Barry Robson was quick to stress that the Dons had come through a really intense test at Victoria Park as they beat Ross County 1-0 to strengthen their grip on third place in the table.

“Nobody should underestimate what a good result that was tonight. Ross County make the game difficult for the opposition. From the kick-off they had the ball in the channel and won a corner, they put the corners, throw-ins free-kicks right on top of you, they’ve got big, strong players who keep asking you questions.

“We showed the players that all week in the analysis, we knew what to expect and we stood up to them, but I can tell you, that is a difficult as it gets. Coming through that shows a real togetherness and a strong mentality and it’s just as important to do that side of the game as to have the free flowing football.

“We never really got our football going, but defensively we were outstanding and again, as we have been the last six or seven weeks, we look really good on the transition. We’re so quick and it was that that worked for us tonight, we won the game with that one bit of real quality.

“Leighton Clarkson has started to get about the pitch a lot better, he presses and counter-presses a lot better, and he passes the ball forward. That’s what a real top player does, passes the ball for strikers to get in on goal. He’s doing a lot more of that and he’s creating a lot more chances as a result.

“I’ve seen the sending off again and it’s not a red card for me. I want my players to tackle, to be aggressive. He slid in, he won the ball, he’s disappointed with the decision, we all are. Graeme’s an honest boy, I will always ask him to be committed like that.”