Aberdeen and St Johnstone have it all to do to keep their Europa League hopes alive after
Aberdeen and St Johnstone have it all to do to keep their Europa League hopes alive after
defeats in their first leg matches last night.
The Dons fell to a 2-0 loss to Real Sociedad in San Sebastian, while the Saints were beaten 2-1 by Spartak Trnava in Perth.
Derek McInnes's men defended stubbornly in a goalless first half.
Midfielder David Zurutuza, however, broke through the red resistance in the 53rd minute before substitute Sergio Canales doubled that lead with a drive in the 68th minute and it might have been worse had keeper Jamie Langfield not made a save from substitute Imanol Agirretxe, who then missed another chance right at the end, with the woodwork also coming to the Dons' rescue.
Although a two-goal deficit is not insurmountable, Aberdeen will have to come up with something special if they are to rescue the tie at Pittodrie.
At McDiarmid Park, two goals from Ivan Schranz either side of half-time left the Scottish Cup winners facing an uphill struggle for next week's second leg in Slovakia.
However, captain Dave Mackay's goal nearly three minutes into injury-time at least gave Saints some hope against Spartak.
After 34 minutes, Saints were behind. Spartak's Marek Janecka drifted to the left of the attack and slipped a ball to the overlapping Schranz, and the 20-year-old found the net via the underside of the crossbar with a powerful drive from 15 yards.
In the 62nd minute, the visitors doubled their advantage - and there was a slice of fortune about the way the ball broke forward for Trnava from a tackle 40 yards out. However, Schranz capitalised on hesitation from Alan Mannus to find the net.
In injury-time Wotherspoon's low cross from the right found its way through to Mackay - and the defender's low shot made it through a forest of legs to find the net and give Wright's men a glimmer of hope for the second leg.
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