The Manager’s Reaction

Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes hailed his “gutsy” players after they overcame Joe Shaughnessy’s early red card to beat Motherwell 2-0 in the Scottish League Cup quarter-finals at Fir Park.

The right-back was sent off for a challenge on Zaine Francis-Angol after 13 minutes and the Dons lost left-back Clark Robertson before the break to a suspected knee cartilage injury that McInnes revealed would keep the player out for the “foreseeable future”.

But the Dons defence put in a resolute display to repel a second-half onslaught of Motherwell crosses and substitute Andrew Considine headed home Jonny Hayes’ 83rd-minute corner before the Irishman netted an injury-time breakaway.

McInnes, who had wingers Hayes and Peter Pawlett playing wing-back, said: “They have really answered up when the odds were stacked against them. We said to the players at half-time that they needed organisation, guts, character, everything you need to win the game, but the biggest thing was having a belief.

“To go so long with 10 men was always going to be a concern and with Clark going off as well, we only had one defender on the bench.

“It was gutsy, real guts and determination and a bunch of boys determined not to accept anything other than us getting into a semi-final.”

McInnes had no complaints about the red card.

“My only thoughts at the time and possible explanation for it was that Joe had slipped going into the challenge but I’ve watched it again and no complaints at all,” he said.

“He has just been a bit too excitable going into it. He is not a dirty player and it’s something he’ll learn from. But he is taking us all out for lunch in a couple of days’ time.”