Aberdeen 1 - 0 Brighton

Aberdeen 1 Brighton & Hove Albion 0

Rooney 75

Aberdeen this afternoon beat Brighton 1-0 at Pittodrie in Jamie Langfield's Testimonial. In an entertaining and high tempo game, the only goal come on 75 minutes when a clever pass from Cammy Smith found Adam Rooney in the six yard box and his neat back heeler found the net. Brighton probably had the better of the first half and Jamie made four good stops to keep out LuaLua, Holla and Colunga and one outstanding save to keep out LuaLua. His man of the match award was extremely well deserved! The Dons were the better side in the second half and claimed the win against a good Championship side.


match report

In front of about 4,000, Aberdeen this afternoon lined up with Langfield in goal, Logan was at right back with Taylor and Rose in central defence and Shinnie was at left back. Flood and Robson were the sitting midfielders with Pawlett and Smith in the wide areas and Shankland and Rooney were up top.

In the early stages centre half Lewis Dunk had a couple of headers after an Albion corner. The second one from a Liam Rosenior cross went wide of right post. Fielding a very strong looking starting XI, the visitors had the better of it in the early stages and on 8 minutes a good save from Langfield. Jamie had to get down low to his left to keep out a shot from LuaLua. On 10 minutes Hemed had a shot which just went wide. Aberdeen's first attack came on 12 minutes. They won a corner which Robson swung in, the Dons first of the game, Rose headed it just over.

On 21 minutes another very decent save from Langfield. A free kick by Holla was heading for the corner of the net but Jamie managed to get across to push behind it behind two-handed. It was a good save as he would not have seen the ball until late, until it came over the wall.

After 23 minutes another dangerous corner from Robson. Ash Taylor went up for the header but Brighton defended the situation well. Brighton then broke quickly and at the other end it needed a very good tackle from Michael Rose. Michael had a good game this afternoon.

Another youngster who had a good game was Cammy Smith. On 26 minutes he almost created a chance inside the box after some good direct play but Dunk made a very good tackle. Just after the half hour mark O'Grady played in Hemed, who get in behind the Dons defence but wasted a good chance by shooting over. He did well to hold off Rose and probably should have done better.

The game burst to life just before half time. On 42 minutes good play by Brighton skipper Bruno down the right, he put over a good cross which O'Grady meet but headed over. A minute later Rooney put over a cross from the left which found Pawlett who had a chance but a great tackle from Dunk stopped him getting a shot away. Then a minute before the break a brilliant save from the man of the moment. A shot from LuaLua was hammered towards goal from the edge of the area but Langfield somehow turned it away. A superb stop, you are unlikely to see many better this season.

HT

During the half time interval on came Considine, Quinn, Jack and McLean. Off went Logan Shinnie, Taylor and Flood.

Straight away there was a chance for Brighton when Colunga got in behind and from a tight angle Langfield had to get out quickly to make another decent save. Dunk then headed a corner at Langfield, which he maybe should have done better with. After that in truth Jamie did not have as much to do as the Dons started to take control. The Dons extra match sharpness in the final stages of the game began to tell a bit.

On 55 minutes a decent cross from the left from McLean just went over the head of Rooney. On the hour mark Shankland was replaced by Scott Wright and the youngster went on to have a big impact on the game. On 62 minutes more nice approach work by Brighton and a Chris O'Grady shot was deflected behind for a corner by Considine. It was a good block from Andy.

A minute later delightful skill from Scott Wright in the middle of the park. After beating a couple of players with a neat turn he played the ball wide and found his neighbour Smith. Cammy then crossed for Rooney at the near post but his delicate touch went wide.

On 70 minutes a double chance saw Robson and Pawlett being replaced by Storie and McGinn. Both sides made a lot of changes which as ever in a friendly game did effect the flow but by now Aberdeen were playing some good football.

Then with fifteen minutes to go a goal. After a good little spell of pressure from the home side Cammy Smith picked the ball up on the edge of the area before playing a low cross into the six yard box which found Rooney and his neat back flick found the net.

With ten minutes to go a great mazy run from Scott Wright won Aberdeen a free kick on the edge of the area. McLean took it and whipped in a left footed effort but Stockdale was well positioned and was able to make a block.

On 81 minutes Smith came off and was replaced by Goodwillie. On 85 minutes goal scorer Rooney was replaced by Frank Ross. In the final minute more great skill by Scott Wright left two defenders for dead, he got to the by-line and squared it to fellow youngster Frank Ross who got a shot away but it is blocked.
In the 90th minutes Jamie Langfield was replaced by Scott Brown so he could receive a well-earned standing ovation.


Aberdeen; Langfield (Brown 90), Logan (Considine 46), Shinnie (McLean 46), Taylor (Quinn 45), Flood (Jack 46), Rooney (Ross 85), Smith (Goodwillie 81) , Robson (Storie 70), Pawlett (McGinn 70), Rose, Shankland (Wright 60) Sub Culjak.

Brighton: Stockdale; Bruno (Ward 76), Rea (Dallison 76), Dunk, Bong; Rosenior (Calderon 45), Ince (Kayal 45), Holla, LuaLua (Chicksen 76); O'Grady, Hemed (Colunga 45). Subs: Ankergren (GK), Starkey.