirez rues a missed chance at Pittodrie

Aberdeen manager Stephen Glass urged his players to ignore the noise after going six games without a win.

It was impossible to ignore it as that run stretched to seven following this defeat to St Johnstone as the jeers rang out at Pittodrie following the Perth side’s 1-0 victory.

Aberdeen started the season looking like a well-oiled machine. As we head towards the end of September, it is in need of a service as it splutters and stalls.

The Dons boss made three changes from the side which lost 2-0 at Motherwell, with Declan Gallagher and Matty Longstaff dropping to the bench while Marley Watkins missed out due to injury.

David Bates came in for his first start with Austin Samuels and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas either side of Christian Ramirez in a front three.

Efe Ambrose made his debut as St Johnstone boss Callum Davidson made four changes from the team which lost to Rangers last week.

The visit of a Saints side still looking for their first win in the Premiership to face an Aberdeen team without a win in their last six matches in all competitions ensured this was going to be a competitive encounter at Pittodrie.

When it came to commitment, it did not disappoint. But moments of quality were few and far between.

It could all have been so different had either Ramirez or Emmanuel-Thomas managed to get on the end of Lewis Ferguson’s third minute ball into the box, but the two strikers just failed to reach the midfielder’s cross.

Those hoping the early chance was a sign of a free-flowing first half were left disappointed, however, as neither side managed to take control.

Saints stood firmly defensively and were eager to press Aberdeen’s backline when the opportunity presented itself. The Dons approach was to try patience and precision.

The end result was predictable.

Challenges were as fierce as they were frequent as Michael O’Halloran became the first name in the referee’s book for a stray elbow on Ross McCrorie. Emmanuel-Thomas joined the list following a foul on Murray Davidson before James Brown completed the hat-trick of first half yellow cards for a foul on Ramirez.

In between the cautions came a couple of half-chances and one of the clear-cut variety, but none were taken.

Aberdeen’s Scott Brown in action against St Johnstone’s Chris Kane

The best fell to Ramirez from a Calvin Ramsay corner, but the striker headed wide from six yards.

The two other chances were shared with Samuels supplying the only first half attempt on target with a shot from the edge of the box which deflected off Davidson into the arms of visiting goalkeeper Zander Clark.

Saints’ best chance of a goal before the interval fell to Callum Booth, but his curling effort from the edge of the box went wide.

The home side tried to increase the tempo after the break and Ramirez again just failed to connect with a ball into the box, this time it was Jack Mackenzie’s low driven ball which evaded the forward.

Emmanuel-Thomas’s looping header was easily held by Clark as Aberdeen continued to probe for a breakthrough before Davidson joined the list of players in referee Bobby Madden’s book for a wild swipe at Ferguson on the halfway line.

Aberdeen’s Jay Emmanuel-Thomas and St Johnstone’s James Brown (left) and Glenn Middleton compete for the ball

Jonny Hayes was sent on at the hour mark to aid the effort, but it was Saints who threatened as Joe Lewis was called into action for the first time to tip away a bouncing effort from Glenn Middleton.

Middleton did have the ball in the net in the 66th minute, but it was ruled out for offside.

Aberdeen’s failure to put the ball in the back of the net meant Saints’ confidence of taking a point from Pittodrie grew as the clock ticked down, but a hard-fought point turned to all three with six minutes remaining.

It was former Don Stevie May who did the damage against his old club as he came off the bench to fire a dramatic if unlikely winner.

It was so simple, too, as May cut in from the left past Calvin Ramsay before firing the ball low past Lewis from the edge of the box despite Dons substitute Gallagher’s efforts to block the shot.

It seemed to trundle, almost in slow motion, past the outstretched hand of goalkeeper Lewis into the bottom corner to leave the home side stunned.

Did Saints deserve to win? Probably not. But Aberdeen did not do enough to win this one either and they were punished again by another moment of poor defending.

ABERDEEN (4-3-3) – Lewis 5, Ramsay 5, McCrorie 6, Bates (Gallagher 74) 6, Mackenzie 5, Ojo 6, Brown 6, Ferguson 5, Emmanuel-Thomas (McGinn 66) 5, Ramirez 5, Samuels (Hayes 60) 5. Subs not used – Ritchie, Jenks, Campbell, Longstaff.

ST JOHNSTONE (3-4-3) – Clark 6, Brown 6, Ambrose 5, McCart 6, Rooney 6, Davidson 6, Wotherspoon 6, Booth 6, Middleton (May 69) 5, Kane (Vertainen 81) 6, O’Halloran (Crawford 60) 5. Subs not used – Parish, Muller, Craig, Devine.

Referee – Bobby Madden 7.

Attendance – 13,007.

Man of the match – Shaun Rooney.