The long overdue breakthrough of Funso Ojo has surely been the most unexpected storyline of Aberdeen’s early season.
Few will have been more taken aback than a manager who had been actively working to get him off the payroll before the campaign started; none more grateful for Ojo’s assured finish here.
It was a deserved personal milestone for a man reborn, whose Aberdeen career had seemed destined to end without a goal to its name.
Already he has arguably made a bigger contribution to the Dons’ cause this season than in the previous two combined.
Perversely, though, Ojo’s increasing importance to the side suddenly gives Stephen Glass a headache in respect of the balance of his squad.
The summer recruitment was obviously undertaken in the expectation that Ojo would not be returning, with two further central midfielders added to a depth chart which was already the strongest on Aberdeen’s roster.
The over-stock in that area now stands in marked contrast to the paucity of resources in the centre of defence, where the Dons are down to their last purpose-built centre back.
The balance will likely be shifted somewhat by making Ross McCrorie’s redeployment permanent, though more a solution of convenience than of principle. But even at that Aberdeen will be carrying at least one midfielder more, and one defender fewer, than they need.
And that will put admirers of Lewis Ferguson on standby.
With the player agitating for a move, Aberdeen may feel they will find no more advantageous window than this one to effect an inevitable transfer, recycling some of what will be substantial proceeds to bring forward the long-term replacement of the stricken Andy Considine and recalibrate their squad.
Expect many conversations between Thursday night and the transfer deadline as Aberdeen decide whether striking while the iron is hot outranks changing horses midstream.
