Hibs 1-2 Aberdeen: Dons diminish Hibs' hopes

Hibs' hopes of leapfrogging Aberdeen to take fifth place in the SPL table evaporated at Pittodrie this afternoon as the Easter Road side lost for the first time this season to the Dons in the final game of the campaign.

A bizarre goal from Lee Miller, Hibs goalkeeper Yves Ma-Kalambay thumping a clearance of the Aberdeen striker's back before standing bemused as he watched the ball roll into the net, and a stunning free-kick from Charlie Mulgrew fired the Dons into next season's Europa League as rivals Dundee United went down to Rangers at Tannadice.

Derek Riordan pulled on back on the stroke of half-time for Hibs but it wasn't enough as Mixu Paatelainen's side lost skipper Rob Jones to a back injury and Ian Murray to a red card, the utility player sent off for picking up a second yellow card.

Sone Aluko had the chance to make it an even more comfortable victory for the Dons after referee David Somers awarded a penalty for hand ball substitute Johnatan Johansson, but Ma-Kalambay got down well to his left to save his spot-kick four minutes from time.

Aberdeen, knowing nothing less than a victory would give them a chance of European football next season, immediately pinned Hibs down deep inside their own half, Scott Severin and Peter Pawlett both seeing shots blocked as the Dons went for an early goal.

Jones, Steven Thicot and Murray were all called upon as Hibs struggled at times to get the ball out of their own half but, just as it looked as if Mixu Paatelainen's players had weathered the storm, they conceded possibly the most bizarre goal of the season.

Having gathered an innocuous through ball, there appeared to be no danger as Ma-Kalambay prepared to clear although he was clearly unhappy with the presence of Aberdeen striker Miller standing by his right shoulder.

But as Miller held his ground, Ma-Kalambay booted the ball off his back and stood transfixed as it rolled behind him and across the line. Even referee David Somers seemed taken aback, the official contemplating what he had just seen before signalling for a goal.

Ma-Kalambay was incensed and had to be restrained from making his way to the centre circle to argue his case. Miller, however, had done nothing wrong, the former Hearts striker having made no attempt to interfere with the big Belgian's clearance.

Ma-Kalambay, however, showed he hadn't let that blunder affect him, pushing away a vicious free-kick from Severin and then blocking a close-range header from the same player and then acrobatically turning aside a powerful shot from Gary McDonald.

He did, though, enjoy a moment of luck as Pawlett's shot took the slightest of deflections before crashing back off the post.

There great anxiety in the Hibs ranks as skipper Jones went crashing to the turf holding his back in agony after a challenge on Sone Aluko, the big defender requiring a lengthy spell of treatment before somewhat gingerly getting back to his feet just in time to see Ma-Kalambay fumble a Mulgrew free-kick.

An angled shot from Derek Riordan which Jamie Langfield safely held was the only threat from Hibs who fell two behind in the 45th minute as Mulgrew curled home a wonderful free-kick from 30 yards which left Ma-Kalambay helpless.

But Riordan did throw Hibs a lifeline in the second minute of the two added on at the end of the first half following that Jones' injury, the striker stepping inside Lee Mair after collecting Ross Chisholm's pass to slot home his 12th goal of the season.

Suddenly the party mood which had descended on Pittodrie as the home fans learned of Rangers leading at Tannadice subsided somewhat, leaving Dons boss Jimmy Calderwood to ponder whether to try to simply hold onto a lead which would guarantee a place in next season's Europa League or go for further goals.

As a result of Riordan's strike Aberdeen made a less certain start to the second half than they had the first but, again, they managed to gain the upperhand and Miller should have restored their two goal lead in the 66th minute when Stuart Duff's pass left him with only Ma-Kalambay to beat, the big goalkeeper using his legs to block his opponent's shot.

Hibs were forced into a reshuffle as Jones signalled he was unable to continue, Alan O'Brien replacing him as Murray took the captain's armband, a honour he held for only two minutes before he was given his marching orders by referee Somers.

Having been booked earlier for a foul on Miller, Murray was adjudged to have fouled Pawlett as he crossed the Hibs star's path, the upshot being a second yellow and an early bath in the 68th minute for the clearly angered Easter Road player.

It now means Murray will now miss the first three SPL matches of next season and he'd feel rightly aggrieved with tackles more sinister then the one he perpetrated on Pawlett not attracting the yellow card.

Aberdeen: Langfield, Mulgrew, Foster, McDonald, Severin, Miller (Wright 83), Vidal, Duff, Mair, Aluko (Stewart 87), Pawlet (Paton 79)t. Subs not used: Bossu, Maguire, Clark, Ross.

Hibs: Ma-Kalambay, Van Zanten, Thicot, Jones (O'Brien 66), Murray, Rankin, Bamba, Chisholm, Stevenson, Fletcher (Johansson 81), Riordan. Subs not used: McNeil, Keenan, McCormack, Campbell, Cropley.
Referee: David Somers.