Boss orders double from Watkins

DEREK McINNES last night challenged summer signing Marley Watkins to hit double figures for the Dons this season. The ex-Bristol City, Norwich and Inverness striker has never managed to smash through the ten-goal barrier in a single campaign. But after breaking his Dons’ duck in Dingwall yesterday, McInnes backed the 29-year-old Welshman to achieve a career first. ‘Even last week, Marley hit the post with a similar chance,’ he said. ‘He’s hit the post a couple times, keepers have made saves, and we want him to be in the middle of the posts more often. ‘I’m really pleased for him because it’s important for him. His team-mates all recognise his strengths and what he’s doing for the team, but to get a goal is important for the boy. ‘He’s never been a guy who’s scored 15 or 20 goals, but he’s always contributed. ‘He’s always been an important team player, but he is capable, I think, of getting well into double figures in this team. It’s up to him to take confidence from that and, when the next chance comes along, hopefully he can remember the way he finished that one today.’ Satisfied with his team’s display in Dingwall, McInnes (left) added: ‘It was important we got back to winning ways. I was so pleased with the fitness of the team. ‘Hats off to the players today — they were outstanding. ‘It took us a while getting the first goal but it was an important one for Marley to get him up and running. ‘There was also a sense of relief. We were so dominant in that first period but so wasteful with our chances. ‘That can come back to bite you. Today, it didn’t. We go in at half-time 1-0 up and we ask for more of the same. ‘The tempo and intensity was clear from the start. I thought the players were fantastic.’ Ross County boss Stuart Kettlewell said his team were punished for naivety. ‘It’s not the result, and it’s not the performance we were after,’ he said. ‘Aberdeen were better than us from the first minute to the last. I felt they were better than us all over the pitch. They were better on the ball and more streetwise. ‘I was asked before the match about fatigue for them (after their Europa League trip to Lisbon) but I never thought it would be an issue because that was exactly what they were going to be talking about in their dressing room. ‘You may ride your luck and have those moments when they hit the woodwork a couple of times, but then you’re hoping for a response from your own team — and we never got it. It’s the naivety of it, in the sense that we spoke about it all week.’