Aberdeen 2 Rangers 1: Clement sleepwalking to sack as Dons go NINE clear of Gers as Morris winner clinches huge win
JIMMY THELIN and everyone at Aberdeen can dare to dream.
For Philippe Clement, it’s time he woke up.
Because while one manager has raised a snoozing giant, the other is sleepwalking his way towards the sack.
The Dons boss gave his city’s supporters the performance and result they craved to keep alive their incredible unbeaten run.
Substitute Shayden Morris’ late winner at Pittodrie makes it a sensational 15 wins from their first 16 games of the season to keep them neck and neck with champions Celtic.
But for Rangers?
They’re now NINE points off the top with this defeat only piling more pressure on their manager who doesn’t seem to realise the predicament he’s in.
Clement was dealt a huge blow with the injury to Vaclav Cerny which saw him stay at home.
Of all the players he didn’t want to be without last night, the winger would have been top of his list.
But there were other changes to the Belgian’s line-up which weren’t enforced.
Brazilian left-back Jefte looked like a certain starter going by his recent performances.
Yet he was unexpectedly benched.
Clement said before kick-off that the young defender was suffering from fatigue and needed a rest.
Really?
At 20 he surely doesn’t need a break after just 13 appearances of the season.
Maybe Clement simply felt the ultra-versatile Nana Kasanwirjo was more capable of coping with the Dons’ attacking threat.
But it wasn’t half a gamble to take on such a big night.
Overall there were five changes to his line-up that kicked off against the Buddies at the weekend and that’s far from ideal.
Aberdeen’s boss kept things far more settled.
Skipper Graeme Shinnie was back in the team after missing the victory over Dundee United. And even that was expected.
Thelin just didn’t make things more complicated for himself than he needed to.
And neither did his team.
This was a result based on hard graft and sheer will to win.
Everything Rangers lacked.
They just couldn’t cope with the intensity of the night.
Young Connor Barron was berated with every touch but he at least showed bottle to get on the ball and make something happen.
The Dons took the lead after 31 minutes and the defending from Clement’s side just wasn’t good enough.
Nico Raskin was skinned by Jack MacKenzie before a cross was delivered into the mix which was flicked on by Topi Keskinen to the back post.
With no blue shirt anywhere near him, Nicky Devlin smashed his shot past Butland and into the back of the net.
The goal had been coming.
The only real surprise was that it took as long to arrive as it did.
McGrath had an effort blocked by Tavernier and another free-kick go just wide.
Devlin himself fired one off target.
There was also a last man challenge by Balogun on Ester Sokler which had the home fans up in arms.
But ref John Beaton was right to give the Rangers defender the benefit of any doubt. Balogun got the slightest touch of the ball.
It was after Devlin’s goal that Rangers were really on the ropes and so, so lucky not to fall 2-0 behind.
Shinnie rattled the post with a drilled dig from distance.
Seconds later Souttar made two sensational last ditch challenges to prevent McGrath and Duk from firing past Butland.
But with 38 minutes on the clock the Scotland defender was the guilty man when he conceded a penalty.
He was clearly trying to stoop and head the ball away from danger when it was whipped into the box, only for it to strike his arm.
It was initially missed by the officials.
But a VAR call had Beaton looking at the monitor before pointing to the spot.
McGrath grabbed the ball and took the responsibility but his effort from 12 yards lacked conviction and Butland was able to pull off a save.
It was potentially a pivotal moment.
It would have taken a monumental effort from Clement’s side to get anything from the game had McGrath scored.
Instead the visitors were given a lift.
They thought they’d made it 1-1 in the stoppage time at the end of the first-half but Cyriel Dessers had loitered into an off-side position before McCausland hit the net.
It was the young winger’s last touch with Dujon Sterling thrown on for the second-half and he should have made an immediate impact.
Nedim Bajrami picked him out inside a crowded box with as wonderful cross but he just couldn’t nod his header on target.
It was just the kind of promising restart that Clement wanted though and a sign that Rangers weren’t beaten yet.
With an hour on the clock Thelin’s side began to look weary - and soon Rangers were level.
Bajrami had plenty to do when he got on the ball on the left but after drifting into the box he skipped past Devlin before drilling his shot past keeper Dimitar Mitov.
But just as it looked like the Dons possibly had nothing more to give, they responded themselves.
They piled forward in 75 minutes, Tavernier failing to deal with a cross from Mackenzie before Devlin stabbed a shot off the post.
Morris then reacted first to blast into the net.
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