Aberdeen skipper Graeme Shinnie spoke to the Red Matchday editor on Thursday for his programme notes:

“Wednesday night was a really good performance coming off the back of the disappointment of Sunday. We are still very disappointed not to have won that game, and in that situation there can sometimes be a hangover but it was the complete opposite.

“The response was so good from everyone.

“Obviously going to Ibrox is tough, but I thought last night the boys handled it, even when we went down to ten men, they still had the confidence to go on and win the game.

“Everyone is delighted and it sets us up nicely now for a very busy month ahead.

“When you are at a club like Aberdeen people are always going to look at you in big games and judge us on that. Although we lost the final we have come up trumps a good few times this year in Glasgow, when we have needed it as well. We beat Celtic on the final day of the season, we beat Rangers to get to the League Cup final. We have done it in big moments, in big times during the year so it says a lot about the character within the dressing room.

“The fixtures in December mean less training and more games but we have the winter break to look forward to, you have a bit of time to rest then, so we can put everything into these next seven games.

“As a player you love playing games so it is not a problem. We just need to make sure we
recover properly so we are ready to go again.

“It is good, especially with so many home games but it will be a testing month and it is a vital part of the season, so we have to try and win as many as we can. Once you come out the other end then you can look back and analysis how well you have done.

“It is important that we maintain our standards and take the lift we got from Ibrox into the St Johnstone game on Saturday and keep the momentum going.

“The supporters have been brilliant the past week and we will need them again on Saturday to help us overcome a tough St Johnstone side.”

You can read more from Graeme in Red Matchday Issues 10 and 11 available this week and next.

SFA Youth Cup | Motherwell v Aberdeen