Aberdeen 1-3 Ipswich Town - Match Report Friday, 25th Jul 2025 21:26 Jaden Philogene scored twice and George Hirst once as Town beat Aberdeen 3-1 in their friendly at Pittodrie. Philogene stroked home from close range after good work from Sammie Szmodics and Hirst on 28, then Hirst added a second with a predatory rebound 10 minutes later, before Philogene netted the third just before the hour with Aberdeen pulling one back in the 79th minute remaining and the Blues having replaced their entire starting XI. Town named a strong XI with Alex Palmer in goal, Ben Johnson and Leif Davis the full-backs and Dara O’Shea, who again skippered, and Jacob Greaves the centre-halves. Azor Matusiwa and Jack Taylor were in the centre of midfield with Jack Clarke, again on the right, Sammie Szmodics and Jaden Philogene behind number nine George Hirst. New signing Ashley Young and Omari Hutchinson, who had been given additional time off after representing England’s U21s at the Euros, didn’t travel as they’ve only just begun their pre-seasons. Also absent were one-time Aberdeen loanee Wes Burns and Aro Muric, who are still on the way back from their injuries, and Cieran Slicker, who is in the process of looking for a loan club. Town were first to threaten in the second minute, O’Shea playing a ball down the middle for Davis, who found himself one-on-one with former Cambridge keeper Dimitar Mitov, who was off his line quickly to block. The Blues’ left-back was notably playing in a much more narrow role when the Blues were attacking, presumably allowing Philogene more space out wide. With the large home crowd making plenty of noise, the Dons were next to attack, Leighton Clarkson and Adil Aouchiche both having shots blocked. On six, after good work from Scotland international Hirst on the left, Taylor cut in and hit strike which flew high and wide. Town had keeper Palmer to thank for not going behind in the eighth minute. Finnish international Topi Keskinen got the better of Johnson on the Aberdeen left and cut across to Alexander Jensen, who diverted the ball towards goal, but Palmer stuck out a leg and saved. The Scottish Cup holders weren’t too far away again a minute later, Aouchiche cutting in from the left and shooting narrowly wide of Palmer’s left post. On 12, Philogene was fouled five yards outside the area to the left and Davis floated the ball towards O’Shea, who had peeled off beyond the far post, but the centre-half was unable to nod it back across goal with Mitov in no-man’s land. Three minutes later, Szmodics reached a dropping ball ahead of Ante Palaversa on the edge of the Town box and felt the full force of the Croatian’s boot on his shin as he attempted to shoot. The former Blackburn man spent some time grounded before briefly going off the field, presumably for a new shin pad. In the 23rd minute, Philogene was found by a Jack Clarke cross-field pass, cut in and hit a low shot, which Mitov saved down to his right, Jack Milne reaching the loose ball first and clearing the danger. Five minutes later, the Blues, who were getting on top, went in front. After some determined pressing well into the Dons’ half, Johnson played a pass forward to Hirst in the area on the right of the box. The Town number nine moved it on to Szmodics to his right and the Irish international, who might have shot himself, rolled it across the edge of the six-yard box to Philogene, who stroked into the net. Two minutes later, following a corner, Jack Clarke smashed a shot which Milne blocked at close range. In the 33rd minute, the Blues weren’t too far away from a second, Jack Clarke volleying a cross off a defender and out for a corner at the back post with Aberdeen appealing, probably correctly, for offside earlier in the move. Within a minute, a loose ball fell to Hirst on the right of the box and the Scotland striker’s shot was blocked and the Dons, who were looking increasingly panicky at the back, made heavy weather of clearing. In the 38th minute, Town doubled their lead. After good work from Philogene, who brought the ball forward and inside from the left, then laid it off to Szmodics, the Irish international hit a low shot to Mitov’s right, which the keeper saved but couldn’t hold onto. Hirst was quickest to react and stabbed his third goal of pre-season into the net from a yard or so out Town were now well in control and in the 41st minute weren’t far away from a third, Johnson crossing from the right having exchanged passes with Jack Clarke and Hirst rose highest but his downward header was saved comfortably by Mitov. It was the Blues’ fans who were happiest at the whistle after an entertaining and competitive half. Aberdeen had started positively and would have been ahead but for Palmer’s early save, but the longer the period progressed, Town looked the better side and most likely