Aberdeen

We asked for your views on Aberdeen's defeat to St Mirren on Saturday.

Here's what some of you said:

Pete: Seemed like typical end of season fare. We were didn't seem as hungry as the Saints and the disallowed goal really seemed to hamper our confidence. Considering the ups and downs of this campaign we should be fairly happy to be in the position we are. As long as we give our best in the last few games, and of course the cup final, I look forward to next season with renewed optimism, and a few new faces to strengthen the squad of course!

James: I cannot understand when we know that St Mirren are a physical team why the manager drops Pape Gueye, our most physical player. The players let the fans down, we never put the opponents under pressure. A very poor display when Europe was within reach.

Andrew: Season 24/25 has had more up and downs than normal but one thing that was for sure was a positive result in Paisley was never going to happen after VAR chopped off the goal for hand ball. After the VAR decision we never got a grip of the midfield battle. The players, after a good spell of form, had an off day. It happens, but whether it will cost us third place remains to be seen. In a season of so many twists and turns, a predictable outcome for third was never on the cards.

David: Drove 380 mile round trip from Peterhead with my grandson to watch them huff and puff. The build up is far too slow allowing teams to set themselves for when the ball is finally pumped up the field. Crossing is diabolical, either hits first man or over hit. No plan B I'm afraid. Playing Topi [Keskinen] as no.10 must've been Jimmy Thelin's plan to outfox St Mirren. Fair play to St Mirren they play to their strengths.

Carol: Year one of a three-year project. Some good players taken in this season, they will be better next season. Cup final, cup semi final and probably fourth in league is not a bad start to JTs term. We weren't at it yesterday, but still had two big refereeing decisions go against us. Not good enough on the day, but the future looks good.

Rob: It is a set back for third spot but not a fatal one. The old firm fixtures are huge now and we need to get points in both. Despite the lack of chances we created we need to find a way not to lose these games. St Mirren are a decent side but we should not have lost three times to them this season if we harbour hopes of top three.

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• St. Mirren are undefeated in their last three games in the Premiership, their last joint longest unbeaten streak was from 14 December to 26 December 2024.

• Mikael Mandron attempted five shots in this game, the joint-highest total for a St. Mirren player in the Premiership this season.

• Aberdeen have a record of W0, D2, L8 when conceding the opening goal away from home in the Premiership this season.

• The Dons failed to attempt a shot on target in this game. It's the first time they failed to attempt a shot on target in a game in the Premiership since facing Livingston on 5 August 2023.

Dons fans, did you make the trip to Paisley on Saturday or were you following the action from home? Either way we want your views on the performance. How are you feeling about that third-place spot?

Let us know your thoughts

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Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin: "We wanted more.

"The game was what we expected, we were not good enough to deserve to win but maybe we were not bad enough to lose. It was a classic 0-0 game but they used the opportunity from the set play to score that goal.

"The final pass today didn't arrive in the right spaces, that's football sometimes. Today was not the perfect game but also St Mirren did things well. Our performance was not what we had to do to deserve to win. We need to improve some parts in the away games and do better because we now have three more important games in the league. We have to do better in these games to deserve to win.

"We have to believe and try and do some things better in our away games."

Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Aberdeen had taken on the fight for third with a bit of momentum building ahead of this fixture.

Unbeaten since the end of February until this defeat showed a level of consistency but this outcome is a real blow.

They've lost crucial ground on Hibs and face a trip to Ibrox next before hosting Celtic. Anything from those games in normal circumstances would be deemed a positive but may well be required now with games running out.

The disallowed effort for handball against Kevin Nisbet will be a major talking point. It was given for his arm being in an unnatural position. However, was he nudged causing that?

There's little room for error now, although Hibernian face a testing trip to Celtic Park next weekend as they look to cement their position.

Jack Herrall
BBC Sport Scotland

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Aberdeen winger Shayden Morris has described being named as Aberdeen's Player of the Season as "the biggest achievement" of his career so far and has vowed that the best is yet to come from him.

Morris, 23, received the accolade, voted for by the Dons' fans, at the club awards night on Thursday.

"It is a massive moment for me and my family," he said.

"'For it to be voted by the fans is a massive feeling, because I know it hasn't always been easy times, so to be in this position, to be voted Player of the Season, I am really happy.

"I do feel like I have had to be patient this season at times and I have always trusted in myself in what the coaches say to me.

