Aberdeen earned a vital Scottish Premiership victory over 10-man Hibernian, handing Stephen Robinson his first win as head coach. The match saw Kevin Nisbet score a brace, with his first goal coming from a penalty spot after Grant Hanley was given a red card for bringing down Toyosi Olusanya.
Nisbet sealed the 2-0 win with a powerful drive that crashed off the underside of the bar, with a VAR check confirming the ball had crossed the line. Aberdeen had been struggling with just one win in their last 16 matches, putting them at risk of being drawn into the relegation play-off spot. Hibs, on the other hand, were unbeaten in their last five matches and still had hopes of catching Motherwell for fourth place. The game saw a slow start but burst into life when Olusanya was brought down by Hanley, leading to the penalty and red card.
Nisbet coolly slotted the penalty into the bottom-left corner, and despite Hibs' efforts to keep the Dons at bay, Aberdeen continued to create better chances. The Dons' man advantage allowed them to control the game, with Stuart Armstrong and Gyamfi coming close to scoring. Nisbet's second goal sealed the win, and Aberdeen head coach Robinson praised his team's performance, saying they 'stood up today and were counted.' Hibs boss David Gray acknowledged the correct decision on the Hanley red card, stating it was accidental but by the letter of the law, it was the right call. Gray also expressed surprise at the foul not being given initially and believed Gyamfi's action could be considered violent conduct.
The win gives Aberdeen a morale-boosting clean sheet, and Robinson remains proud of his team's performance, acknowledging there is still much work to be done to ensure safety from relegation.