Jim Goodwin savours first win as Aberdeen manager after fightback against Hibs

Jim Goodwin was delighted to get his first win as Aberdeen manager after his team rallied to defeat 10-man Hibernian in the Premiership.

Goodwin’s tenure had started with two draws and two defeats but he saw his team chalk up a deserved victory over the Edinburgh club, who had Ryan Porteous sent off in the second half when the match was in the balance.

Goodwin said: “I’m very, very happy pleased and obviously delighted to get that first win as it has been a little while coming.”

“I don’t think our performances have been terrible if I am being honest. We had one very poor one at Tynecastle, which we held our hands up for and knew it was not acceptable.

“The other three, the two draws against Motherwell and Dundee Utd were okay and the performance at Ibrox was okay as well, limiting Rangers to a couple of shots on goal was good.

“But this game was really, really pleasing . We have had a couple of really good weeks with the players and their attitude and application in training has been excellent, exactly what we wanted.”

Aberdeen remain 10th in the table but are now just two points off a top six berth with two matches remaining before the league split.

Goodwin added: “We all believe as a group we have a chance to make amends on this season. The players are an honest group, they don’t need told that what has happened previously has not been acceptable.

“We are in a position we should not be in but we have got time I think, a couple of games to put it right if everything goes in our favour.”

Hibs manager Shaun Maloney felt referee Alan Muir got the big desicions in the game wrong.

Lewis Ferguson converted two Aberdeen penalties after Rocky Bushiri was penalised for a handball in the first half and Porteous saw red for conceding a spot kick by hauling down Ross McCrorie in the second period before Vicente Bosuijen wrapped up the home win nine minutes from time.

Maloney said: “It was a very difficult one to take.

“I think in the last half hour,when you are down to 10 men, it slightly skews the feeling but the game changed on two decisions really.

“I think, for sure, we can play better but the decisions unfortunately the referee got incorrect but that is football.”

“For the first penalty, the ball hits Rocky’s knee first before it hits his arm which, going by the rules, means it should not be a penalty.

“It was definitely a penalty with Ryan but he made a genuine attempt to play the ball so he should not have been red carded.

“The two decisions completely changed the game.”