Max Lowe reckons Wednesday’s win over Rangers could be a season-changer for Aberdeen.
Scott McKenna’s goal at Ibrox lifted the Dons back into the top half and knocked Rangers off the league summit, with Lowe hailing it as a huge confidence boost to the squad.
A defeat could have put a downer on their prospects during a busy December but the Dons’ resilience showed through against the Gers, after playing half an hour with 10 men following Sam Cosgrove’s dismissal.
Lowe was an impressive performer again against Old Firm opposition, four days after his stand-out display against Celtic in the Betfred Cup final. He is pleased with his own development and how the Dons are shaping up for the rest of the season.
He said: “It could have been a terrible week, if we lost the final and had lost on Wednesday. It would have been hard to kick on again. To get the win is massive for us and a massive confidence boost. It could be a season-changer; we can deal with anyone in this league. We showed that on Sunday, never mind on Wednesday, and I think teams in this league will know what kind of team we are.
“It’s perfect for us, coming off Sunday, getting a clean sheet. Going down to 10 men wasn’t ideal but we showed real resilience. We know we’ve got the right people in the squad to get goals in key moments – that’s what Scott did. He and Andy (Considine) led us on.
“With the games in hand, we’re really confident. The final we lost, but everyone said we played really well. Hopefully we can kick on and make a run of it. We’ve had a tough week of away games so hopefully this can serve us well.
“After being here a couple of weeks, I felt like I’d improved my game. The gaffer took me to one side and told me the things I needed to improve defensively – I still need to improve in the air. He will take my aside in training and do one-v-one stuff. Each game, I’m picking up and learning things as I go on. Rangers and Celtic are great teams and I’m happy we’ve been able to keep them quiet. Hopefully I can do that for as long as I stay.”
Lowe, on loan from Derby County, heard about McKenna’s qualities before he arrived at Pittodrie but his display on Wednesday, including a last-minute tackle on Ryan Jack to deny a goal, earned plaudits across the board.
Lowe added: “It was like two goals he scored. Me, Joe, Shay and Andy celebrated his tackle like it was a goal. That saved us the game. Before I came up here I heard how good a centre-half he is and what everyone has told me, he’s backed it up with performances.
“Scott will play with a broken arm – he’ll play with any injury. He’s that kind of guy. We were questioning it (foul on McKenna) as he (Kyle Lafferty) was on a yellow card in the first place. To dish out an elbow and see Scotty’s face – there was red all over the place. We thought he was going to give another yellow but Scotty wasn’t fazed – he wanted him to stay on so he could give him another couple of kicks! I don’t think Scotty minded either way.”