WISE WORDS
McInnes’ motivational speech led to Dons win, insists Quinn
GOAL hero Paul Quinn credited manager Derek McInnes for an inspirational half-time address that made every Pittodrie player hell-bent on ensuring there would be no more sob stories told about Aberdeen’s efforts to beat Celtic.
The Dons were unlucky to be trailing 1-0 to a Leigh Griffiths penalty when McInnes informed his trusted staff that, amid questions about Aberdeen’s ability to handle the pressure of head-to-heads with the champions after losing all four league clashes last term, the scripts were being prepared telling a similar tale of woe.
The home team emerged to equalise
through an Adam Rooney penalty y 11 minutes later, then overcame thee setback of a red card for Jonny Hayes s to secure a famous victory thanks s to Quinn, who took advantage off hesitant Celtic defending to strike e late on.
Quinn, a Ross County player last term, said: ‘We didn’t want “I told you so” stories between punters andd in the Press.
‘We didn’t want it like, yeah, wee were good but we’ve not managed too really lay a glove on Celtic by getting g a point or all three.
‘And that’s personal pride. We’ve a dressing room full of people who’ve e got so much pride in what they do.
‘So for anyone to try and talk downn or be indifferent about that would d have hurt us.
‘It was important the manager picked that out at half-time. And we felt we were going to go out and doo everything in our power to stop thatt from happening.
‘Whether it was going for a draw, a win, we were going to get something and I felt, in the end, the better team won on the day.
‘It was fantastic to get the victory and the manner in which it all came about made us extra delighted.
‘I don’t think the bottle and commitment was in question for us. The way it’s happened, we go to 10 men, nick the goal and hang on in the last few minutes. That shows character.
‘A lot of teams at 1-1 sit and take a point against the champions. The fans didn’t want that and they didn’t get that. We wanted to score.
‘We were getting joy in a couple of set-pieces in the game. The ball has travelled a long way, it’s fortunate, it’s landed in a perfect position for me. I don’t get too many goals, I got a good connection on it.’
League sponsors Ladbrokes slashed the odds on an Aberdeen title win from 14/1 to 6/1 as the Dons switched focus to surging five points clear with the visit of Hamilton in midweek.
‘We’ve got Tuesday as just as important, it’s the way we look at it,’ said Quinn. ‘We have to be so focused on that, this becomes the past.
‘That’s our aim, five points ahead on Tuesday evening.’
Quinn’s manager delighted i n landing a blow on Celtic after so much talk of the reverses last season, results which he always insisted were inaccurate reflections of the performances put in by Aberdeen.
‘There’s no question the better team won,’ said McInnes. ‘I thought we were the better side and, at half-time, I had to remind the players of that and that we’d created opportunities.
‘We looked hungrier to the tackle, had a bit more purpose and looked half a yard ahead of them.
‘It was important to translate that into goals. We said that the scripts were being written by the journalists up there — “they had a good go but Celtic won again”.
‘But thankfully my 11 players didn’t think that would happen and got the job done. I always back us for character.
‘It’s too easy to label those boys as not having that character. It’s all right me thinking that but if we need to convince others by winning games like this, then I get that, too.
‘It was important the supporters saw the team hell-bent on winning the game. To win it like we did — a lot of people probably thought we weren’t capable of that.
‘The performance was similar to a lot of those against Celtic last season but the result is what counts.
‘Of the six games, we’ve scored more goals than last season, conceded less and have far more points. So there is the improvement.
‘But no one gives anything out at this stage of the season.’
McInnes will examine footage of the Hayes dismissal — a straight red card for a foul on Mikael Lustig — before determining whether to launch an appeal.
‘I need to see the ins and outs of it and how it works, but I thought it was a very harsh red card,’ he said. ‘I accept that the speed of the tackle would have had a big part in the referee’s decision.
‘But it’s not a two-footed challenge and he’s actually won the ball. I know you don’t always have to not win the ball if there is speed involved but, from where we were, I think he (the referee) was too quick to flash the red.
‘If he sees it again, he might see it the way I saw it.’
In the dying minutes of the opening period, Ryan Stevenson should have broken the deadlock when Robbie Muirhead released him and, while he did crash a powerful drive beyond goalkeeper Scott Bain, his effort cannoned back off the inside of the post.
Stevenson passed up another glorious opportunity to give his side the lead at the start of the second period when he rose magnificently to connect with Mustapha Dumbuya’s perfectly weighted cross only to be left holding his head in his hands once again when his header rattled the crossbar.
And with 13 minutes remaining, Stewart broke from the halfway line before curling a shot into the bottom corner.
He said: ‘There wasn’t much in it, but it wasn’t our best performance. We won’t complain after coming away from home and taking all three points.
‘In football you make your own luck. I took the ball at the halfway line and just kept running before managing to put the ball into the far corner.
‘We’ve played some good stuff but come away with nothing recently, so this time it’s good to do the opposite. We weren’t at our best but took the three points. We were desperate to take a win into next week’s game against Celtic.’