Decisions disappoint McInnes as Killie end miserable run against Dons
Posted Sunday, September 02, 2018 by PA
Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes claimed he was disappointed with decisions from referee Craig Thomson in his side’s 2-0 Ladbrokes Premiership defeat to Kilmarnock.
The Pittodrie hosts had Michael Devlin sent off as early as the fourth minute for pulling back Eamonn Brophy, who had looked likely to race clean through on goal.
Kilmarnock’s opening goal arrived just before the break from a free-kick by Brophy, after Graeme Shinnie had fouled Greg Stewart – who later scored the away team’s second goal.
McInnes felt Stephen O’Donnell had handled the ball in the move which led to the set-piece and was visibly frustrated Thomson did not agree with him.
The Dons boss said: “We are disappointed with some of the decisions. It is tough when you go down to 10 men so early on.
“Rightly or wrongly, whether he has deemed it as the last man, it is debatable to say the least.
“We conceded a very good goal from their point of view in terms of the quality of the free-kick. But the build-up to the goal, we feel really aggrieved by.
“It is different if my player plays the ball against O’Donnell and it has hit his arm. But it is actually his bad control which meant he took it on his arm. The momentum pushed it forward into his path.
“That should have been deemed a handball. And my first thought was that Shinnie won the ball when Craig Thomson blew for the free-kick.”
Ahead of the game, Aberdeen rejected a bid from Aston Villa for Scott McKenna.
It is understood Villa boss Steve Bruce wanted to take the defender on loan, before buying him when the English transfer window reopens in January.
The Scotland centre-back missed the defeat to Kilmarnock with a hamstring injury.
McInnes insisted there was no chance of the 21-year-old leaving so late in the transfer window, which closed in Scotland on Friday night.
The Dons boss explained: “It was important we kept him. I had a conversation with Steve Bruce last week. He intimated they like McKenna and may make a bid.
“We said ‘if you do make a bid it needs to be in the next 48 hours or so’ – because if you decide to make a bid, the later in the window you make it, there will be more resistance towards it. That’s how it played out.
“How can you replace McKenna with five or six hours to go in a transfer window? The figure they offered wasn’t enough, but certainly the timing was the biggest factor in all of it.”
McInnes confirmed Dons defender Tommie Hoban is facing two to three months out due to a shoulder injury which requires surgery – and also revealed striker James Wilson missed the match with a hamstring problem.
Kilmarnock manager Steve Clarke was delighted Stewart made a scoring start to his spell at the club.
The attacker made his debut for the Rugby Park side after joining on a season-long loan from Birmingham.
Stewart stuck in the 69th minute following a brilliant solo run. The 28-year-old made a welcome return to Pittodrie, where he spent last season on loan.
Clarke said: “It is a good start for Greg. I am sure he is pleased he got off to a winning start with Kilmarnock.
“We hope that what we saw today from Greg is a little taster of what is to come from the rest of the loan period.”
This was Killie’s first victory over Aberdeen in 22 games, a sequence which stretches back to December 2012.
Clarke added: “It has been a long time since Kilmarnock beat Aberdeen, 2012 I believe, so it is nice to put that one to bed.”
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