Dons must ignore Bhoys

ABERDEEN boss Derek McInnes insists his team can’t rely on Celtic crumbling in the Premiership title race. The Dons could move four points clear of the reigning champions with an eighth straight victory when they take on St Mirren in Paisley this afternoon. Yet McInnes has told his players that they shouldn’t be looking to Ronny Deila’s men showing any signs of strain. ‘I don’t think Celtic see it as pressure,’ he said. ‘That is just part and parcel of

being Celtic. They are expected to win things.’ Aberdeen’s run of league wins, built in part on a sequence of seven clean sheets, needs to be extended just 90 minutes further against the Buddies today to equal the series of victories achieved back in the season of 1988-89. McInnes recognises the importance of continuing to get results while his team are in flying form in the league. ‘From our point of view, I think nobody expected us to win seven games in a row,’ he admitted. ‘I get that, because we’ve not done it very often in our history and that has allowed us to get where we are. ‘For the run of victories to continue is a big, big ask. ‘But it is something we will be striving to achieve. ‘The next challenge is to win eight in a row. If we continue to win games, then we will be satisfied that we are improving as a team. ‘I do see the improvement in us from last season and that is all I was looking for at the start of the season, regardless of where we finish in the league.’ The Reds manager added: ‘I do believe that, while we have got this bit of momentum, it is important to try to channel it properly.’