Aberdeen midfielder Leighton Clarkson says boss Jimmy Thelin’s strategy on how to break down rivals who sit deep is paying off.
Thelin’s Dons have reignited the season with only one loss – to Celtic – in the last 12 matches in all competitions.
Aberdeen landed a major boost in the fight to finish third in the Premiership by winning 1-0 against Hibs at Pittodrie.
Clarkson reckons third-placed Hibs, who are ahead of Aberdeen only on goal difference, travelled to Pittodrie with a plan to frustrate.
Aberdeen eventually broke down Hibs with a sensational volleyed winner by Kevin Nisbet in the 80th minute.
Tire them, move them, switch them
Clarkson reckons Thelin has a successful blueprint for breaking down opponents playing deep – but it requires patience from the team and fans.
He said: “We have shown in the last few months that when teams are sitting in we can break them down.
“But we have to be patient.
“I know the fans want us to attack as quickly as possible, but it doesn’t always work like that.
“You need to tire them out, move them, switch them, go over them and play through them.
“You might need to do any of these things and hopefully goals will come.
“We scored a goal late on against Hibs and that gave us a cushion.”
On-loan Millwall striker Nisbet netted a stunning goal to sink Hibs in the third-place showdown.
Hibs’ gameplan was to frustrate
It was the second successive game the Dons had scored a late winner.
Striker Oday Dabbagh, on loan from Belgian club Charleroi, netted in the 118th minute to secure a 2-1 extra-time win against Hearts in the Scottish Cup semi-final.
Clarkson said: “Hibs came up here for the set-pieces and to frustrate us.
“They did it from minute one, going down for a long time.
“Again, we stood firm and were really resilient.
“It was a game that we felt we needed to win.
“We didn’t get frustrated or take our foot off the gas.
“It didn’t matter what they were doing, it was more about us.
“At half-time, we said we were getting in to good positions, but the final shot or pass wasn’t really there.
“Sometimes you get games like that, but we were patient and thoroughly deserved the win.”
Aberdeen’s resilience and patience paid off when Scotland international Nisbet netted a contender for goal of the season.
Nisbet’s ‘ridiculous’ volleyed winner
Nisbet controlled a headed clearance from Hibs’ defender Rocky Bashiri on his chest at the edge of the box.
Then, slightly off balance, he unleashed a right-footed volley into the far corner.
Clarkson said: “The goal was ridiculous.
“I was right behind it and the way he has chested it when going down.
“And he has managed to get a good contact with the outside of his boot.
“It was a joke of a goal.
“It was a case of somebody grasping the game by the neck and pulling something out.
“As soon as we got that goal we knew we had something to hold on to and we managed to win it.”
Former Liverpool midfielder Clarkson has played a key role in the Reds’ recent revival.
Focus switches to trip to St Mirren
The 23-year-old has forged a strong and productive partnership with Ante Palaversa in the deep midfield two in Thelin’s 4-2-3-1 formation.
Next up for Aberdeen is an away trip to St Mirren on Saturday.
The Dons previous visit to the stadium saw the sensational 16-game unbeaten start to Thelin’s Pittodrie career end, in a game delayed due to heavy snow.
Clarkson said: “The Scottish Cup final is something to look forward to, but for now it is all about winning on Saturday.
“St Mirren away is always a tough place to go.
“We are not taking anything for granted.
“We will rest, recover and go again.”
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