St Johnstone and Aberdeen, who kickstart a new era under Swedish manager Jimmy Thelin, bring the opening weekend of Scottish Premiership football to a close at McDiarmid Park.
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00:00in their league cup group
00:05as he against lesser opponents. Craig Levine came in on the 5th of November when
00:11St Johnston were bottom of the table and he just about avoided a playoff and Aberdeen
00:18one of the reasons why because they drew at Ross County on the final day
00:22St Johnston won at Motherwell
00:27Ross County ended up in the playoff
00:39here's a pacey strike fourth for St Johnston with Kim Piocca and Sidibe
00:45yep absolutely always worries defenders and Kevin Malloy
00:52taking any chances there
00:57Kim Piocca
01:05he's held on to it
01:09he's never been unable to clear Matt Smith rolled it back for McPherson
01:18Nilsson's strike out
01:21really good feet initially from Kim Piocca
01:27all popped out wide and across too far but came back out
01:33never set up, takes a deflection actually, Nilsson decent strike
01:37good start from St Johnston
01:41they've been on the front foot in the in a couple of minutes
01:51St Johnston the only team in Scotland's top four divisions not to manage a league win
01:55at home in 2024
01:59that's pretty amazing isn't it
02:03Kim Piocca
02:07Shinny, here is Mioski
02:15Kim Piocca moving in on Devlin
02:19just wonder from Aberdeen's perspective just how sharp Mioski
02:25is going to be this evening, you can be lucky to hang on to him but he's been
02:30their most important player, Sattler has started the bulk of the pre-season games
02:36Mioski with only a half a football
02:44Aberdeen did finish strongly last season
02:48they've been in the bottom half, they went nine matches unbeaten, the same run that Celtic had
03:00we wondered how St Johnston would set up, whether it be three centre-halves or a back four
03:06looks like it was Nilsson, versatile play that he is, will
03:12start in that right back position, looks like they're a flat back four but
03:16a narrow in that midfield, Matty Smith
03:22off the left-hand side, Messerlin McPherson centrally
03:30Rubicic up towards
03:36Sader-Morris but Kyle Cameron
03:40just about sorting him out, he's been given the captain's armband, St Johnston did lose
03:46some very experienced defenders in the summer
03:50Rubicic, he loves to get tight doesn't he, gets too tight there
03:54Kim Piocca uses his body really well, get away with too many more
03:59Rubicic
04:07Cameron will take this
04:19towards Sidibe, McKenzie
04:23able to scoop it away despite the presence of Kim Piocca
04:29Trellum now for Essing
04:45Jamie McGrath for Sokla
04:49he's been in really good form in the League Cup and he leaves this for McGrath
04:55now Essel, got too behind for a corner, St Johnston
04:59left himself bare at the back two on two, good early ball from
05:03McGrath to Sokla, decent League Cup play but
05:07Essel got back well, dropped the cross, only chance from Aberdeen from a set-piece
05:13Jamie McGrath
05:17Jamie McGrath
05:21we are carrying out the CR box
05:25awaiting this corner
05:29Jamie McGrath is too fluted in
05:33no stop Essel, haven't been able to clear it yet
05:37McGrath
05:41the set-back was
05:45from Rubicic, it was a poor lay-off
05:49and Morris in the end couldn't control the ball
05:53he's got a big job on hasn't he
05:57in Tivitoline
06:01McGrath
06:05twice runner-up in Sweden with El Spor
06:09amazing that since
06:13Tayyip Cormac arrived at the club in 2019, no manager
06:17has lasted a full season, that has to change
06:21and surely will
06:25with the appointment of Tilleen
06:29Kowalski
06:33Kowalski
06:37pitched by Andre Raymond
06:41on the left is Graham Shinny there and that's going to be a yellow card
06:45for the Trinidad and Tobago International
06:49Shinny, tenacious
06:53as ever, reads the play
06:57really, really well and he's so late there
07:01early card puts him under pressure
07:11Johnson already had a red card this season in the league
07:21but now
07:25now the check is over
07:29I mean it seemed a late challenge
07:33but that was all, didn't seem
07:49sent back by Kyle Cameron
07:53Rubicic who missed
07:57a large chunk of the second half of last season
08:05over towards McKenzie
08:15this has often been a fixture to look forward to for Aberdeen
08:19only not once in their last 14
08:23premiership visits to Macdermid Park
08:27Johnson did actually win at
08:31Todry last season
08:43Smith, such a tidy player
08:49Benji Kimpioka
08:53Rubicic
08:57celebrates
09:01Kimpioka, got the stepovers, got to say he defends it well
09:05Rubicic, doesn't want to get isolated
