Scottish Premiership
St MirrenSt Mirren1AberdeenAberdeen0

St Mirren 1-0 Aberdeen: Hosts claim first league win

By Stefan Bienkowski BBC Sport Scotland

St Mirren claimed their first Scottish Premiership win of the season with a dogged performance against blunt Aberdeen.

On a miserable day in Paisley Jim Goodwin's side frustrated their visitors with a solitary goal from Ilkay Durmus.

Derek McInnes' side struggled without striker Sam Cosgrove but had a strong second-half penalty claim denied.

Niall McGinn struck the post with just injury time left to play.

The results pushes St Mirren up to fifth in the league table as Aberdeen also sit on three points.

Aberdeen's slump continues

After a gruelling 2-0 defeat to HNK Rijeka in Croatia just three days earlier, McInnes' side would have been hoping for a more comfortable afternoon in Paisley. However, what they ended up getting was the complete opposite.

St Mirren had already shown signs of improvement the week before in a narrow 1-0 defeat to Hibs and when the whistle sounded to kick things off, it was Goodwin's side that took the initiative.

The breakthrough came just 13 minutes in to a wet and windy match when Kyle Magennis galloped down the right flank before cutting the ball across the Aberdeen box to an unmarked Durmus. The Turkish winger didn't wait around and calmly slotted the ball in to the corner of the net with his first touch.

With a goal in hand, St Mirren sat back and allowed Aberdeen to play in front of them for the remainder of the half. Yet, to the immense frustration of the Dons manager and fans alike, the travelling side's best chance came from a long-distance shot from Ryan Hedges that caused little bother for St Mirren keeper Vaclav Hladky.

Aberdeen were much better in the second half when the weather seemed to subside and possession took on a more threatening tone. Curtis Main fired a shot from distance just five minutes after the break, followed by a Lewis Ferguson header from close range five minute after that which forced an immediate save from Hladky.

The travelling side's best chance of a breakthrough came in the 62nd minute when a cross from Hedges smashed off the hand of Ryan Flynn in the St Mirren box, suggesting a clear penalty was on the way. However, referee Steven McLean saw nothing of it and waved play on despite clear protests from the Aberdeen players.

As the Dons grew increasingly desperate in the latter stages of the game, space began to appear for St Mirren to exploit and a cross from Paul McGinn almost drew a line under proceedings with 13 minutes to go when it connected with Tony Andreu's shoulder and bounced inches wide of the far post.

In the dying moments Aberdeen's frustration was compounded further. A hopeful cross into the box from Andrew Considine found McGinn at the back post with all the time and space to win his side a point, yet the winger swung at it desperately and watched the shot ricochet off the post.

Rash, desperate and ultimately not good enough, much like Aberdeen on the day.

Derek McInnes's record vs St Mirren

Man of the match - Gary Mackenzie

BBC Scotland's Chick Young at The Simple Digital Arena

All the man of the match candidates in this game were in St Mirren's black and white. Ryan Flynn in the middle of the park, big Jon Obika - an immediate cult hero with the support - and goalkeeper Vaclav Hladky were terrific.

But centre half Gary Mackenzie was Saints' giant in so many ways as he was at the tail end of last season. Just one thing though. The rolled up shorts tucked into the under slip players wear is not a good look.

'I'm just glad we were able to hang on and get all three points' - reaction

St Mirren manager Jim Goodwin: "We needed players in and it didn't quite happen as quick as we would have liked but the new faces have come in and added quality. The pleasing thing for me is that they're taking on board what I'm asking them to do in training.

"I'm sure Derek [McInnes] will be disappointed but Aberdeen are a terrific side and are still involved in Europe next week. We wish them well. I'm just glad we were able to hang on and get all three points."

Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes: "When you try and freshen the team up sometimes after an away European game, you're hoping you can get that freshness and impetus from the ones who come in.

"One or two maybe a looked a bit sluggish, like they needed the game, which goes against what you're trying to do. But you're trying to keep a squad happy and give everybody the opportunity, and I think one or two never quite took their opportunity. Second-half, we were relentless with our work, but it wasn't to be."

Line-ups

St Mirren

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 1Hladky
  • 2McGinn
  • 6MacKenzie
  • 5McLoughlin
  • 3Waters
  • 16Foley
  • 8Flynn
  • 7Magennis
  • 10AndreuSubstituted forBreadnerat 88'minutes
  • 11DurmusSubstituted forMcAllisterat 70'minutes
  • 9ObikaSubstituted forMullenat 75'minutesBooked at 89mins

Substitutes

  • 14McAllister
  • 15Baird
  • 18Mullen
  • 23Djorkaeff
  • 24MacPherson
  • 26Lyness
  • 38Breadner

Aberdeen

Formation 4-1-4-1

  • 1Lewis
  • 33VynerBooked at 61mins
  • 4Considine
  • 5McKenna
  • 3LeighSubstituted forWilsonat 87'minutes
  • 22OjoBooked at 78mins
  • 11Hedges
  • 19Ferguson
  • 15WrightSubstituted forGallagherat 62'minutes
  • 18McLennanSubstituted forMcGinnat 62'minutes
  • 9Main

Substitutes

  • 2Logan
  • 6Devlin
  • 10McGinn
  • 20Cerny
  • 21Gallagher
  • 24Campbell
  • 28Wilson
Referee:
Steven McLean
Attendance:
6,199

Match Stats

Home TeamSt MirrenAway TeamAberdeen
Possession
Home33%
Away67%
Shots
Home10
Away15
Shots on Target
Home3
Away4
Corners
Home3
Away9
Fouls
Home15
Away14

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, St. Mirren 1, Aberdeen 0.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, St. Mirren 1, Aberdeen 0.

  3. Post update

    Foul by Lewis Ferguson (Aberdeen).

  4. Post update

    Sam Foley (St. Mirren) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  5. Post update

    Attempt missed. Funso Ojo (Aberdeen) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.

  6. Post update

    Corner, Aberdeen. Conceded by Paul McGinn.

  7. Post update

    Niall McGinn (Aberdeen) hits the left post with a right footed shot from the left side of the box.

  8. Post update

    Lewis Ferguson (Aberdeen) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  9. Booking

    Daniel Mullen (St. Mirren) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  10. Post update

    Foul by Daniel Mullen (St. Mirren).

  11. Substitution

    Substitution, St. Mirren. Cameron Breadner replaces Tony Andreu.

  12. Post update

    Attempt saved. Ryan Hedges (Aberdeen) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.

  13. Substitution

    Substitution, Aberdeen. James Wilson replaces Greg Leigh.

  14. Post update

    Funso Ojo (Aberdeen) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  15. Post update

    Foul by Kyle McAllister (St. Mirren).

  16. Post update

    Jon Gallagher (Aberdeen) wins a free kick on the left wing.

  17. Post update

    Foul by Daniel Mullen (St. Mirren).

  18. Post update

    Attempt saved. Curtis Main (Aberdeen) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.

  19. Post update

    Attempt missed. Kyle McAllister (St. Mirren) left footed shot from outside the box is too high.

  20. Post update

    Corner, St. Mirren. Conceded by Scott McKenna.