Aberdeen V Partick at Pittodrie Stadium : Match Preview

03 April 2015 17:01
Aberdeen V Partick - view commentary, squad, and statistics of the game live.


Hayes set for Aberdeen return

Aberdeen hope to welcome Jonny Hayes back from injury ahead of Saturday's Scottish Premiership clash with Partick at Pittodire.

The Irish winger has missed a month of action with a calf strain but is now ready to rejoin Derek McInnes' squad.

However, skipper Russell Anderson (knee) remains out.

Forward Niall McGinn says the Dons are desperate to get on their travels again after this season's European adventure.

The Pittodrie side enjoyed trips to Latvian outfit Daugava Riga and Dutch side FC Groningen before crashing out of the Europa League after a 5-2 aggregate defeat to Spanish giants Real Sociedad.

But that brief sojourn overseas was enough to whet McGinn's appetite and he says the lure of another campaign on the continent is firing Aberdeen up for the run-in.

The Reds sit second in the table, five points behind Celtic but eight in front of Inverness.

Northern Ireland international McGinn told RedTV: "We got that experience and it definitely makes us hungrier for me.

"We had those trips away to Groningen and Real Sociedad - those are the type of games you want to be involved in.

"It's always nice to go away to these nice places. We are professional footballers and at the end of the day we want to play in these big games - there is no bigger than these European games."

McInnes was named Scotland's manager of the year last season by both the PFA and Scottish Football Writers' Association after ending Aberdeen's 19-year wait for a major cup success.

The trophy cabinet will lie empty this season but McGinn insists his boss should still be among the contenders for the individual prizes.

He said: "The manager has been brilliant since he came in to the club and the progression we have made in terms of the league this year has been unbelievable.

"The gap at the top has closed down massively.

"There is no reason why he should not be up for the award - in fact he definitely should be."

Kallum Higginbotham returns from suspension for Partick.

Manager Alan Archibald has no new injury concerns for trip to Pittodrie.

However, Dan Seaborne (ankle) remains out along with Sean Welsh (ankle) and Christie Elliott (broken hand).

Scott Paterson believes Partick will travel "with a wee spring in their step" on Saturday following back-to-back wins.

The Jags alleviated relegation fears to an extent before the international break with victories over St Johnstone and Inverness.

Two successive top-flight wins for the first time since 1996 moved the Firhill club into ninth place in the Scottish Premiership.

Assistant manager Paterson, a former Aberdeen youth coach, is confident the Maryhill men can take another stride to safety by securing victory against the second-placed Dons.

He said: "Hopefully we can go up there and put in a performance that we are capable of and if we do that there is no reason why we can't get three points.

"We know it is going to be really tough but the boys have a bit of confidence, a wee spring in their step, so I'm sure we can go up there and cause Aberdeen problems.

"I think we are capable of doing it.

"What we have to do is make it tight for the first 15-20 minutes because Aberdeen have a lot of quality in their squad, not just the starting 11.

"But hopefully we can go up there and come away with, if not all three points, then at least a point.

"It is inconsistency that has cost us points, and quite a few points at that. It is something that myself and Alan (Archibald, manager) have been very frustrated about.

"But when we play we can beat anyone in this league. I think we have shown that in the past."


Source: PA