HAYES AND MEANS
Dons ready for 2nd spot shootout
JONNY HAYES insists recent hysteria over Aberdeen’s dip in form is proof the Dons are still the team to beat in the race behind Celtic.
The Irishman was the architectin-chief of a more than welcome 3-1 win over Motherwell on Friday night which ended a run that delivered only four points from a possible 12 in the league.
That inconsistency came after a 3-0 Betfred Cup Final loss to Celtic which has had the critics piling in to write off Derek McInnes’ side who have slipped seven points behind secondplaced Rangers.
But Hayes is adamant the Pittodrie club have become victims of their own success in recent campaigns.
He said: “It’s just the standards that we’ve set for ourselves.
“We have finished second in the last couple of years and you want to improve.
“With the way Celtic have started the league then it’s a foregone conclusion but there are probably four or five teams that want to finish second.
“We were the target this year for them because we finished second to Celtic.
“If a team betters us there’s a chance that they’ll be high up in the league and closer to Celtic but it’s a nice challenge to have.
“We’ve done well over the last couple of years and we want to keep on improving. The league is a lot more interesting this year with Rangers coming back in.”
A weekend win for Gers over Inverness allowed the Ibrox side to cement their position in second spot but Hayes doesn’t buy into suggestions it’s there for the taking for Mark Warburton’s men.
He said: “People said that about Hearts for a couple of weeks and they said that about us too for a couple of weeks as well.
“There are no certainties. St Johnstone are capable of taking three points off anybody too.
“It’s a nice battle and at the minute, it’s a best-of-the-best kind of league and you’ve just got to keep grinding away and worry about yourself.
“Hearts have dropped points and that gives you a little bit of a boost, we just have to keep on plugging away and see where that takes us.”
Aberdeen’s performance at Motherwell was as good as they’ve been for weeks as they showed a proper attacking edge.
That Fir Park display may have been full of positives but Hayes insists any suggestion it averted a mini-crisis isn’t backed up by facts.
He said: “Sometimes in football things don’t go your way and when you’re out of luck, you’re out of luck. I don’t necessarily think there was a corner to turn.
“The performances have been OK the last few weeks, it’s just the results.
“It’s a tough league this year and there’s a lot of pressure at the top.
“You’re always going to get that little bit of criticism but you have to take it in your stride. It’s a nice pressure to have, it’s better than a relegation battle.”
Hayes now wants another win against Hamilton tomorrow night.
He said: “It’s nice to come away from Motherwell with a good three points before Christmas.
“Consistency is what we aim for. We always strive to pick up a few wins because your confidence gets a bit higher when things are going well for you.
“We take it one game at a time though, we’ve always done that. So we’ll look ahead to Tuesday and if we can pick up three points there then it’s two in a row and you start looking forward again.”
The Fir Park trip wasn’t without controversy as Adam Rooney won a dubious penalty for Dons before Keith Lasley went down for a spot-kick under a debatable Mark Reynolds challenge.
Haynes added: “Adam’s adamant but it did look a bit soft. However, a soft penalty is still a penalty.”