Aberdeen did what they needed to do to get past Europa Conference League qualifying opponents Breidablik at Pittodrie.
The Dons’ solid performance to secure a 2-1 victory on the night – and 5-3 aggregate win – has now set up a challenging two-week spell which could also be hugely rewarding.
Aberdeen – playing in front of an unrestricted, and noisy, Pittodrie crowd for the first time since March 2020 – could have netted six or seven times last night with the amount of chances they created against the Icelanders.
It was great play by Funso Ojo, who has been a man reborn so far this season, to set up Ryan Hedges for the first goal Stephen Glass’ side did score.
The substitute boosted the Reds’ play when he came on at half-time and produced a great drive down the left flank, beating a couple of visiting players before squaring to Welshman Hedges to finish.
It wasn’t all plain-sailing and you could accuse Aberdeen of letting the Icelandic side back into the tie when they equalised on the night, but, ultimately, man-of-the-match Hedges then put the tie beyond doubt with quality strike from the edge of the area.
As I said, Aberdeen did what they needed to do to secure their spot in the Conference League play-off round.
Ojo aside, the young full-backs Jack Mackenzie and Calvin Ramsay shone once again for the Dons, as did Scott Brown, who cruised through the game. Every time the veteran got the ball, he found a team-mate, while also slowing the tempo and speeding the game up at the right moments.
I think the players are all showing they are up to match fitness now, having knocked both Sweden’s Hacken and then Breidablik – two sides well into their seasons – out of the Conference League.
They’ll need their fitness in the testing period which now awaits them.
They visit Raith Rovers in the League Cup on Sunday and I expect Glass and his coaching staff to make a lot of changes – similar to the win over Livingston – in the hope those players can get a result over the Championship outfit and keep one path to silverware alive.
Progress in the cup, while also protecting some of the Dons’ best performers ahead of Thursday’s play-off first leg with Qarabag in Azerbaijan, would be an ideal outcome.
I’d hope the Reds could get through the Stark’s Park clash without calling on the likes of Brown, Lewis Ferguson and Hedges.
The Qarabag match-up looks set to be a tough tie – and a draw in the first leg to take back to Pittodrie a week on Thursday would represent a good result and would leave Aberdeen on the brink of European group stage football.
Before the second leg against Qarabag in the Granite City, Glass’ team will first have to square off against Hearts at Tynecastle in the Premiership – another significant game as they are two of the three clubs currently sitting on nine points from nine after three league fixtures.
It’s a tricky couple of weeks ahead for Glass and his players, but I’m sure they believe they can come through all the games successfully.
St Johnstone done themselves proud against Turkish giants
Despite exiting Europa League qualifying at the hands of household names Galatasaray last night, St Johnstone done themselves proud over the two games.
As I’ve said in this column before, Callum Davidson has built a hard-working, honest Saints team with some talented players, like Ali McCann.
They were a match for the Turkish giants for more than 150 minutes of their two-legged tie.
Saints got a 1-1 draw in Istanbul, having led the first leg 1-0 at one stage, before equalising in the return leg to level the score on the night in Perth at one each – and bring the aggregate score back to 2-2.
Although Galatasaray’s strength eventually saw them run out 5-3 aggregate winners after the interval at McDiarmid Park, the result is no disgrace.
Having won both domestic cups in a phenomenal season last term, Davidson’s team’s showing against a side we’re more used to seeing in the Champions League the last two Thursdays has only served to underline their quality and team spirit.
The fans who packed into McDiarmid Park will remember last night for a long time, and Saints have further convinced me they will have another good campaign domestically, but let’s not forget they now join Aberdeen in the Europa Conference League play-off round. There could be more memorably nights in Europe to come.
Fascinating to see how Shankland fares for Belgian side
I was interested to see former Aberdeen youngster Lawrence Shankland take the next step in his career with a move to Beerschot in Belgium.
Striker Shankland, 26, couldn’t make the breakthrough at Pittodrie, despite starring in the youth ranks, and only played a handful of times before moving on to Ayr United in 2017.
Although his talent as a goalscorer was never in doubt, Shankland has since admitted he wasn’t fit or strong enough in his time at the Dons and dropping into the part-time game with then-League One Ayr United was the making of him.
In the years since, he has fired Ayr into the Championship and then continued to bang them in after his move to Dundee United, earning three Scotland caps and scoring an international goal along the way.
Having scored 40 times in 74 games for the Tangerines in helping them back to the Premiership, he has landed a move to the Belgian top-flight, with United receiving a fee for their talisman.
Beerschot, I understand, are currently struggling near the bottom of the division, but it will be fascinating to see whether Shankland can continue to find the net in a new environment on the Continent.
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