Aberdeen Reserves 5 Inverness CT Reserves 2

Feature by Stand Free Ed
Updated Wednesday, 22nd November 2006

Mackie hat-trick keeps pressure on Miller and Lovell.

DARREN MACKIE continued his scoring form with a hat trick in the Dons' reserves' win over Inverness yesterday.

With all the talk of so-called 'boo-boys' hogging the local press recently, at least Mackie has remembered that it is Jimmy Calderwood he has to impress if he wants to regain his starting place in the first-team, and no one else.

The striker will have done his chances no harm with a good all-round display yesterday, scoring three and setting up another for fellow first-team substitute Chris 'Phil' Maguire.

It remains to be seen whether this and his two goals from the bench on Saturday is enough to persuade Calderwood to displace one of promising partnership Lee Miller and Steve Lovell, but clearly having a number of in-form strikers is no bad thing for a team challenging for a European place.

Michael Paton scored the Dons' other goal at Links Park yesterday, with former Dons Dennis Wyness and Rory McAllister netting for the away team.

The game also saw Dutch defender Karim Touzani complete 90 minutes of action on his comeback from injury, and that should put him in contention for a starting berth in Saturday's crucial encounter with Dunfermline at East End Park.

Aberdeen: Soutar, Donald, S. Smith, Touzani, Diamond (Bagshaw 68), Considine, Macaulay (Haswell 80), Winter, Mackie, Maguire, Paton (Kiely 75).
Subs not used: Stewart, Thomas.