"I have just wanted to work hard, give everything I can every time I do step on the pitch and for it to be rewarded like that is such a massive achievement."

Morris has been a key player for the Dons who are currently fourth in the Premiership and who also have a Scottish Cup final against Celtic to look forward to.

And he believes he has gone some way to showing he can make his mark from the start of games, rather than as a super sub coming off the bench.

"I definitely do think I have shown I can do it from the start as well," Morris added.

"For me this season, I have had a lot of people watching closely, game by game 'is he going to do it?' but as a footballer you can't do it every single game and that is one thing I have had to realise, even for me, I get a bit down when I don't have an exciting game because that is the type of player I am.

"But I think as a starter or coming on as a sub, players do go through games where they are not always at their 100% best and I feel like it is all about belief and if you can play one, two, three games, I am sure by the fourth one you can get that performance.

"It is all about belief, and I know I can do it if I am given a run."

Jimmy Thelin will make decisions about Aberdeen players' futures in the week running up to the Scottish Cup final with Celtic. (Press and Journal - subscription required), external

Aberdeen's player of the year Shayden Morris, 23, has bigger prizes in mind with the Dons in contention to finish third in the Premiership and into the Scottish Cup final. (Record), external

Read Saturday's Scottish gossip

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St Mirren's Evan Mooney has returned to training following an ankle injury and could be back before the end of the season.

Aberdeen defender Gavin Molloy is back in contention but Ester Sokler (leg), Kristers Tobers (hamstring), Sivert Heltne Nilsen (eye) and Vicente Besuijen (knee) are set to remain sidelined.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin believes Sivert Heltne Nilsen still has a big part to play for the remainder of the campaign, despite confirming the midfielder will miss the rest of the season with an eye injury.

The Norwegian hasn't played since the start of March after picking up the injury in training.

Thelin revealed the midfielder "wants to train, but he can't right now" and hopes the 33-year-old will be ready in time for a return to action during pre-season

"That is the way of football sometimes, and in life in general," Thelin said. "You get setbacks, you get some problems you need to solve.

"He is a good character and he has always high standards, he's a good person, he cares about others, so he is contributing to a lot of things anyway - but of course he wants to play.

"Sometimes when you get injuries you can grow in other areas - as a player, as a human, as a leader. We always try to think about the positive things you take, using this time in the best way."

Aberdeen have only lost one of their last 12 games in all competitions and are currently fourth in the Premiership, below third-place Hibernian on goal difference.

They are looking to continue that good form at sixth-placed St Mirren tomorrow, who still have an outside chance of securing a European spot. Their manager, Stephen Robinson, has vowed to take the game to the Dons.

"They are in the top six and they have deserved it," Thelin continued. "They are a good team, we know that. They are quite good at pressing in general so we have focussed on some solutions, but we are also a good team with the ball and we have some ideas how we can attack them.

"We have to be sharp in the things we are going to do and believe in our things, and hopefully that can give us the best performance and the result."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin has been speaking to the media ahead of Saturday's Premiership trip to St Mirren.

Here are the key points from his press conference:

• Thelin confirmed midfielder Sivert Heltne Nilsen will miss the rest of the season with an eye injury, adding he is hopeful the midfielder can be back for pre-season, saying "everything is going as well as it could be".

• He also adds that defender Kristers Tobers is back to full training, but this weekend's game in Paisley will come too soon for him to return.

• The Dons boss is expecting a difficult game against a St Mirren team "that are really clear in what they do and they do it really well"

• However, Thelin says they have "to believe in our things", saying that in training, the players "are front-footed and really pushing each other" to be ready for all the challenging games between now and the end of the season.

• Despite the potential implications for the Dons elsewhere this weekend, with two of their European rivals, Hibs and Dundee Utd going head to head at Easter Road, Thelin emphasises that they are simply focused on themselves.

• On winger Shayden Morris being named Player of the Year at the club awards last night, Thelin said he is "really happy for him", and highlighted how hard he has worked and his "desire to want to learn"

• On the future of the players whose deals are up in the summer, he said there will be clarity at the end of the season and for now, the focus is on the remaining games of the campaign.

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin says the Pittodrie club have to get better at recruiting Scottish players after Dundee midfielder Lyall Cameron chose to join Rangers instead this summer. (Daily Record), external

Read the rest of Friday's Scottish gossip.