09:09Kimpioka running at him, stood up well, didn't dive in
09:13early opportunity here for St. Johnston
09:17Cammy McPherson
09:21take this corner in front of the
09:25travelling army of Aberdeen fans, McPherson's corner
09:29oh Lewis Nilsson, what a chance
09:33what a ball this is
09:37Cammy McPherson, goalkeeper blocked off
09:41six, no four yards out
09:45three yards out, got to hit the target, what an opportunity
09:49last season
09:53at Tartic Thistle
09:57in the championship
10:11Nilsson, or Rubicic
10:15Ricky Devlin
10:19up with Shader Morris
10:23and that will carry to St. Johnston's new keeper, Josh Wray
10:27who had a successful couple of years
10:31with Adrianians
10:35of course, big gloves to fill
10:39St. Johnston Shrape, goalkeeper at the other end
10:43new top, Aberdeen
10:47St. Johnston's best player
10:51player of the year last season, in fact he made more saves than any other keeper
10:55in the Scottish Premiership
10:59Meloya send that away
11:03Lewis Nilsson
11:07Lewis Nilsson with the potential
11:11for a long throw
11:15or a short one
11:19I'd say potential
11:23I'd like to put that in just in case
11:37Ricky Devlin
11:41Shader Morris
11:45Bioski
11:49lovely flick here for Shinny
11:53and now Sokla's in, it's Esther Sokla
11:57what a score, the flag is going to go up against him
12:01and it's not going to count
12:05blimey, I tell you, I think this is
12:09really, really tight, Bioski, initially
12:13this little cup play is top draw
12:17Shinny gets on, yes, it is the right call
12:21Sokla shouldn't be offside, he's looking a long line, just goes too early
12:25it's a good line actually, Nilsson
12:29goes round Josh Wray and finishes
12:33that's a waste, Sokla knows it
12:37there wasn't a need to be overly keen
12:41from Sokla, but didn't Aberdeen work it well up the pitch
12:45Bioski, tremendous
12:49we're just drawing the lines to confirm that
12:53I'm not sure I needed lines really
12:57there you go, we got that anyway
13:01I thought it was closer than that
13:05Jamie Bagrat
13:21Mitov taking the direct route to Bioski, they've held off him
13:25Devlin
13:29Morris
13:33this is brilliant from Shaden Morris
13:37great feed from Morris
13:41but I tell you what, Craig Levine will be absolutely furious
13:45that ball from Mitov has travelled 60, 70 yards into
13:49Bioski, who gets it down on his chest and pops the ball out right
13:53there's a corner
13:57a corner
14:01Bagrat will take it
14:09Ludovic is making his
14:13presence felt, surprisingly, in there
14:17actually scores his first Aberdeen goal against
14:21Dumbarton in the League Cup
14:25Dumbarton
14:29Dumbarton
14:33floated in by Jamie Bagrat, and Nilsson's header
14:37and that is some stop from Josh Ray
14:41Nilsson just peels away
14:45from Raymond
14:49and tries to direct the header back across
14:53it's a very comfortable serve in the end
14:57it's Bagrat
15:01to whip the corner in again, Rivazic on the end of it
15:05retrieved by Mioski
15:23Music
15:27Music
15:31Music
15:35This is summer in the market, for
15:39Craig Levine, who's actually won more games against Aberdeen
15:43as a manager than any other team
15:47Music
15:51Yeah, he's got his team in a better place than they were last season.
15:59He's brought a fair few players in, a lot of change here.
16:06He's just hoping that they can gel.
16:08The goal scoring was a massive problem, wasn't it?
16:11One of the scorers with Livingston from the top flight.
16:14Sheldon Morris on to this and St. John's exposed.
16:20Morris, Kipiuka, actually rushed back to help out.
16:26Sotler's got to be more determined there.
16:33Aberdeen striker when Morris broke out, just ambled behind Morris.
16:39Kipiuka busting a go and making a movement.
16:42Trying to get in 1v1.
16:48We came for Graham Cheney, who was rather unimpressed by that.
17:08That was a chance for him to be wary of Sidibe.
17:34Sotler getting too close to that.
17:38Look at that.
18:07Mioski.
18:17Cheney.
18:24McKenzie.
18:25McGrath.
18:28Jamie McGrath did well.
18:31Cameron cleared it.
18:33Went by Cheney.
18:36A really good chop back from Jamie McGrath.
18:40A couple of sloppy touches from, first of all, Mioski.
18:43Which allowed the ball to go too wide, but actually the ball did come in.
18:48McGrath couldn't get hold of it, but stood the ball up well.
18:52Cameron with the clearance and Cheney choked his volley.
19:12Ravicic was always meeting that.
19:18Malloy.
19:21McClelland has presented it to Sotler.
19:24McGrath running alongside Mioski, waiting for service.
19:28It's reached him.
19:30He didn't break conviction in that as he had to turn back.
19:38McGrath on that inside causing problems and the pull back.
