The Aberdeen first-team had a weekend off in the Premiership due the League Cup final – which makes it the perfect time to review the performances of the NINE Dons who were in loan action.
It was a weekend of mixed fortunes by the Reds loanees, with one in particular, Alfie Bavidge, enjoying a break-out Saturday in the Championship:
Alfie Bavidge
It was a watershed weekend for Bavidge, 18, who bagged his first two Championship goals on his 11th league appearance for loan club Ayr United.
Sent on at the interval by ex-Aberdeen skipper Scott Brown with the score at 3-2 in Ayr’s favour after a bonkers first-half, Bavidge flew in to prod home on 60 minutes after former Don Connor McLennan’s shot (McLennan had already netted) was blocked on the line.
Then, on 70 minutes, a diving Bavidge nodded home a pinpoint Nick McAllister cross from the right to make it a double.
Afterwards, highly-rated Aberdeen Youth Academy product Bavidge – son of legendary north football striker Martin Bavidge – said of breaking his duck: “Scoring goals is my favourite thing to do, especially in a big game like this.
“Connor and Murph (Jamie Murphy) were trying to work a shot, and my idea was just to hang about the six-yard box if anything dropped and luckily it did.”
Bavidge has made three Championship starts for Brown’s side.
Ryan Duncan
Duncan, 20, played the first half of Queen’s Park’s 2-1 Championship defeat at Hamilton Accies, but was removed from the fray at the interval.
Now, in the final year of his Reds’ deal, Duncan has been used at left-back on his last two Spiders appearances, but has mostly been utilised in a more familiar left-midfield berth by his loan club, with one second-tier goal (against Dunfermline) to his name.
He’s made 21 appearances (five as a sub) overall for Queen’s Park.
Adam Emslie, Findlay Marshall and Dylan Lobban
Dons trio Emslie, Marshall and Lobban were all in the squad for Cove Rangers’ League One draw at Kelty, but only Emslie started.
It was 19-year-old attacker Emslie’s 14th third-tier start for Cove in an impressive league campaign where he has netted four goals and made three assists.
He also had the Granite City outfit‘s best chance to take all three points on Saturday, smashing the rebound from a saved Declan Glass effort off the Kelty crossbar in the 44th minute.
Emslie’s two Dons loan-mates were sent on in a 69th-minute double swap from Cove boss Paul Hartley.
Marshall, 18, was making a 17th League One appearance, of which eight have been starts, while Lobban, 19, was making a 10th league appearance for Cove (four starts so far) – it is worth noting Lobban’s loan at the Balmoral Stadium began a month later than Emslie and Marshall.
Blair McKenzie
McKenzie, 19, wasn’t in Montrose’s squad for their 2-1 League One win at Alloa Athletic.
However, the centre-half has made 10 third-tier starts this season for the Mighty Mo.
Cammy Wilson and Brendan Hamilton
Attacker Wilson, 18, played the whole game at Banks o’ Dee on Friday as loan club Keith went down 5-0 in the Breedon Highland League.
His fellow Aberdeen youngster Brendan Hamilton was out of action as loan club Inverurie Locos’ Highland League clash with Brechin City on Saturday was frozen off.
Richard Jensen
Finnish centre-half Jensen, 28, is out of action with Vejle Boldklub at the moment due to Denmark’s three-month-long winter break.
However, it has been a stuttering spell for the former Dons first-team regular at the Superliga strugglers, with The Press and Journal recently looking at Jensen’s time at the Danish outfit so far in depth.
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