“Frist and foremost you have to remember this is a very good Arbroath side.

“I watched their last three games on video so I knew what was coming. They have experienced players who know the game inside out, and we knew the style that they wanted to play.

“Our team had two 16 year olds and a 17 year old and the rest at 18. So it is a massive result for those boys. To be resolute and to hold out the way they did for so long, they were fantastic.

“We have a style of play that we want to play, but when your players are physically not there yet, it is difficult to do. Sometimes when you are playing against older players you can be a boxer without a punch, and the strength and physicality of your opponent takes over. But these kids have gone in there and won their headers, won their tackles, they have dug in and shown resilience.

“Every Aberdeen player should have that.

“That should be a given at this club every time. If you are under strength or have a young team playing, they have got to be able to have that in their game.

“Despite losing the late goal, you saw the belief they had to take penalties. I would not say arrogance, I would say belief. And you need that if you are going to be a professional footballer.

“It was such a difficult game for those boys today. That was not an Aberdeen B side, it was not an U23 or U21 side; it was pretty much an U18 team. And those boys are not working together every day in training. Some of them are on loan in the Highland League, some are based at Cormack Park and some at Pittdodrie. We really only got the squad together a day ago and had to try put a plan in place.

“They showed what it takes to be a young player at Aberdeen.

“If you have that fight and spirit then you have very chance, because you have your talent on top of that.

“The game management was very good. There were times when we had to slow it down and we did that.

“Jack Gurr came down to help us out today and I thought he was excellent. He was the only experienced player we had on the pitch, and I thought he did really well for us in that right wing back position.

“I am very pleased.”