19:45Not so sure it was a pull back which McGrath meant, but all the way through to Mioski.
19:50Normally expect him to bury that, not a good contact.
19:54Here he is again, Bojan Mioski.
19:57Oh, he nearly buried that one.
20:03I'm thinking why is he not popping that out left to Jamie McGrath who was free, but
20:07good centre forward play from Sotler and Mioski linking up well.
20:12It's a war of 30 yards, that's a terrific effort.
20:16It really is.
20:26He's not getting that.
20:31Terrific drive from Mioski.
20:34Mioski for Sotler and he's through.
20:45It's to Sotler and it's a big save from Josh Bray.
20:50Brilliant save.
20:52Once again the link up late.
20:55Brilliant Mioski, that's such a wonderful touch.
20:58Weighted perfectly.
21:00Sotler just clumsy there with a couple of touches.
21:03Right foot onto left foot, just there.
21:07He puts him off a little bit, but take nothing away from Josh Bray.
21:11Sotler maybe could have lifted it, had time to go round Bray.
21:16Bray stood up well.
21:23Jamie McGrath's corner.
21:25Nicky Devlin.
21:30Having it in ahead.
21:34Four minutes out of four in the make-up and now
21:38the first goal in the new Premiership season
21:42and it's come from Nicky Devlin, the Jimmy Tallinn era
21:46up and running.
21:50It's a terrific header it is.
21:53It's uncontested.
21:55Devlin just gets away from his marker.
21:57Nobody on the back post.
21:59Leaked brilliantly.
22:04Gets up well.
22:06Glances the header into the far corner.
22:09Greg Levine will be wondering why he's unchallenged
22:13but taken away from the execution.
22:16It's a wonderful finish.
22:18I think Aberdeen deserve it, felt it was coming.
22:21Great opportunities.
22:24Now ahead from a corner though.
22:30It's actually Nicky Devlin's sixth goal for Aberdeen.
22:35Came from Livingston last year
22:39and has performed admirably for them.
22:45Devlin looking to turn provider.
22:49Greg Levine's perspective.
22:51He'll be saying to his players at half-time
22:53how has that ball travelled all that way?
22:58Aberdeen player gets a free header.
23:01They'll be furious.
23:13From William Scales to Celtic Park yesterday
23:15and now Nicky Devlin here tonight.
23:18James McFadden will be furious
23:20that there was nobody on the far post.
23:23He may lose it at half-time.
23:32Vantage Aberdeen.
23:36There we go, last ten minutes.
23:38You felt it was coming.
23:39They've created the better opportunities.
23:42Sotbork has to go deep.
23:45Kowalski crashed the shot off the bar
23:47in another effort which he would have felt
23:49he should have done better with.
23:55Sidibe.
24:06McKenzie in and about.
24:07Sidibe.
24:10Nilsson to take this through.
24:16Nessel.
24:19Very right.
24:22Shadowed by McKenzie.
24:27Sidibe.
24:30Cameron appears away from Nilski.
24:41Kupioka.
24:45Actually stopped by Krupic.
24:50The person for Smith.
24:54Matt Smith.
24:57Matt Smith.
25:00Malloy is caught by Sidibe.
25:03That's a free kick for Aberdeen.
25:07Great challenge from Sidibe.
25:11Great challenger.
25:12Smith does well.
25:13Little nutmeg.
25:14Then sees the runner Sidibe.
25:16What can I say?
25:19Well read from Malloy.
25:22To the side of the ball.
25:23Gets his body in.
25:24Makes a clearance.
25:30The last eight meetings between these teams in Perth.
25:34Ended in a 1-0 scoreline.
25:37Five of them to Aberdeen.
25:49They have a worthy lead.
25:53McDermott Park.
25:55What can St. Johnson do about it?
26:05Kupioka chasing this.
26:07But so does Malloy.
26:11Avram Savick.
26:20Sidibe.
26:23Waiting to receive.
26:25Great challenge from Nilski.
26:32so
26:44for right
26:47mckenzie always looked like he was getting ready for the challenge
26:50he's athletic isn't he mckenzie haven't seen enough of
26:56right on that right hand side it's a good challenge
26:59it's going to be a key battle that
27:13raymond
27:16that's some cross
27:19he's actually playing fine the lion crucially so
27:23taking on mcclelland
27:42miyovsky he was taken out
27:49shimmied out
27:50brave with the press of johnston but leaving big gaps in behind their midfield
28:09kept going but uh it was rather disappointing after all that hard work
28:20he's persistent there mcgraw he's trying to come inside and get shots off with that right foot
28:25he's had a good start to this game he's got a lot of thinking to do their powers of recovery last
28:31season as you can see weren't great when they were behind that was last season then
28:39it's a new new dawn new season
28:59so far so good for me to lean in the free cups and the league
29:08so