Two games, two clean sheets. All that’s missing is goals at the other end.
Aberdeen have rediscovered their defensive mean streak in the opening two games of the Premiership season following shutouts against St Johnstone and Hearts.
Manager Derek McInnes has tweaked his backline for both games but goalkeeper Joe Lewis has been the common denominator in both games and defender Ashton Taylor insists his presence has been key in both results.
The Dons central defender believes Lewis’ arrival has given the team the presence they were lacking when Liverpool recalled Danny Ward from his loan spell at Pittodrie last season.
Taylor said: “Joe’s a great goalkeeper, he’s got presence and he’s a big lad. He even comes up to the half-way line sometimes and gives us instructions on things he can see so that helps a lot especially with a goalkeeper of that quality.
“I don’t mind that because he might see something that I don’t and it helps us as a unit as a back four. He’s got bags of experience as well. So far it’s been sound advice. Obviously, it helps us if we can see something, so he’s been brilliant so far.
“He’s a fantastic goalkeeper. Even with Neil Alexander on the bench we’ve got a good goalkeeper there, so we’re very sure in that area this season.”
The goals have not flowed at the other end just yet but Taylor is confident the drought will not last long and as long as he and his defensive team-mates do their jobs the single-point results will soon become three.
Taylor, whose Reds face Partick Thistle at Pittodrie today, said: “We’ve had two clean sheets in the first two league games, so that’s a positive. As soon as the attackers start getting the ball and putting it in the back of the net we’ll start to win.
“We’ve kept clean sheets and our attacking play has been good but it’s just the final bit of putting the ball in the back of the net. Overall, I think it’s been positive.
“We’ve worked on our defending in training but as a team we’ve been a lot more solid. We’ve got a lot of attacking players now in the squad, even on the bench, who can come on and change the game, so if we shut up shop I’m sure the goals will come.
“The confidence is there in the team. If we keep clean sheets it’s a good place to start. We won a lot of games last year 1-0, so hopefully we can continue that but with more goals.”
