Mixu rues the one that got away

Referee Mike McCurry decided Colin Nish had fouled Dons goalkeeper Jamie Langfield when he bundled the ball in from close range just before half-time.It was a day of missed opportunities for the Easter Road side but Paatelainen was adamant McCurry had been wrong to rule out Nish's strike.He said: "I thought it was a goal. I have seen it on the DVD and I felt he never fouled the goalkeeper. He jumped well, he was up there early, and in my opinion it was a goal."In this instance I felt the striker didn't go there to foul the goalkeeper at all. He didn't push him, he hardly touched him, and I felt it was a goal."But the referee felt otherwise, so so be it."Paatelainen watched his team carve out and waste a host of chances throughout a match he felt they dominated and insisted they deserved a third consecutive win.However, he reserved praise for his defence, who kept a clean sheet for the fourth straight game for the first time since 1990.He added: "I was disappointed not to take all three points. I thought we totally controlled the game, dominated and created loads of chances and put in fantastic crosses and some passing moves."But obviously we needed that one goal to give us the three points."It was pleasing how we defended, it was a solid display. That's the fourth consecutive clean sheet for the first time in 19 years, which is a fantastic achievement for the boys. They should be congratulated for that."Both managers agreed on the sending-off of Aberdeen's Mark Kerr with seven minutes remaining.The former Dundee United midfielder was red-carded for an apparent head-butt on Hibernian captain Rob Jones and Aberdeen manager Jimmy Calderwood admitted he could have no complaints.Calderwood commented: "I've looked at the incident again and I can understand why Mike gave it, although Mark was adamant he never did anything."You don't want to see anyone sent off but Jones pole-axed two of our players in the first half and got away with it."I thought if Mark was going to head-butt the big man he would need a ladder! He's a wonderful professional but I can understand why Mike made that decision."After the embarrassment which accompanied Aberdeen's midweek Scottish Cup quarter-final exit at the hands of First Division Dunfermline, Calderwood was pleased with his players' gutsy response.They remain four points ahead of Hibs in the race for a top-six place and European qualification.He added: "In the four-and-a-half years I've been here we keep getting knocked down and written off but we keep bouncing back."We let ourselves, our families, our club, our supporters down (against Dunfermline), but we've got to take it on the chin and get on with it."Any player knows themselves when they have let their club down and I think they showed a lot of character. Even with 10 men we knocked it about well and it would have been cruel if we had lost the game."I thought we dominated proceedings without creating too much. The thing was there was no final product."There were a few scary moments but I think we deserved a draw."

Source: Team_Talk