Aberdeen 0-3 St Mirren: St Mirren pick up rare win at unhappy Pittodrie
- Published
Mark O'Hara has struggled for form this year but put in an improved showing against Aberdeen
St Mirren picked up a rare away win at an unhappy Pittodrie as they beat Aberdeen in wicked conditions to win in the Scottish Premiership.
Mark O'Hara rifled in from close range after 12 minutes, before missing a penalty that would have made the game far more comfortable for the Paisley side.
It didn't matter in the end, as Jonah Ayunga and Greg Kiltie scored late on, the latter from the spot, to make it a comfortable victory for Stephen Robinson's side.
The win ends a dreadful away run St Mirren, who had lost their last six on the road and not won on their travels since mid-September.
They stay fifth, while Aberdeen drop to ninth, albeit with games in hand.
It's been three days since St Mirren played and 10 since Aberdeen took the field. The hosts started brightly, invigorated by the rest, but their confidence was soon rocked when O'Hara scored the first.
The visitors' first attack saw Mikael Mandron's shot blocked at close range, before O'Hara raced in and lashed the ball goalward via a deflection off Slobodan Rubezic.
O'Hara's missed penalty was a shock. Usually reliable from the spot, he was given a chance when Lewis Jamieson's shot hit Richard Jensen's hand. The St Mirren captain skipped and stuttered, and rolled his effort two yards wide.
Despite that reprieve, the Pittodrie crowd booed, unhappy with the fare offered up. Their side reacted, forcing a few good saves from Hemming, but the fans would still jeer the hosts off at half-time.
The weather worsened considerably in the second-half. The rain lashed down, the wind swirled around and St Mirren soaked up the pressure like a sponge.
Corner after corner was whipped in, Aberdeen edged closer and closer, but there was no way through the visiting rearguard.
They were punished for their profligacy when Scott Tanser whipped a delightful ball to the back post, where Jonah Ayunga made the most of the conditions to slide and divert the ball in.
It would get worse for the remaining Aberdeen fans. Stefan Gartenmann brought down Toyosi Olusanya in the box and, after a VAR check, Kiltie slotted away the penalty.
Player of the match - Zach Hemming (St Mirren)
Aberdeen had plenty of chances but they rarely looked like beating the on-loan Middlesbrough goalkeeper
Embarrassing Aberdeen undone by ruthless St Mirren - analysis
The Pittodrie crowd made their feelings clear at the end of either half. This was a disastrous way to end 2023.
They played more passes, sent in more crosses, than they have in any game this season. Despite that, they could not find a route to goal for the ninth time this season.
To make matters worse, the defence looked vulnerable and frail, easily undone by St Mirren who scored with the majority of their chances.
Remember, this is a St Mirren side who hadn't scored in their last three, and yet they were full of confidence and swagger every time they went forward.
The bigger picture looks a little bleak for Barry Robson. He's under pressure, having been beaten comfortably at home. He needs wins quickly.
What they said
Aberdeen manager Barry Robson: "That is nowhere near the standard I expect. I've told the players that. They understand that. The message was clear. We were short all over the pitch, it wasn't good enough.
"We looked off it. We looked slow. We didn't win first or second balls and I'm angry. It's not often I'm angry with them. They need to come back fighting and perform for the fans."
St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson: "It's been coming, we've put those kind of performances in in the last six games and not had our rewards. We took our chances when they came, we were really disciplined defensively.
"The big difference for me was how we defended set plays really well. Aberdeen are a big threat, they have a super delivery from Leighton Clarkson but our organisation was fantastic."
What's next?
Aberdeen are away to Ross County on Tuesday 2 January (15:00 GMT), while St Mirren host Celtic on the same day (17:00).