Dominant Dons Struck By Late RoPS Strike

It was going all too well for the Dons… 33 attempts on goal and 14 on target – were the stats of note in front of an impressive 14,377 crowd at Pittodrie – 30 of which were from the travelling Finnish support.

But, literally with the last kick of the game and a lapse of concentration in the Dons defence we gifted RoPS a costly away goal in a game that was dominated by Aberdeen.

Craig Bryson and Greig Leigh were ruled out for this one due to ankle injuries. New signings Ryan Hedges and Jon Gallagher started with Ash Taylor, James Wilson and Curtis Main all on the bench.

Niall McGinn also started and scored the opening goal for the Dons from a low Hedge’s left cross which McGinn picked up at the front post and he flicked the ball past Katz and lifted a shot over Reguero into goal.

A deserved opener and three minutes into the second half, it was a Gallagher Cosgrove link up that added the second. Gallagher put in a cross from the left and Cosgrove slid in at the front post to turn the ball into the back of the net to add our second in the 48th minute.

Aberdeen continued to pile on the pressure throughout the rest of the second half but deep into injury time, the Dons lost possession and Lucas Lingman slid a pass through to Tommi Jantti who put the ball passed Joe Lewis.

It was a sucker punch in a game that should have seen us kill it off comfortably 4 or 5-0 – we are now left with the prospect of a much harder proposition in the away leg next Thursday.

Talking point of the night though, man of the match and the impressive Jon Gallagher – he was lively throughout the game and put in a good shift – one to watch.

All-in-all this seemed to be a more rounded Dons team even at this stage of the pre-season preparations – dare we say it – an exciting season ahead?