McInnes looking to get edge on Celtic

ABERDEEN manager Derek McInnes aims to find a way to maintain his team’s competitive edge after they set up a top-of-the-table clash with Celtic with a 1-0 victory over Hibernian.

Gary Mackay-Steven’s 38th-minute goal was enough to earn the Dons three points at Easter Road and remain level on points with Ladbrokes Premiership leaders Celtic.

Aberdeen’s next game is against the champions at Pittodrie on October 25 but Celtic play twice before then, against Hibs in the Betfred Cup semi-finals and Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

“We don’t have a game next week, that’s our own doing with the semi-finals being played,” McInnes said.

“We need to really fine-tune our training and keep that edge to our play.

“It’s been a bit stop-start this season with a couple of international breaks. We will certainly need that edge going into the game against Celtic.”

Despite the international break preceding Saturday’s encounter, it was fiercely contested from the start.

The Dons boss was delighted to come through another difficult test with their unbeaten league record intact and enthused about the occasion after a 19,033 crowd saw an absorbing game of football.

“I like coming here anyway and we have managed to get some good results here in the past,” McInnes said.

“I remember my first game for Aberdeen, it was a 0-0 here, a bottom-six game in front of 6,500. It was the worst game you have ever seen. Two teams with nothing to play for, a drab end-of-season game.

“Now it is vibrant, Hibs are going the right way, we feel we are in a good place and ready to kick on. It was good to see the energy and passion from both sets of supporters and a lot of good players on show. It was pleasing to win what was always going to be a tough game for us.”