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• St Mirren have won their past two league games against Aberdeen, last winning three in a row in July 2011.

• Aberdeen are winless in nine league visits to St Mirren (D3 L6) since a 2-1 triumph in December 2018 under Derek McInnes.

• St Mirren have picked up as many points in their past three home league games (seven – W2 D1) as in their previous eight beforehand (W2 D1 L5).

• Aberdeen have won three of their past four league games (D1), more than their previous 19 beforehand (W2 D6 L11).

• Aberdeen's Kevin Nisbet has scored 10+ goals in three of his last four seasons in the Scottish Premiership (14 in 2020-21, 12 in 2022-23, 10 this season). He is one of only four players to score 10+ goals in as many as three Scottish Premiership campaigns since 2020-21, along with Alfredo Morelos (three), James Tavernier (three), and Kyogo Furuhashi (four).

Liam McLeod
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

As noted here last week, victory over Hibernian really was a must for Aberdeen and thanks to Kevin Nisbet's moment of artistry at Pittodrie on Saturday, it is game on in the battle for third place.

Hibs had been going like a train and topped the 2025-only Premiership table, so this was an impressive victory that leaves the Edinburgh side ahead on goal difference.

Dundee United's heavy home loss against Celtic didn't do the Dons' hopes of finishing best of the rest any harm either as they size up St Mirren on Saturday.

Nisbet's goal was fit to win any match, and it had been a game that looked like petering out in a stalemate, which would have suited David Gray's men more than the hosts.

It leaves Jimmy Thelin's men in fine form with just one defeat in their past 12 and completed an excellent week's work coming seven days after their Scottish Cup semi-final victory over Hearts.

A trip to Paisley, however, isn't top of Aberdeen's wishlist. They haven't won away to St Mirren in nine visits going back to 2018 and have only won on six of 24 trips to the Buddies' current home since they moved across town from Love Street.

It was also where their winter of discontent officially began amid Storm Bert's heavy snow which had put the game in doubt. Even after that first defeat of the season in Renfrewshire, Aberdeen had a 23-point advantage over Hibs which has since been whittled away.

Three of the Dons' final four fixtures are away from home with trips to Rangers and Dundee United either side of a Scottish Cup final dress rehearsal against Celtic at Pittodrie.

However, the race for top three is in the melting pot, and it promises to be a dramatic conclusion to this section of the table.

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Aberdeen have secured an allocation of 20,000 tickets for next month's Scottish Cup final against Celtic at Hampden.

The Dons says it is the "largest allocation we have received for a final" in recent years and they have agreed to underwrite the cost of any unsold tickets.

The club's statement added: "After extensive discussions, we were initially faced with the option of accepting a guaranteed 16,800 tickets, with a potential (but not guaranteed) additional 2,000 tickets.

"However, driven by our collective belief and confidence in the Red Army, and wanting to give every Dons supporter the best opportunity of being there to back Jimmy and the team, we agreed to underwrite a larger allocation which includes the North Stand up to the halfway line.

"We believe this significant allocation is a testament to our commitment to ensuring as many fans as possible can support the team at this crucial match, our first Scottish Cup final since 2017."

The game on Saturday 24 May (15:00 BST kick-off) will be shown live on BBC One Scotland and will also be available to watch via BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.

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It will come as little surprise to anyone that the latest attempt at reconstruction of the Scottish Premiership has failed to get off the ground.

A change from the current 12-team set-up to one of 10, 14 or 16 were the options being discussed but the SPFL said "there was no reasonable prospect of achieving consensus".

Maintaining the status quo is a consequence of there being "no perfect option" for change, according to The Herald football writer Stephen McGowan.

Speaking on the BBC's Scottish football podcast, McGowan said: "If you look at the options for expanding the Premiership, for 14 you would have to have probably a top six and a bottom eight and a different number of fixtures. So that's less than ideal.

"Look at the 16, which is the one that supporters really want. But Neil Doncaster has been saying consistently that you would then have to find a way to still preserve your four Celtic v Rangers games because Sky sports are not a charity. They're a subscription network who want to get the biggest numbers for games. So they want more Celtic and Rangers games.

"So it's how you square that circle with the 16 that's the problem. So it's not so much I don't think there's no great desire for expansions. There's no such thing as a perfect option and one that they can all vote for. That's the problem basically."

