The Dons signed off for the winter break with three points this afternoon, Stephen Glass commending his players for keeping their eye on the ball.

“With all the things that were going on around Dundee asking for the game to be called off, even as late as this morning, it’s easy to lose focus. They had a really good 11 on the pitch, near enough full strength, and we had to be aware of that challenge and stay focused. It was good to get the game played, it was a decent spectacle in the conditions, and I’m delighted we got the win.

“Any time you go a goal behind its difficult, but in tough conditions, we saw the mental toughness of the group today, allied to their quality. We scored two very good goals and looked a danger any time we showed real intent. From a goal behind, it’s good to come back and win and that’s something we take away from today.

“We’ve shown at times this season that when we play every three or four days, we’re better, and that a break between games, like before Hibs, doesn’t always suit us. You saw that again today, players are better for playing games.”

The result saw Aberdeen edge back into the top six as we start the turn for home in the league. How does Glass assess the first half of the campaign?

“We’re just beyond halfway in the league now and looking at it honestly, I’d have to say that it’s a “could do better” mark on the report card. We’ve shown some mental toughness in recent weeks after we were getting kicked a little bit and we’ve responded with four wins out of five. We’ve won five out of six at Pittodrie, it’s becoming a tough place to come, and I want that to continue when we meet Rangers after the break.

“The boys were going to get a wee break anyway, and that’ll be moved forward a bit because of the new circumstances, and then we’ll get back in and start building – nothing has really changed other than it coming forward a week. They obviously need to be careful regarding the Covid situation but they’ve been rewarded for how seriously they’ve taken that and for the sacrifices they’ve made because as a group, we’ve been touched very little by it, which is great. That’s testimony to the players and their attitude to it all.”

The January transfer window opens in a few days, and Glass is looking for Aberdeen to come out of the month in a strong situation, despite the dangers it poses.

“Some of our players have been exceptional recently and there’s always the threat going into January that there will be interest in them. We’re ready to act if we choose to and react if we have to. We’re looking to strengthen whenever we can.

“Matty Longstaff has been injured the last couple of weeks but Newcastle have taken him back down there now with the winter break getting moved. Their new manager understandably wants to have a look at him. He’s been brilliant around the place and we wish him all the best. With Teddy Jenks and Austin Samuels, ourselves, the players and the parent clubs will all be assessing where we go with them in the coming weeks.”