Joe Harper column: Aberdeen's winless and goalless streak has to end

Aberdeen have gone six games without a goal and six games without a win.

Third place is still up for grabs for Aberdeen but their goalless and winless run needs to end tomorrow against Kilmarnock.

The Dons may be four points behind Hibs having played a game more, but the fight for third spot is very much on.

Both sides will drop points between now and the end of the season and whichever side has the fewest slip-ups will prevail.

The Reds need to start defeating the sides further down the league – something they haven’t been doing enough of in recent times.

Tomorrow’s game at home to Kilmarnock is important because it’s against a team down near the bottom of the table who are on a poor run and a victory could be the platform for an upturn in Aberdeen’s form.

They lost 1-0 to Celtic on Wednesday night, but there were some positive aspects to that display.

The first 20 minutes wasn’t good with the hosts having all of the play and the Dons sitting deep.

But, after that initial spell, Aberdeen pressed better and were much more competitive and did get into some decent areas.

The Reds should have had a penalty in the first half when Florian Kamberi’s effort hit the arm of Stephen Welsh.

We’ve seen penalties given for those types of offences this season, but referee Alan Muir didn’t give it.

Kamberi hit a post and on another night that might have hit the inside of the post and gone in, but things like that aren’t quite going for the Dons just now.

Although Aberdeen lost to Celtic, the performance was more encouraging than in recent weeks.

Overall the result was disappointing, because it’s another defeat and another game without scoring.

But I felt Aberdeen showed more encouraging signs at Parkhead than they have in the previous five matches.

Derek McInnes’ men looked more threatening going forward and after the opening quarter they were competitive and put Celtic under some pressure.

However, the problem which remains is the lack of goals.

It’s now a club record six games without a goal for Aberdeen as a result six games without a win. That needs to change against Kilmarnock.

As an individual player, if I went six games without scoring, I was aware of it and concerned by it and would do extra work after training to try to break the drought.

But for the whole team to not be scoring is even more concerning and they can’t afford this record barren spell to be extended to a seventh straight game.

The Dons did show on Wednesday they are capable of getting into good areas and causing problems.

If they can build on that tomorrow then they could beat Killie quite comfortably.

But the Reds need to go out and make it happen and show that they’ve turned a corner, because, although the display against Celtic was better, it needs to be followed up with goals and victories.

Kilmarnock are struggling and have lost seven straight games.

They are under new management in Tommy Wright, but it’s a game Aberdeen have to be winning if they want to finish third.