SKIPPER LAPS UP PRAISE
“Going over with a lead is brilliant and we know we will create chances. We showed that on Thursday and now it is about going with a game plan.
“If we play like we did in the last round then we will have a great opportunity. We will need to be solid and to defend our lead but we have the quality to cause them problems and score.
“We’ve played in hot and hostile atmospheres like Rijeka and Siroki. We know what European games are all about and what we need to do.
“We are not shy if it is a physical battle. It is the way we like to play to impose ourselves on the game and you know it is not always going to be one way.
“They are a good team and they would have passed it around us if they had the space. We have seen that in previous videos.
“They like to keep possession of the ball. It was up to us to upset them. The goal was brilliant and settled us down and then we played some good stuff.
“We pressed and passed it well to create opportunities. The second half we came out a bit slow and we changed it about and they were causing us a few problems. “We were disappointed to lose a goal but we showed good character to keep going and to get the goal in the end.
“When the guy got sent off it changed the game completely. We went on the front foot and it was about trying to keep the boys calm and not to go gung-ho.
“Patience was key as we didn’t want to lose another goal. I got the ball and I just had it in my head to have a shot.
“I hit in nice and to be fair when it left my foot I knew it had a good chance. I was delighted when it went in.”
Shinnie’s standout display was even more admirable after he picked up a yellow card with just three minutes on
the clock for a crunching challenge that McInnes described as hard but fair.
He said: “I felt I got the ball, I don’t know what it looked like. I felt it was a good tackle but in Europe it is a wee bit different.
“I was trying to press them and to show what we were all about. I was disappointed to get the booking but I tried not to let it stop me from playing my
normal game.”