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Dons come from behind to defeat Kilmarnock in dramatic encounter

Peter Pawlett: Came off the bench to score for Aberdeen.
Peter Pawlett: Came off the bench to score for Aberdeen.

Two late strikes from substitutes Jayden Stockley and Peter Pawlett to a dramatic victory against Kilmarnock.

A first half strike from Rory McKenzie, that came four minutes before the interval, looked to have been enough to earn the Ayrshire side a surprise win and move them into the top six.

But Jayden Stockley bundled home the leveller seven minutes from time before Peter Pawlett produced the winning goal two minutes later to complete the comeback.

After the midweek mauling of Motherwell, Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes kept faith with the same starting line-up, which meant that defensive midfielder Graeme Shinnie, who missed the 7-2 victory through suspension, had to be content with a place on the bench.

The Dons had won their last 12 league encounters with Kilmarnock and started the match as overwhelming favourites against the Rugby Park side who had won only once in 10 games.

Lee McCulloch was in the dugout for the hosts after being placed in interim charge of Killie after Lee Clark departed for English League 1 strugglers Bury earlier in the week.

The Dons started well with Kenny McLean firing over from distance before Ryan Christie nodded wide from a Ryan Jack delivery as they pressed for the game’s opening goal.

They really should have taken the lead in the 13th minute when Jonny Hayes darted past Greg Taylor before unleashing a low drive that deflected fortuitously into the path of Niall McGinn only five yards from goal but the Northern Ireland international could find no way past Freddie Woodman.

Aberdeen carved up another decent chance 10 minutes before the interval when McGinn picked out the unmarked Christie but his diving header failed to test Woodman.

It was a half that Aberdeen had shaded but they went into the break trailing by a goal.

A deep cross from Taylor was headed clear by Mark Reynolds only as far as Jordan Jones who laid the ball back to McKenzie to curl home from the edge of the area.

Reynolds made way for Shinnie at the break as the Dons reverted to a 3-5-2 formation in a bid to get back in the game.

But it could easily have got worse for the Reds only 45 seconds into the second period when Conor Sammon collided with Ash Taylor in the penalty area but referee Andrew Dallas was unmoved.

Kris Boyd was looking to become only the fifth player since the Second World War to score 200 top flight goals in the Scottish top flight and he went close to completing that achievement on the hour mark when he pounced on a slack header from Taylor and flashed a left-footed strike from 25 yards just wide.

Play was raging from end to end now and Kenny McLean went close to a superb leveller, slaloming past two Kilmarnock defenders before going agonisingly close with a low drive.

Desperation was kicking in for the Dons, who made their final two alterations with Peter Pawlett and Jayden Stockley thrown on for Christie and Andrew Considine, who came off second best in a nasty clash of heads with Sammon.

The visitors had a strong penalty claim turned down soon after when Luke Hendrie bundled Stockley to the ground as he attempted to convert a McGinn cross. Despite the Kilmarnock defender ripping a sizeable tear out of the Dons strip, Dallas again looked the other way.

But the Dons managed to get back on level terms with seven minutes to go when substitute Stockley pounced on some indecision in the Kilmarnock defence to prod home the equaliser.

And the winning goal came two minutes later when Pawlett netted his third goal of the season with the aid of a deflection off Miles Addison.