Aberdeen 4-1 St Mirren: Jim Goodwin says hosts could have hit seven
- Published
Bojan Miovski slots home to give Aberdeen the lead
Jim Goodwin believes Aberdeen could have scored "six or seven" after their 4-1 victory over 10-man St Mirren at Pittodrie gave the the Dons their first Scottish Premiership win of the season.
Bojan Miovski's double, a stunning strike from debutant Leighton Clarkson and a dinked Luis Lopes finish were enough for all three points, with Jonah Ayunga scoring a consolation penalty for the visitors.
"Some fantastic goals and we probably should have had another two or three in the second half," said Goodwin.
"I've played against 10 men myself in the past and it's not always quite as straightforward as my players made it look.
"It can be difficult to break down a solid back line and a compact midfield. Yes it's 4-1, but it should have been six or seven, realistically."
St Mirren are still looking for their first league point of the season.
Both sides looked very different from the teams that produced a goalless draw in the final game of last season. Only three Aberdeen players from that match started, with Goodwin having added 11 new signings to the squad.
He only signed Liverpool loanee Clarkson on the morning of the game, but the midfielder was thrown on for his debut after just 12 minutes after Declan Gallagher scythed down Hayden Coulson, forcing the left-back off injured.
Gallagher's afternoon was soon cut short when Liam Scales blasted a rebound into the St Mirren defender's arm in the box. Gallagher saw red, and Aberdeen's new number nine Miovski rifled home the penalty.
If the first goal was harsh to concede, the second was sloppy in the extreme. Jonny Hayes' low cross was deflected and Trevor Carson waited for the ball to come to him on his line. Miovski showed predatory instincts to nip in front of the goalkeeper and slide the ball into the net.
Clarkson had made a good impact and would extend Aberdeen's lead when he laced the ball into the top corner with a first-time strike from 20 yards.
St Mirren had a mountain to climb in the second half, but the journey looked easier when Alan Muir pointed to the spot after Hayes was harshly judged to have nudged Greg Kiltie. Kelle Roos could have done better, getting a strong arm to Ayunga's penalty, but the ball looped into the net.
Lopes added the icing to the cake with his last-minute strike. St Mirren's line were pressed high and Christian Ramirez was able to play Lopez clean through to dink over Carson and give Goodwin his biggest league win as Aberdeen manager.
Man of the match - Leighton Clarkson
A debut to remember for the Liverpool loanee
Clarkson lights up Dons' performance
Aberdeen started poorly, sloppy in possession and allowing St Mirren into dangerous areas. However, they bounced back quickly and took advantage of the opportunities St Mirren afforded them.
The loss of Coulson was a setback but the introduction of Clarkson ended up as a masterstroke.
It allowed Scales to slot into left-back and Clarkson the opportunity to control a midfield that was giving him time and space.
It was an impressive debut from the Liverpool loanee - who Aberdeen fans will be hoping can emulate James Maddison rather than Matty Longstaff.
When he was not dictating the tempo he was determined to strike from distance.
It was a worrying display from St Mirren. Stephen Robinson has publicly stated he wants to play a counter-attacking brand of football. At Pittodrie, they did not get out the starting blocks.
What they said
Aberdeen manager Jim Goodwin: "There were some terrific performances. No doubt, people will talk about Clarkson's goal, 30 yards into the top bin. But that fourth goal for me, is how I want our team to play."
St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson: "To come here and play with 10 men for 70-odd minutes, it's hard enough with 11. It's a double punishment.
"After that, we showed character in the second half and got into it a little. I can't ask any more from them in terms of attitude and application in the last two games."
What's next?
Aberdeen host managerless Motherwell next Saturday, with St Mirren welcoming Ross County to Paisley (both 15:00 BST).