Dandies answer critics says Doc

ABERDEEN assistant manager Tony Docherty said the players answered some of their critics after a rampant 5-1 win against visitors Kilmarnock.

The Dons, off the back of disappointing defeats against Celtic and Rangers in the League Cup Final and Scottish Premiership respectively, returned to form to climb back up to third in the table.

Docherty said: “There was never a cause f or panic. We had two performances, for which we came in for a lot of criticism. I know they were hurting.

“But the best way of responding to that was to put on a performance.

“It was 5-1 but it could possibly have been more and, while we would have liked to have kept a clean sheet, there was no surprise in the reaction we got from the players.

“Now we have another two home games on the back of this win so, hopefully, we can kick on from here.”

Derek McInnes’ team had the game all but sewn up by half-time thanks to goals from Peter Pawlett, Michael O’Connor and Jonny Hayes.

Hayes also netted in the second period, after Niall McGinn had struck to pile further misery on the Ay rs h i r e s i d e , w h o s e consolation effort came from Rory McKenzie.

Killie boss Lee Clark had his team prepared for a Dons backlash and said: “I warned the players.

“I was not falling into the trap that Aberdeen had turned into a poor team because t hey had l ost against Celtic and Rangers.”

Aberdeen’s Jonny Hayes scored twice against Killie.