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Dundee United 1 Aberdeen 3: Scott Vernon hat-trick leaves Dons on brink of second-place finish

THE hitman, recalled to the starting line-up after an injury to Adam Rooney, grabbed a treble to leave the Dons in pole position in the race for second.

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Aberdeen hero Scott Vernon

SCOTT VERNON'S hat-trick left Dundee United shocked and moved Aberdeen to the verge of clinching runners-up spot in the Premiership.

Having been consigned to starting matches purely on the subs bench since Adam Rooney was captured in January, the 30-year-old was suddenly thrust back into the spotlight due to the Irishman’s injury. Vernon had to come good.

There was no settling-in period. With Motherwell on his side’s tail in the chase for second, the impact had to be instant.

Vernon’s response was and in dazzling fashion swept Derek McInnes’ side to within a point of securing that cherished position behind champions Celtic.

Not that he worked alone. At the other end, keeper Jamie Langfield produced a display of similar quality to frustrate the hosts.

United did enough to get something from the game. In fact, they could easily have won it.

Had Langfield not made four brilliant stops, Jackie McNamara’s men could have kept their own faint hopes of third alive.

Had an assistants flag not wrongly ruled out a Ryan Dow strike, they might have at least have grabbed a point.

In the end, they got nothing. Vernon saw to that in a storyline that was in keeping with much of this fairytale campaign for his team.

United went into the match looking for the big home send-off.

Saying farewell to Tannadice before two end-of-season trips to Celtic Park – the second of which for the Scottish Cup Final – could define the term. Yet, with three attempts to beat the Dons this season going into the contest going unrewarded, it had the potential to be a long goodbye.

Manager Jackie McNamara sprang some pre-match surprises, with the naming of kid Marc McCallum in goal the biggest.

Morgaro Gomis was also given a shout in midfield with regular sitters Paul Paton and John Ranking missing.

But the initial spotlight was all on the 21-year-old between the sticks. And within seven minutes, the kid was picking the ball out of the net.

It was almost his first involvement after a beginning to the contest that saw the sides roar into each other with little concern for panache.

Vernon won a flick to set Peter Pawlett away and, when the midfielder came inside, the striker reacted first to burst on to the loose ball.

The angle was acute but Vernon fired a low effort past McCallum before he could get down and the Dons had the  breakthrough.

The hosts reacted well, though, and were fully deserving of the leveller they got before the break.

Young Andrew Robertson was battling well with Barry Robson.

McCallum was also standing up, bravely taking a strong challenge from Vernon.

The ability had also remained in place, typified by a sweeping move which Nadir Ciftci finished by searing a shot which was brilliantly saved by Langfield.

Most important of all, though, was that the equaliser was in place by the time ref Calum Murray closed the first period.

The goal could have been predicted. The scorer could not. Sean Dillon had gone over three years without one.

But, after good work from Stuart Armstrong, his stinging drive took a wicked deflection and roared into the net. McNamara’s team were due that interval parity and they would have led but for more Langfield brilliance.

Firstly, the keeper produced a quite sensational save to tip away Robertson’s guided side-foot volley.

Then he pushed Mark Wilson’s point-blank half-volley on to the bar before Murray’s whistle gave the Dons some respite.

McInnes charged down the tunnel.

He had things to alter, McNamara wanted more of the same.

Aberdeen restored their  advantage 10 minutes after the restart and Vernon’s second came from typical Robson set-piece magic.

The veteran’s corner was a peach, taking out McCallum and the United backline.Vernon did the simple bit, nodding into the empty net.

That told just half the story before it was over, though, as the chances flowed either side of that strike.

Jonny Hayes nicked Andrew  Robertson’s cross from the toe of Brian Graham before firing over. Both sides also had efforts ruled out for offside, United’s wrongly.

McGinn’s header after McCallum pushed away a drive from sub Cammy Smith was flagged, as was Dow’s cool finish coming in from the left flank. The former decision was correct. Not so the latter.

United wouldn’t bow after the second goal. A stunning move involving Ciftci and sub Farid El Alagui gave Graham a chance, but again Langfield was defiant.

But their fires went out when Vernon completed his hat-trick.

Gavin Gunning wrongly left a long ball and the striker was on hand to round McCallum before rolling the ball home.

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