Aberdeen strengthened their grip on second place in the Premiership last night with a 1-0 win against Caley Thistle, but midfielder Barry Robson insists he is not ready to concede defeat to Celtic in the title race.
Defender Ashton Taylor’s 47th-minute goal gave the Dons a third victory of the season against nearest challengers Caley Thistle as Aberdeen stepped up their bid to match their best finish in the league in 21 years.
Champions Celtic remain seven points clear of Derek McInnes’ side after the 2-0 win against Partick Thistle last night and have played a game fewer than the Dons, but Robson believes it is imperative Aberdeen keep racking up the wins in case Celtic to slip in the run-in.
He said: “We are still up there competing to get first place and we will not give up. It is a belief which has to be ingrained in this football club. We were disappointed to be knocked out of the cup competitions when we feel we should be in them and we want to win every game.
“It is up to us to go to the end and try to win every game possible. Whether we finish second or not doesn’t matter, we need to win every match.”
After last night’s win the Dons opened up an 11-point gap on third-placed Caley Thistle and are now 19 points clear of fourth-placed Dundee United, who lost 3-1 in the Dundee derby at Dens Park.
Victory at Kilmarnock on Sunday will equal last season’s tally of 68 points with six games to spare and Robson believes the Dons are well placed to finish the campaign strongly.
He said: “At this stage of the season there are some tired legs out there and the pitches aren’t great, but we showed the fitness we have. We were fit and strong, and got stronger as the game went on which is credit to the coaching staff and the work the players do here.”
Aberdeen’s margin of victory should have been more emphatic but Robson was delighted to get back to winning ways after two draws against Dundee and Partick Thistle.
He said: “It was a great performance. Inverness came here and showed they are a good side, but we showed we are strong too. We were organised, compact and we deserved to win the game.”
Ryan Jack missed the game due to a foot injury he suffered against the Jags on Saturday but manager Derek McInnes hopes to have the midfielder available for Sunday’s game at Rugby Park.