Aberdeen captain Joe Lewis has warned his team-mates their Scottish Cup heroics at Kilmarnock last week will have counted for nothing if they fail to beat St Mirren in their quarter-final.
The Dons head to Paisley tonight with a place in the final four of the tournament at stake and having helped his side reach the quarter-final courtesy of a dramatic 4-3 extra-time win at Killie last Wednesday Lewis knows it is vital his team capitalises.
He said: “It was incredible as that is what the supporters turn up for and what you are in the game for as a player.
“You have those exceptional moments and I’m sure that game live in the memory for a long time but it means nothing if we don’t capitalise by getting to the semi-final now.
“We have to get to Hampden and another big chance to make a final because the team means a lot to us.
“You could see that in the way we kept fighting right to the end of normal time and extra time at Kilmarnock.
“We know how important it is for a club to be competing for silverware and this is our best chance of doing that.
“The league is too far gone for us to be in with a chance of winning that so our only opportunity for us is lifting the Scottish Cup.”
Saints have found some form in recent weeks, having beaten Motherwell in the league and cup in their last two games.
The Dons have found trips to Paisley challenging so far in the campaign, losing 1-0 in August before failing to score again last month in a goalless draw last month.
Lewis expects another tough night tonight.
He said: “It’s a competition that I have always enjoyed but we know St Mirren will set up well and be confident as it’s a big chance for them as well.
“They had a two exceptional wins at Motherwell in the league and cup and we need to make sure we play better than we did against Ross County.
“It was a tough game as we had a long match at Rugby Park and then going down to ten men early on was the worst case scenario for us.”
The games against Saints sum up what has been a frustrating campaign at times for the Dons.
Supporters were quick to criticise manager Derek McInnes after the draw last month but Lewis knows a win tonight can set-up an exciting end to the season.
He said: “I’ve been in football long enough now to realise supporters and players frustrations can be huge after a poor performance or result.
“We’ve still got a great opportunity to win silverware this season and if we did it would be a big success for the football club and for the supporters who have stuck by us.
“We understand that frustration they feel sometimes but the only way to answer it is by getting results and getting to a semi-final would be a great way to get our season going.”