Aberdeen v St Mirren talking points after Dons chuck away comeback win – twice

Aberdeen twice chucked away the chance to move within a point of the Premiership top-six – and three points off third – after drawing 3-3 against St Mirren at Pittodrie.

Substitute Marko Lazetic looked to have won the game in the 85th minute for the Dons with his second off the bench – after it already looked like Jimmy Thelin’s side had thrown away a comeback win.

Referee Steven McLean awarded the Buddies a penalty early in the second half after a VAR check for handball against Mats Knoester at a corner.

But Dante Polvara’s prodded finish amid corner chaos at the other end – the Reds’ first set-piece goal in the top-flight this term – and sub Lazetic’s quickfire goal had the home side 2-1 up… only for groans to ring round Pittodrie when Jonah Ayunga was allowed to pull the Buddies level.

With five minutes left, Pittodrie was in raptures when Lazetic lunged in to turn home Stuart Armstrong’s left-flank cross, but St Mirren sub Richard King netted at a set-play almost 10 minutes into stoppage time for the home fans’ frustration to return with a vengeance.

A night which could have been great for Aberdeen, had Falkirk been beaten by Motherwell – a result which, paired with a Dons win, would’ve got Thelin’s men into the top-half on Wednesday night – turned ugly.

Aberdeen Premiership set-piece goal comes (finally)

Thelin’s team were the only side in the Premiership without a set-piece goal this season. No longer.

It wasn’t pretty, but Polvara’s leveller –  after Mikael Mandron’s poor clearance and a battling showing from the American – looked to have come at a pivotal, game-changing moment for Aberdeen.

After a tenacious Dons first half without the scoring touch, which included St Mirren’s Scott Tanser having a goal chalked off for pushing Dimitar Mitov in the air just before he finished, the Buddies took the lead soon after the restart from the spot, and following a messy Aberdeen start to the second period.

However, Polvara put them en route to what at one stage looked like being a vital victory. One which was thrown away.

Subs help Keskinen and Dons look to have picked up vital victory

Finnish international Topi Keskinen’s emergence from his early-season funk continued against St Mirren.

Having scored in Europe against Noah last midweek, and then set up the winner off the bench at Livingston on Sunday, Keskinen told the press “it is good to get a goal and a few assists to boost up the confidence.”

Starting ahead of Karlsson on Wednesday in one of four Jimmy Thelin changes, the Buddies backline looked startled by the attacker’s pace from the off, and he continued to be the Reds’ chief danger in the first period on Wednesday.

On 10 minutes, Keskinen showed he’s found some swagger, when, after neat interplay on the left from Armstrong, Adil Aouchiche and Alexander Jensen – who cut it back – he cracked a curling strike off the right post from the edge of the area.

However, Aberdeen’s other attackers weren’t matching Keskinen’s threat to St Mirren.

This all changed when Karlsson and Lazetic came on.

Lazetic’s two goals were predatory, the first coming soon after his 68th-minute introduction and after Shamal George parried a whipping effort from Karlsson.

But three goals, the sort of return Aberdeen have wanted most of the season in attack, were cancelled out by an uncharacteristically late implosion in defence.

Devlin and Milne for Scotland? Not if Aberdeen defend like this.

After recent matches, both Aberdeen youth academy graduate Jack Milne and veteran Nicky Devlin – part of the Dons back-three – have been linked with Scotland call-ups ahead of the World Cup in the summer.

They are part of the Reds rearguard who had been producing consistently and have certainly deserved to be at the least linked to the honour.

Devlin has already, belatedly, been capped by national boss Steve Clarke, with Thelin backing his experienced player for further international honours.

The feeling in some quarters regards Milne, meanwhile, seems to be, while this break-out campaign warrants some friendly action for Scotland, the World Cup may come too soon.

On Wednesday, however, the Dons defence were up against two units in the form of St Mirren strikers Jonah Ayunga and Mikael Mandron.

And though Milne especially had a strong first half, both Dons centre-backs’ Scotland chances will be remote if the whole Aberdeen team defend with the carelessness of late on against St Mirren.

Milne himself made a mess of things for Ayunga’s second, but he was not the only culprit on an exasperating evening.

TEAMS:

Aberdeen (3-4-2-1): Mitov 6; Devlin 6, Milne 7, Knoester 6; Lobban 6, Polvara 7, Aouchiche 6, Jensen 5; Keskinen 7, Armstrong 6; Nisbet 5.

Subs: Karlsson (for Jensen 59), Lazetic (for Aouchiche 68), Heltne Nilsen (for Armstrong 89), Molloy (for Keskinen 89)

Subs not used: Suman, Shinnie, Nilsen, Clarkson, Bilalovic, Molloy, Kjartansson.

St Mirren (3-5-2): George 6, Fraser 6, Gogic 6, Freckleton 6; Richardson 6, Phillips 6, Baccus 6, Taylor 6, Tanser 6; Mandron 5, Ayunga 6.

Subs: McMenamin (for Baccus 78), King (for Tanser 78), Nlundulu (for Taylor 78), Donnelly (for Richardson 78), Mooney (for Mandron 80).

Subs not used: Mullen, Idowu,  Dijksteel, Sobowale, Mooney.

Man of the match: Marko Lazetic.

Referee: Steven McLean

Attendance: 14, 826

[Source: Press and Journal]