to score, which they did, Hirst, Szmodics and Philogene showing composure inside the area to net the first. The same trio were involved for the second, Hirst gambling that Mitov would fail to hold onto Szmodics shot and profiting. Aberdeen made a double change at the break, swapping Shayden Morris and Jensen for Nicolas Milanovic and Nicky Devlin, while the Blues remained unchanged. The first chance of the half fell to Town, Mitov scuffing a clearance to Szmodics when well out of his goal but the Blues forward similarly mis-kicked and the ball looped wide. In the 49th minute, Hirst brought it into the area looking for a gap to shoot into and seemed to have found one but his strike deflected straight into Mitov’s arms. Moments later, Aberdeen broke forward and sub Milanovic worked himself space to shoot but hit his effort from the edge of the area to the left across Palmer but wide. On 54, Clarkson brought the ball down the middle unchallenged before hitting a shot from not far outside the area, which Palmer saved down to his right. Kusini Yengi, brother of former Town U21s striker Tete, tried to get to the rebound but Greaves, unlike his Aberdeen counterparts earlier, was able to reach it before him and forced it behind. In the 59th minute, the Blues made it 3-0. Szmodics fed Davis bursting forward in a narrow role on the left before playing in the unmarked Philogene to his left, the former Aston Villa man taking it into the box, before shooting across Mitov, who got down to it but allowed it through his left hand and into the net. Philogene almost created a fourth on 62, playing a clever reverse pass for Szmodics but a defender had read it and turned behind. From the corner, the ball dropped for Jack Clarke but his volley flew well wide. On 64, the home side made four more substitutions, Sivert Nilsen, Kjarten Kjartansson, Fletcher Boyd and Alfie Dorrington replacing Palaversa, Clarkson, Keskinen and Milne. Town swapped all 11 players in the 68th minute, Christian Walton coming on in goal with Luke Woolfenden and Conor Townsend the full-backs and Cedric Kipre and Elkan Baggott the centre-backs. Harry Clarke was in central midfield alongside Cameron Humphreys with Chiedozie Ogbene on the right, Conor Chaplin in the middle and Nathan Broadhead on the left. Ali Al-Hamadi was the striker. Chaplin forced Mitov into a sharp save soon after coming on with the Blues remaining well in charge despite the different XI. On 77, the former Portsmouth man tricked his way past three defenders on the right, took the ball inside but hit a tame effort through to Mitov with the ball perhaps catching an Aberdeen boot on the way through. A minute later, the Dons made three further changes, Dante Polvara, Gavin Molloy and Peter Ambrose replacing Aouchiche, Graham Shinnie and Yengi. In the 79th minute, the home side pulled a goal back, much to the delight of the home fans, who to their credit had kept singing despite the scoreline. Devlin swept the ball wide to Milanovic, whose first shot was blocked, then his second was stopped by Kipre on the line at the far post but Ambrose was on hand to turn into the net with the Town players appealing for an offside which didn’t come. Buoyed by their goal, the Reds went looking for another, Boyd breaking into the area but with Walton off his line quickly and blocking. On 89 there was a brief scuffle at a corner involving Al-Hamadi and Sivert Nilsen with Chaplin also getting involved with the Aberdeen midfielder before referee Dan McFarlane restored order. There was just time for Boyd to volley well wide before McFarlane’s whistle ended proceedings. An entertaining and competitive friendly which the Blues deservedly won having needed to work hard in the first 20 minutes or so before taking charge and scoring their two first-half goals. After the break, Town were well in control and deserved their third and continued to push even after the subs until the latter stages when the home side were given a boost by their goal. Overall, a performance which will have pleased manager Kieran McKenna, whose side are next in action against fellow Championship side Charlton at Colchester’s Jobserve Community Stadium on Tuesday evening. Aberdeen: Mitov, Shinnie (c) (Molloy 78), Knoester, Aouchiche (Polvara 78), Yengi (Ambrose 78), Clarkson (Kjartansson 64), Palaversa (Nilsen 64), Morris (Milanovic 46), Milne (Dorrington 64), Jensen (Devlin 46), Keskinen (Boyd 64). Unused: Suman, Molloy, Ambrose, Lobban. Town: Palmer (Walton 68), Johnson (Woolfenden 68), O’Shea (c) (Kipre 68), Greaves (Baggott 68), Davis (Townsend 68), Matusiwa (H Clarke 68), Taylor (Humphreys 68), J Clarke (Ogbene 68), Szmodics (Chaplin 68), Philogene (Broadhead 68), Hirst (Al-Hamadi 68). Unused, Barbrook, Button. Referee: Dan McFarlane.
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