Former Scotland defender Maurice Ross, meanwhile, has accused Premiership clubs of "self-preservation".

"If they're going to remain the same, okay, let's put two clubs [automatically] down then and have a third-place play-off," said Ross.

"And we'll see what the reaction is of the clubs in four or five years' time. Then they'll want reconstruction."

Glen Schreuder
Fan writer

Forget the new series of Race Across The World, the race for third in the Scottish Premiership should really have the TV companies talking.

High-flying Hibs were put in their place by Jimmy Thelin's Aberdeen as we went level on points with the Edinburgh side. Now three points separate three teams.

The game was a 'must win' for ourselves. You could sense the anticipation and atmosphere as you walked down Merkland Road and through the turnstiles.

Despite their unbeaten run, I was surprised Hibs played the way they did. A negative approach to look for a point. We were more adventurous albeit again guilty of overcomplicating things in the final third.

Like the early months of this rollercoaster season, Thelin's tactical nous and use of the bench came to the rescue with those being called upon having far more effect and directness.

Rollercoaster also perfectly sums up Kevin Nisbet's time at Pittodrie. Missing gilt-edged chances then producing a moment of magic that those listening to Open All Mics will have heard how wild it sent Willie Miller.

Those inside Pittodrie went equally as wild. Credit the defence who held firm for another clean sheet.

Five more cup finals to go. We keep believing.

Glen Schreuder can be found at Red Tinted Glasses, external

Watch the Sportscene team analyse an "incredibly exciting" race for third spot after Aberdeen beat Hibs in the Scottish Premiership.

Jonathan Sutherland
Sportscene presenter

Kevin Nisbet lit up the match at Pittodrie on Saturday with a moment of pure brilliance to win the match for Aberdeen against his former side Hibernian.

The Scotland striker leads the line in my team of the week.

Goalkeeper Nathaniel Nwosu, who won a Nigeria cap in November 2022 but currently plays for Tayport in the Midlands League, is to join Aberdeen on trial this week having spent last week with St Johnstone and with Stoke City, St Mirren, Dunfermline Athletic and Dumbarton all monitoring the 19-year-old. (The Herald), external

On-loan striker Kevin Nisbet, who is contracted to Millwall until summer 2026, is putting thoughts about his future on the backburner to focus on helping Aberdeen challenge for third spot in the Scottish Premiership and beat Celtic in the Scottish Cup final. (Press & Journal), external

Read Monday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Watch highlights as Aberdeen striker Kevin Nisbet downs former side Hibs with stunning winner.

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We asked for your views on Aberdeen's 1-0 win against Hibs.

Here's what some of you said:

Euan: Fantastic goal from Kevin Nisbet to secure the three points! It was a game that needed something special given the defensive displays from both teams. Poor from Hibs to time waste the way they did in the second half. Quite embarrassing for them but it's also the game.

Graham: Hibs came for a draw, we were pressing for a large part of the game and although a little ropey at the back it was a much better performance than last week at Hampden. Then, crucially we saw the game out with little fuss.

Niall: This match was all about getting a win and the Dons delivered in some style with a touch of real class from Nisbet. This result should give a real sense of confidence to the Dons who are looking more composed and threatening as a unit at just the right time. There were some shaky moments in defence during the first period but there's definitely desire within the squad which is what will be needed to deliver as much as possible in the remaining games up to the cup final.

Fred: An important win but a really dull match. We need to find a couple of forwards who can consistently score or we will struggle in Europe next season.

Stuart: Given the pressure the team were under to win the game the performance was brilliant, considering Hibs are clearly the in-form team at the moment.

Jim: Stunning goal and looked comfortable for most of the match. Couple chances for Hibs, but nothing dangerous. Had worried it was going to be another dominant display with nothing to show, and up steps big Nisbet. Get him in on a permanent already!

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• Aberdeen are undefeated in their last six games in the Premiership, their last longer unbeaten streak was from 16 March 2024 to 9 November 2024, a run of 20 games.

• Hibernian failed to attempt a shot on target in this game, it's the first time they failed to attempt a shot on target in a game in the Premiership since facing St Mirren on 16 February 2025.

• Kevin Nisbet has scored 10 goals in the Premiership this season (one in this game), more than any other Aberdeen player.

• Hibernian have conceded 17 goals in the last 15 minutes of second halves, only Ross County (18) have conceded more in the Premiership this season.