Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes wants more goals from Lewis Ferguson.
The Dons midfielder scored a sublime opener as he helped his side book a Scottish Cup semi-final appearance against Celtic at Hampden next month in Saturday’s 2-0 win at St Mirren.
Ferguson’s quality strike was his third of the campaign and McInnes believes the 20 year-old should be producing more, saying: “We have been chipping away at him that he needs to do more of that.
“We are getting more midfield options back into the team and it allows him to get further forward. He should be scoring more.”
Funso Ojo’s growing influence on the side from a deeper position in front of the defence has allowed the Dons to push Ferguson forward into a more attacking role.
The Scotland under-21 international’s more advanced position has also opened up the opportunity for more game-time for Dean Campbell alongside Ojo and McInnes believes teenager Campbell and Ojo will have big roles to play in the remaining games of the campaign.
He said: “Ojo is a big player for me. He was excellent against Celtic but then had to miss the next two games with injury. Dean is 18 but I trust him. He has already played 40 or so games for us.
“I thought our midfield, against their two, allowed us to play the game into their half. Especially for the early part of the game which was very important to us and it allowed us to get in front.
“Hopefully we can go into the semi-final in good form. The inconsistency at times has been driving me mad but hopefully the performances of the players can be good going into it.
“Having that focus of a semi-final normally allows our league form to improve.
“Whenever we have had that semi-final to look forward to our league form normally improves, hopefully that continues.”
The win at Paisley came at a cost however as Scott McKenna limped off with a hamstring tear.
The injury could have consequences for club and country with McKenna’s availability for the Nations League play-offs semi-final against Israel at Hampden on March 26 now in doubt.
McInnes added: “I don’t know how bad the injury is for Scott until we get it imaged.
“I think it is some sort of tear in the hamstring, but I don’t know how significant.”