Aberdeen 3 - 2 Livingston: Lewis Ferguson nets overhead-kick winner

Lewis Ferguson showed '¨Aberdeen's struggling strikers how it's done with a stunning overhead kick in injury time to break Livingston's stubborn resistance and move them above the West Lothian side into the top six.'‹
Aberdeen's Lewis Ferguson, right, is grounded after his late winner. Picture: Alan Harvey/SNSAberdeen's Lewis Ferguson, right, is grounded after his late winner. Picture: Alan Harvey/SNS
Aberdeen's Lewis Ferguson, right, is grounded after his late winner. Picture: Alan Harvey/SNS

The teenager, signed for only £250,000 from Hamilton Accies in the summer, produced a replica of the one he scored against Burnley in the Europa League qualifier at Turf Moor but, while that tie ended in defeat, this goal clinched a hard-fought but ultimately deserved win.​

It took him on to four for the season, a tally that only the absent Gary Mackay-Steven has bettered for Aberdeen in the campaign so far, but the lack of goals from more expected sources continues to hamper the Pittodrie club’s progress.​

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Manager Derek McInnes publicly lamented the form of the strikers he has been left to operate with after failing to finance deals for six preferred options last summer and, if nothing else, it certainly seemed to elicit the response the manager was looking for, at least in spells.​

Aberdeen were bright, inventive and full of intent right from the off, with 
Stevie May showing a lovely touch on gathering a Graeme Shinnie pass before spinning away from Alan Lithgow.​

It’s fair to say that, with the hard work done, the May of a couple of seasons ago would have finished in some style but his shot was too close to Liam Kelly, who saved comfortably.​

Incessant rain and a swirling wind whipping in off the North Sea hardly helped the players but that was no excuse for the flurry of goals that saw Aberdeen take the lead only to end the half trailing the visitors.​

The normally diligent Livingston defence switched off as Shay Logan took a quick throw-in to send Sam Cosgrove, back from the start after last week’s red card at Ibrox, away on the right and his cross was met by Niall McGinn’s volley to shoot the Dons ahead after only nine minutes.​

That should have been the lift they needed to impose themselves on the game but instead a team who have shown terrific tenacity since returning to the top flight drew level three minutes later.​

Craig Sibbald outmuscled Andrew Considine at the edge of the penalty area and, although Joe Lewis saved at the former Falkirk player’s feet, there was nothing he could do to stop Scott Pittman clipping the rebound home.​

Defending has been Aberdeen’s strength this season but if the loss of the first goal was poor, the second was arguably worse. Scott Wright was too easily dispossessed by Dolly Menga​ and the Angolan striker found Pittman who threaded a pass behind Scott McKenna for the run of McMillan, who angled his shot across the keeper into the far corner for his first Premiership goal. ​

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Wright’s suffering didn’t stop there though as the winger was replaced by Connor McLennan at half-time and the teenager, who signed a new three-year contract last week, made an immediate impression.​

His pace and directness unsettled the Livingston defence and very nearly set up an instant equaliser. Niall McGinn steered the winger’s first cross straight at Kelly but the next got the finish it deserved.​ McLennan burst into space down the right and swept over a wicked bending ball that Cosgrove rattled into the roof of the net from inside the six-yard box. It was only his third goal for the club he joined from Carlisle in January.​

His next involvement was not something to be proud of as the striker went into a challenge with Livi substitute Scott 
Robinson and took a couple of paces before diving to try to win a penalty and instead was shown a yellow card by referee Craig Thomson.

Aberdeen shouldn’t have needed a spot-kick as they created enough chances to ease their way to three points in a one-sided second half.​

Considine headed wide of an open goal from six yards and May again ended up one-on-one with Kelly only to shoot straight at him. McKenna also volleyed straight into Kelly’s arms before the pressure finally paid off two minutes into stoppage time with Ferguson’s spectacular finish.​