Aberdeen boss Jim Goodwin's Jonny Hayes 'wellbeing' frustration as he delivers injury 'reality' update

Aberdeen boss Jim Goodwin believes Steven McLean should have stopped the game immediately when Jonny Hayes went down with a head knock.

The Irishman went down in the 71st minute after a collision with team-mate David Bates but the play continued for 15 seconds.

Hayes would receive treatment on the field for nearly three minutes before being replaced by Jack MacKenzie.

It was the latest injury suffered by the Dons with Matty Kennedy also having gone off earlier in the game.

"Jonny was more precaution than anything else,” Goodwin said. “A serious head knock, I thought the game should have been stopped immediately. We talk about player welfare and that's something that's been in the headlines quite a lot. That game should have been stopped instantly and Jonny allowed to get the treatment required.

"I just felt it looked like a heavy knock at the time. Jonny wanted to play on but my priority is always the player's health and wellbeing and thought it was the right thing to take Jonny off at that particular time.

“Matty has had a bit of a back injury all season and it maybe looks as if he has tweaked that again.”

‘Reality of the situation’

While Goodwin was not wanting to use injuries as an excuse for the poor performance at Tynecastle Park, he did note the unfortunate luck he has had to contend with since replacing Stephen Glass at Pittodrie.

In his three games he has had to do without Calvin Ramsay, Hayes, MacKeznie, Ross McCrorie, Scott Brown and Funso Ojo, as well as longer-term absentees Marley Watkins and Andrew Considine.

“There's no getting away from that," Goodwin said. “As a manager if you come out and start talking about the players that are missing and all the things that have been going against you, you get shot