Rooney warns Dons against complacency in league final

ABERDEEN ARE favourites to win their first trophy in 19 years against Inverness in the Scottish League Cup final at Celtic Park on Sunday, but striker Adam Rooney insists they need only look across the city to be reminded of the penalty for complacency.

Derek McInnes’ side travelled to Par tick Thistle last month looking in unstoppable form after knocking Celtic out of the William Hill Scottish Cup at Parkhead and on the back of a victory at St Mirren, but were brought crashing back down to earth by the Jags, whose shock 3-1 win was their first at home in the Scottish Premiership this season.

The Dons bounced back from the unlikely Firhill loss by handing Celtic their first defeat in the league and followed it up with victories over St Johnstone and Dumbarton, which has helped fuel expectations of Granite City glory.

However, Rooney, 25, believes the Thistle defeat should be a salutary lesson.

“It is really important that you don’t get carried away because that’s when you tend to drop your standards and that’s when you get caught,” said the Irishman, who made his name, ironically, at Inverness.

“You saw that against Partick Thistle a couple of weeks back.

“We had been on a good run, we were going well, but we had a bit of an offday.

“We didn’t perform the way we were capable of, so it was a wake-up call.

“The gaffer is always on at us, saying that regardless of who we play, we have to give 100%.

“And every player has to do that because if you don’t, that’s when you can lose the games.

“So he will be on at us to make sure we don’t lose our concentration.

“If we do that and we all stick to the game plan, work as hard as we are capable of, then hopefully that will be enough to win the game.”

Nonetheless, the 40,000 Aberdeen fans who will make their way to Glasgow are expecting to see their team win their f irst trophy since their Coca Cola League Cup final win over Dundee in 1995.

The former Birmingham and Oldham player, who returned to Scottish football in January when he signed for the Pittodrie club, insists the “incredible” travelling support does not add pressure.

“The only pressure we feel is what we demand in each game,” said Rooney.

“The gaffer and the team want to put on a good performance every game regardless of what competition it is.”

Picture: SNS. Adam Rooney.