McInnes expects good response after defeat

Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes insists there is no chance his players will be caught dwelling on the 3-0 defeat by Rangers.

The Dons take on St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park tomorrow in their final game before the Scottish Cup semi-final with Hibernian.

McInnes, whose Reds sit nine points clear of third-placed Rangers, remains confident his players will complete their objective of a third consecutive runners-up finish.

He said: “I’ve always felt we’d be there or thereabouts for second spot.

“I’m confident if we can replicate some of the form we’ve been on then we’ll meet the objectives we set out to do at the start of the season.

“I’ve been really pleased with how we’ve performed up until now. I don’t see any reason why that should change just because we lost a game at the weekend.

“I’m looking forward to the response from that game.

“We’ve got so much to look forward to and it’s important we try to get the reward for the work that’s been done until now and try to finish the season on a high.”

McInnes, however, hopes his players have learned a valuable lesson from the defeat by Pedro Caixinha’s side.

He added: “When you analyse the game, we started well. Towards the end of the first half it was too much of a fighting game.

“I don’t think we showed enough of our attacking threat but I thought we had real control of the game for the first 30-minute period of the second half.

“We looked likely to score and it was quite familiar ... one of those games at home where we keep doing the right thing and I felt the goal would come.

“I think it was a reminder of the real need for concentration. We’re going into the period now where we’re playing the better teams in the league, with all the respect to the other teams. It is teams who have earned the right to be in the top six.

“We’ve got a semi-final and hopefully a cup final to look forward to, so it’s a reminder of the need to concentrate no matter how the game is going.”

Defender Mark Reynolds is available for the Dons following a hernia operation.

I’ve been really pleased with how we’ve performed up until now. DEREK McINNES

Derek McInnes: undaunted by Rangers defeat.