Nicky Devlin thinks Aberdeen will need a 90 or even 120-minute performance to beat Celtic at Hampden and reach the Premier Sports Cup final – but is backing the Dons to improve on their recent Parkhead draw.
On Saturday, Jimmy Thelin’s Reds will put their unbeaten start to the campaign – currently 16 matches – on the line when they meet the Hoops for a place in the League Cup showpiece.
Aberdeen’s stunning start to the season under Swedish boss Thelin has only seen them drop points in one fixture – the comeback 2-2 Premiership draw, from 2-0 down at half-time, away at Brendan Rodgers’ champions two weekends ago.
As Scotland’s two form teams – level on points at the top-flight summit – switch their attention to cup action and a quick rematch, Devlin reckons the Dons will only go through to the final if they produce their best from the first whistle to the last.
At Celtic Park on October 20, aggressive Aberdeen were ruthlessly punished in the opening 45 minutes as their hosts netted through Reo Hatate and Kyogo, before roaring back after the interval through Ester Sokler and Graeme Shinnie, with a potential Duk winner then chalked off for handball.
Right-back Devlin said: “We obviously showed against Celtic we can score goals against them, and we have to bring that second half performance from the very start – because in the first half we weren’t great and probably let them get too much of a foothold in the game and they scored a couple of goals.
“We need to keep it a wee bit tighter at the back against them, but we know within the team we’ve got goals.”
The side who progress from Saturday’s semi will take on either Motherwell or Rangers, who play on Sunday.
Aberdeen came through a Wednesday night Pittodrie league thriller against the Gers, winning 2-1 to pull nine points clear of their third-placed rivals in the standings.
Despite another win, Devlin says “there’s still loads” boss Thelin wants his men “to improve on”.
The 31-year-old added: “I think in a lot of the games it’s been spells we’ve been good.
“On Wednesday, we were really good in the first half, and then in the second half, we weren’t so good.
“I think come Saturday, if want to go through, we will have to put a 90-minute performance in, or 120 minutes – whatever it may be – (together).
“I don’t think we can be as poor as we were in the first half at Parkhead again. We have to be better than that.”
‘It doesn’t matter if you break teams down in the first or 91st minute, he wants us to play a certain way and we keep trying all the time’
One thing which cannot be questioned is Aberdeen’s determination under manager Thelin, with substitute Shayden Morris’ 74th-minute winner against Rangers – which was set up by Devlin, who himself scored the opener – following up the side’s late winners against Hearts (3-2) and Dundee United (1-0).
Devlin thinks this Aberdeen team have the strongest character of any side he has played in, saying: “Especially how many times we’ve scored late winners.
“It all comes from the manager – how he wants us to play.
“And it doesn’t really matter if you break teams down in the first minute or 91st minute, he wants us to play a certain way and we keep trying to play that way all the time for him, no matter who is on the pitch. Personnel change, but we want to play the same way.
“That what’s getting us goals – we want to get wide, we want to get crosses in and, on Wednesday, we got two crosses in and scored two goals.
“It’s exciting times to be honest, but we can still improve a lot.”
Best Pittodrie atmosphere – as Devlin says Shayden Morris deserved winning goal v Rangers
Devlin rated the Pittodrie atmosphere in midweek as the best he has experienced since signing for Aberdeen two summers ago, saying it “topped” the heartbreaking 3-2 Uefa Conference League group defeat to Greek side PAOK last term.
“From the first minute, and especially when we needed them in the second half, they (the fans) stuck with us,” Devlin said.
“We weren’t playing great, but they kept supporting us, kept bringing the noise and they were a big help in how we managed to get over the line.”
For the winning goal, Devlin poked the ball through Rangers keeper Jack Butland’s legs at the front post, with the ball then ricocheting off the far post and out to Morris to slam home.
With right winger Morris having also made an electric impact off the bench against Dundee United last Saturday, Devlin think his younger team-mate – who is “probably disappointed he’s not started maybe more games” – deserved the decisive strike as a “reward for home hard he’s worked recently, (and) how patient he’s had to be.”
He added on the “brilliant” Morris, 22 – who has five assists and now two goals in only seven starts this term – “I’ve tried to stress to him we know as a team, as a squad, the management as well, how important he is to us.
“He has such a big impact on games for us.”
Devlin: I should have seven or eight goals
Devlin, with his volleyed finish to put Aberdeen 1-0 up in the opening period against Rangers, now has four goals of his own for the Reds this term, having started all 16 matches they have played.
On his attacking contribution for a side he has also helped record eight clean sheets, recent Scotland debutant Devlin said: “it should be seven or eight. I have missed chances as well.
“It’s something the coaching staff and manager have worked on with me, to make sure I’m in areas where I can score.
“Luckily, on Wednesday, it fell to me.”
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