COSGROVE READY FOR FAVOURITE BUDDIES

SAM COSGROVE could not pick better visitors than St Mirren this afternoon as Aberdeen seek to reduce the five-point gap on second-placed Rangers. The striker’s double in a 4-1 romp over the Buddies at Pittodrie last October represented his first goals for the Dons after he went 16 games without scoring. But it was his winner in a 2-1 victory in Paisley two months later that really kick-started his career under Derek McInnes. That sparked Cosgrove’s current run of 14 goals in his past 13 appearances, a surge in form for the £45,000 signing from Carlisle that leaves him behind only Alfredo Morelos in the Premiership scoring stakes. Out to put further pressure on the suspended Ibrox star by inflicting more damage on his favourite opponents, Cosgrove said: ‘Hopefully, I can get on the scoresheet again but it was a tough game against them in December on one of coldest days I’ve ever known on a football pitch. ‘I hadn’t scored many goals for the club before that, so to get the winner that day meant a lot as anyone who saw the pictures of my celebrations could clearly see. ‘That was a good moment, as was scoring two against them earlier in the season. It was a massive weight off my shoulders. ‘They were the first I’d scored for the club. I thought that I would kick on after that but it wasn’t the case for a couple more months. ‘But scoring at Paisley against them really did kick-start it and I’ve been able to keep the scoring run going since then.’ Cosgrove has 16 goals in all competitions and is on track to join Adam Rooney as the only Aberdeen player to score 20 in a season over the past two decades. ‘I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t surprised because scoring this many goals in the top flight is surreal at times,’ said the 22-year-old. ‘I’m at such a good point in my game that when I go out on the pitch, I expect the goals will come.’