Robson cannot ‘get angry’ with players

Aberdeen boss Barry Robson insists there is no way he could get angry with his players despite a below-par performance.

The Reds needed a late penalty save from goalkeeper Kelle Roos to salvage a 0-0 draw against Hibs at Pittodrie.

Hibs also hit the woodwork twice in the second half.

Robson accepts the Reds “didn’t play well” but says he is proud of what they have delivered in recent months

Under Robson the Dons recently racked up a seven-game winning streak to take control of the race to finish third.

The draw with Hibs was the second straight game without a victory but Robson praised his team’s fighting spirit for still grinding out a point.

On a day when Pittodrie celebrated the Gothenburg Greats, Robson’s side could not deliver a win that would have taken them a step closer to European qualification.

Robson said: “I’m disappointed we drew the game but I’m also proud of the players and what they’ve given us over the past three months.

“They’ve been outstanding. I said that to them. Can I sit here and get angry after what these boys have given me? No chance.

“I’m happy we kept the points tally where it is against the other teams on a big emotional day.

“We come away with a clean sheet and move on.”

Hibs were awarded a penalty in the 79th minute following a VAR review for handball by Liam Scales from a Harry McKirdy shot.

Dutch keeper Roos saved Kevin Nisbet’s spot kick which was fired down the middle.

It was Aberdeen’s fifth successive Premiership clean sheet at Pittodrie.

Robson said: “Kelle was terrific and you need that.

“You need him at his best and he was. I was really pleased with him.

“In football you don’t always play well, but they kept a clean sheet.

“‘The most pleasing factor for me is that when you don’t play well – and that’s right across the board – they dig, they fight and they come out with a point.

“That’s what I want to see. I’m so pleased on that side of it because we never had a good day and the boys never played well.

“But we never lost and we kept a clean sheet.”

Aberdeen celebrated the club’s Gothenburg Greats prior to kick-off with the club legends walking out on to the pitch.

It was 40 years on Thursday since the club’s greatest side beat Real Madrid to lift the European Cup Winners’ Cup in Sweden.

Robson says he maybe “fired the boys up a bit too much” on an emotional day where the supporters honoured the club legends.

He said: “I think it was a big, emotional game.

“You’ve got to remember Hibs were desperate to win and they performed well.

“We didn’t and we understand that. But I’m proud of the boys.

“They kept a clean sheet and you take that when not playing well.”

Aberdeen face a fitness sweat on striker Duk for Saturday’s trip to Tynecastle, after he was substituted midway through the second half after sustaining a hamstring problem.

Robson said: “He’s got something on his hamstring. I think you saw three or four of our players today with hamstrings, that’s the emotion of the game.”

Kelle Roos keeps out Kevin Nisbet’s penalty.