Aberdeen manager Jim Goodwin may have overstepped the mark with his scathing comments about Hibernian defender Ryan Porteous.
But I can see why the Dons boss was furious at the Hibs player’s actions in Saturday’s 3-1 defeat at Easter Road.
Accusing a player of blatant cheating is pretty near the top of the pile of the worst things one professional can say to another in public.
But it’s not a new development.
In fact, you only need to go back to Aberdeen’s 2-0 defeat to Hearts at Tynecastle in March for another example where Jambos boss Robbie Neilson accused Lewis Ferguson of blatant cheating and diving to win a penalty.
Neilson believed the referee had been conned and also expressed his wish for the compliance officer at the SFA to take a look at the incident involving Ferguson.
Ferguson was not cited and Neilson received no censure for his comments either, so I would expect the Dons to have those comments ready for their first defence should the SFA cite the manager.
Like Neilson with Ferguson, he was critical of Porteous and believed the official had bought it “hook, line and sinker”.
Goodwin’s frustration understandable
I can see why Goodwin was so incensed at what unfolded at Easter Road as the catalogue of errors which unfolded is astonishing.
Liam Scales marked Porteous tightly as the corner was delivered. From there, Porteous pulled the Aberdeen player’s jersey before wrapping his arms around Scales’ neck and falling to the ground.
Referee David Dickinson blew his whistle, pointed to the spot and brandished a second yellow card to Scales, leaving the Dons with 10 men right on the stroke of half-time.
The worst part is that it is not even a foul.
But it was clearly a game-changing event in the match at a pivotal moment and cost the Dons the game.
The referee had two other options and took neither of them.
The first, and obvious one, is to penalise Porteous for his foul on Scales.
Alternatively – if he was not sure – he could have blown his whistle, warned both players he was watching and let the corner be retaken.
I cannot believe Dickinson was 100% confident he had made the right decisions with the course of action he took.
The ironic part in all of this of course is that VAR would have shown what really happened and surely would have led to both the penalty and second yellow card being rescinded.
The fact VAR is only coming into play in the Premiership after the World Cup in Qatar likely added to the frustration felt by the Aberdeen manager, who now goes into the international break knowing Scales will miss the next game against Kilmarnock, too.
Scales departure cannot mask poor defending from the Dons
As frustrating as the key decision in the game was for Aberdeen, the second-half display with 10 men on Saturday was so poor.
The defending for the second and third goals was terrible. You could have driven a bus between the defenders for the second goal and Jayden Richardson, who was not marking anyone, should have come across to offer support.
Ross McCrorie then got under the ball and ended up delivering a perfect cushioned header for Hibs’ third.
It all added up to a bad at the office and Aberdeen will need to work hard on eradicating those basic errors during the international break.
County still looking for an attacking spark
Ross County’s wait for their season to spark into life continues after a goalless draw at St Johnstone.
While Malky Mackay will be pleased to have watched his side keep a clean sheet in Perth, he will be frustrated at seeing his failure to score.
I agree with Malky’s assessment some of his new arrivals have not yet gotten up to speed in Scottish football.
There is a popular misconception among people outwith Scotland our league is a breeze, but we’ve seen some quality guys come to play here and struggle to make an impression.
It takes some time and, while you won’t get that at a club like Celtic or Rangers, you have a better chance of adapting at a club like Ross County.
Last season County looked as if they were a threat with every attack, but so far the forward play of the Staggies is just not there yet.
I do worry where the goals will come from just now, but there are some promising attacking players there and in time I’m sure they will come good.
Huge win in a big weekend for Caley Thistle
The result of the weekend for me was Caley Thistle’s excellent 3-2 win against Dundee at Dens Park.
It was a great result for Billy Dodds and his players and I’m sure their win will have given everyone at the club a huge boost.
With Cove Rangers fighting back to take a point in a 2-2 draw at Partick Thistle and Ayr United’s defeat at Raith Rovers, Caley Jags’ win at Dens Park could not have been better timed.
With just four points now separating the top five in the Championship, it really is shaping up to be another cracking campaign in Scotland’s second tier.
Cammy Harper was Caley Thistle’s two-goal hero at Dens and he is certainly an exciting prospect.
Like so many youngsters, the left-back is raw and has to improve the defensive side of his game, but there is no doubting his attacking qualities.
The move to left midfield paid a terrific dividend with two well-taken goals on Saturday and I’m sure Doddsy is thrilled with what Harper is giving him.
Inverness don’t have the biggest squad and we regularly see eight or nine guys starting every week.
If they can stay free of injuries and suspension, they can challenge again.
I hope if Inverness are on the hunt come January, the board can find a way to bring in a couple of experienced players when the window opens to give them a real chance of winning the championship this season.
