Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin may have found his attacking trinity in Kevin Nisbet, Oday Dabbagh and Shayden Morris.
All three players played pivotal roles in the Dons’ Scottish Cup quarter-final win against Queen’s Park at Pittodrie on Saturday.
I expressed my hope the Dons boss could get more out of Morris as a starter in last week’s column and was delighted to see Morris put in a man-of-the-match showing after being named in the starting XI at the weekend.
Gothenburg Great Willie Miller has hit the nail on the end when it comes to Morris. He is a one trick pony but what a good trick it is.
Pace is such an asset in the game and Morris has it in abundance. But what Thelin has managed to get is an end product from the wee wide man.
In his first season at Pittodrie the former Fleetwood Town winger had no assists. In the last campaign he had two. Under Thelin he has four goals and 11 assists.
It’s a significant and impactful change to his game and just goes to show what impact some confidence can make to a player.
All he needs is to find the consistency to go with the undoubted talent he has but the cynic in me fears if he does that then the Dons might find it hard to hold on to him.
Dabbagh and Nisbet partnership looks promising
Oday Dabbagh is certainly benefiting from Morris’ supply and no wonder he is bowing and shaking the winger’s hand after Morris put both goals on a plate for him at Pittodrie.
I like what I’m seeing from the Palestine international. His movement is good, he looks sharp, and he has the canny knack of being in the right place at the right time.
When I’ve seen him in action he’s always close to the goal whereas Kevin Nisbet likes to hang back for any cutback if one of his team-mates gets in behind an opposing defence.
Seeing two strikers mix it up like that and providing two options for a player before he fires in a cross is paying off for Aberdeen.
Hopefully we’ll see Thelin persevere with the two forwards in his team as the early signs are promising.
Speaking of Nisbet, credit where it’s due, his contribution in recent weeks has been excellent.
His goal on Saturday made it five in the last six matches and it’s great to see the Scotland striker looking more like his old self.
He’s into double figures for the season now at Pittodrie and he too is looking much more confident.
That was epitomised by his terrific finish for the opening goal against the Spiders on Saturday. It was a superb piece of skill and a sure sign of a player who is enjoying his football at the moment.
Twin targets for the Dons
The most important thing though, is for the Dons to channel the performance and result into their league games.
There are four huge matches ahead before they return to Hampden for their Scottish Cup final.
Celtic are favourites to win the Scottish Cup and complete a domestic treble but if they don’t then the cup winners will secure guaranteed group stage football in Europe ahead of whoever finishes third in the Scottish Premiership.
Aberdeen need to have their eyes on both prizes just in case. If you’ll excuse the cliché, every game is a cup final now for the Dons.
Next three games will define what’s at stake for Caley Thistle
Inverness Caley Thistle can shape their destiny in the next three games after finally moving out of the bottom two in League One.
Alfie Bavidge’s last minute winner at Dumbarton all but ended the Sons’ hopes of catching Caley Jags on Saturday.
With the gap now a mammoth 21 points, and with Inverness having a game in hand, Dumbarton are not going to catch Inverness now.
But it was moving from ninth to eighth which really mattered for Scott Kellacher’s side, and Saturday’s 1-0 win means Inverness are finally out of the play-off position at the bottom of the table.
The next week will go a long way to not only putting Inverness on the road to League One safety, but also potentially in with a shout of mounting a late push for a promotion play-off spot.
The next three games for Inverness are all at home and I’ll be at all three, starting with Tuesday’s game against Stenhousemuir.
If Inverness take nine points out of nine they’ll be at least eight points clear of ninth placed Annan, if not more.
They even be a couple of wins away from the top four.
Given everything that’s happened at the club this season that would be bordering on the miraculous for the club and I’m sure the interim manager’s remit was to keep the club in the division when he was appointed.
But what a thrill it would be for everyone at the club to have a shot at going up after everything they’ve endured this season.
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