SAM’S GRIN AND TONIC

Sam Cosgrove staggered out his sick bed to make everything “Well” for the Dons.

Boss Derek McInnes hai led his talismanic striker for a super show and praised midfield stand-ins Greg Leigh and Zak Vyner for outstanding displays.

Cosgrove’s beautifully-taken opener after a penalty save at the other end from Joe Lewis laid the platform for a Reds success that moved them to within a point of third-placed Motherwell.

The Englishman’s 15th goal of the campaign was backed up by Niall McGinn’s second of the season and only Vyner’s second of his career.

McInnes reckons if Cosgrove had Scottish relatives he’d be in Steve Clarke’s starting line-up.

He said: “Sam has been under the weather the last few days and feeling lethargic but there was nothing lethargic about his performance. At times he looks unplayable. I showed him his goal. “When he first came here he would have put that ball over the stand. He can take credit for his progress. “I played with No.9s and you heard them before they came into the stadium. They were strutting about as if they could do no wrong and he is giving us that just now. “His goal epitomised it. We depend on him but it was good to see others playing their part. “Sam is carrying the mantle of being Aberdeen’s No.9 and that’s not an easy thing to deal with. “Al fredo Morelos is wor th £ 15mi l l ion or what e ver, Odsonne Edouard was signed for £ 9m. We signed Sam for £ 25,000. We took a punt on him and he is worth much more now. “I don’t know if his goal ratio can be bettered. We won’t big him up too much as we want to get through January with him still here!

“We’re just lucky we have got a boy who feels loved and important.”

Cosgrove was superb and was ably backed up by colleagues, most notably Leigh and Vyner.

Injuries and suspensions left McInnes light in the engine room but his decision to play the converted defenders as a sitting pair was inspired.

The boss added: “We worked all week with Leigh and Vyner in there. Vyner can naturally play there and will play his best football there but Greg really took to it too.

“Their performances were fantastic and it gave us a good platform.”

The Dons survived a scare before storming ahead. Shay Logan misjudged a backpass and Chris Long got to it before Lewis and went to ground.

Lewis argued there was no contact and justice was done with the keeper thrusting up an arm to divert James Scott’s effort from 12 yards over the bar.

Peter Hartley was off receiving attention to a head knock when Leigh set up

Cosgrove to dink the opener past Mark Gillespie in 15 minutes.

Long hit a post from a tight angle before the Dons added a decisive second eight minutes after the break.

The Northern Irishman mugged Allan Campbell and set off towards Gillespie before curling into the top corner. Del’s men were in total control and Vyner made

sure of the points on the hour when he turned beautifully 30 yards out and thundered in via Gillespie’s righthand post.

McInnes added: “We’re only eight games in and the league doesn’t settle down until the turn of the year.

“Our response against Hibs with 10 men and then this one augurs well.”