ABERDEEN 4
McLean 6 pen, McGinn 26, Rooney 55, Hayes 76
MOTHERWELL 1
Taylor 64 og
Referee: B Madden. Attendance: 10,259.
THE league race is now all but over this time, but Aberdeen appear confident they will mount a greater challenge to Celtic next season. Derek McInnes’ side secured second place with this emphatic win on Saturday, and, while that was little consolation when their real aim was to dethrone the champions, at least the manner of victory was encouraging.
“We’ve put a decent performance on today, but we need to make sure we keep that up going into the end of the season,” midfielder Willo Flood said. “When we come back pre-season we need to carry that momentum on.
“We’re ahead of Hearts at the moment, and when the manager reinforces next season then I think we’ll be ahead of them again. Rangers will find out that in this league teams will have a go at them, whereas in the Championship teams are maybe happy to get a draw against them.
“It will be a tough division next season with the Old Firm, ourselves, Hearts, and I think even if Hibs come up they’ll splash the cash. It would be disrespectful to discount the likes of St Johnstone and Ross County too - I think they’ll have a big say in the top six.
“We’ve let a few results go by in the last few months, but this team will grow, especially with the manager in charge. I’m sure he’ll reinforce it in the summer, and he’ll get players in that he thinks will make the team better. With him in charge this club will always be moving forward.”
Aberdeen will have the perfect stage to make a statement of intent when they visit Celtic Park on Sunday, knowing that a win will deny the home team the point they need to officially reclaim the title - for all that their goal-difference superiority effectively meant that their win at Tynecastle was enough. “It’s a good game for us next week and we’ll go there full of confidence,” Flood added. “It’s a kick in the teeth if they come and celebrate right in front of us, because we’ve run them so close. We don’t want that.
“It goes to show that Aberdeen are on our way up. We’re here, we’re fighting, and we’ll be fighting again next season.”
Aberdeen did not have to fight too hard to get the upper hand against Motherwell. Kenny McLean settled any nerves with an early penalty after Jonny Hayes had been brought down in the box, then Niall McGinn made it two from a Shay Logan cross. Adam Rooney celebrated his return from injury with his 20th goal of the season ten minutes into the second half, and, although an Ash Taylor own goal briefly threatened to allow Motherwell back into the game, Hayes capped a fine individual performance with a well-taken solo effort.
“For me, he’s hands down the best player in the league at the moment,” Flood added. “People might argue about Leigh Griffiths, but for me it’s Jonny Hayes. He’s the most improved player over the last three years and for me he’s been the best player in the league by a country mile.”
Aberdeen have beaten Celtic in two of their three league meetings so far, and Flood feels a third win would be a further indication that the gap between the two clubs is closing. “It would show them that we are ready for them. They’ve maybe just had the consistency over a longer period of time.
“They’ve been around the block a bit more, whereas our lads are just getting used to it. So hopefully we’ll be ready for it next season.”
The main concern for Aberdeen as they prepare for that game is the possibility they will again be without Rooney as well as Simon Church. Rooney had come on as a substitute for his fellow-striker late in the first half after Church took a knock, but he then had to come off himself after feeling his thigh tightening.
“We hope we got him off in time,” McInnes said. “But if we need to rest him between now and the end of the season, that’s what we’ll do. I would have to say they [Rooney and Church] are both doubtful for the rest of the season.”
An unhappy afternoon for Motherwell was made worse by the late dismissal of Keith Lasley for a reckless tackle on McLean, and assistant manager Stephen Robinson was then sent to the stand for his protests as tempers belatedly frayed. “I never felt we deserved anything over the course of the game,” defender Stephen McManus said.
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