Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin believes his side must learn to control their emotions after they missed the chance to move level with Celtic at the top of the Premiership following an incredible 3-3 draw with Hibernian at Easter Road.
There was no hint of the drama to come when second half goals from Jamie McGrath and Nicky Devlin looked to have completed a comeback for the Dons following Joe Newell’s first half opener for Hibs.
As the match reached stoppage time, the home side thought they had netted a late leveller when Nicky Cadden fired home a spectacular free kick.
However, the drama was just beginning – as Ester Sokler netted with an overhead kick for Aberdeen for what they thought would be the winner.
There was one last twist in the tale, though, as Rocky Bushiri rescued a point for the home side when he scrambled home for the Premiership’s bottom club in the seventh minute of stoppage time.
Thelin said: “There was so much emotion and we lost concentration and made a collective mistake.
“You have so much emotion when you score a goal to make it 3-2, and it’s an amazing goal, and you celebrate, and then it’s just a kick-off, and then the game is over, and then this happens.
“That’s a really tough learning point from us today – like the game is not over until it’s over, and Hibernian take this opportunity and we get one point.
“The first reaction is disappointment in the dressing room. Football games are tough and there is always a last chance out there.
“We know we have to be compact and close to each other, but we weren’t.
“Football games are tough and there is always the last chance out there somewhere in the last minutes of a game or the last seconds of a game.”
Dons must learn from their mistakes
The draw means the Dons are two points behind leaders Celtic and nine ahead of third-placed Rangers having played a game more than the two Glasgow clubs.
But, for Thelin, the focus is on ensuring his side learn from the mistakes they made as they turn their attention to their return to Edinburgh on Sunday to face Hearts at Tynecastle.
The Dons manager said: “We keep pushing and try to win the game, so we put the focus on that and go back to Aberdeen and come back to Edinburgh on Sunday again.
“No, I’m not going to get concerned, because as long as we know what we have to improve we have to keep focused on that.
“It’s difficult to explain, because sometimes you get emotional in games.
“We have to come back to concentration – after this situation there’s not so much time left, but still we know, now we learn, it can happen if you’re not concentrated and really, really focused.
“That’s a learning point, but we also have to think about the good things today. That we come back and fight us back into the game.
“Of course, if you’re so close to winning a game, you get these feelings.
“But now it’s not, and now we have to think of the positive things today instead – like how we come back to the game, how we scored three goals away, and how the team spirit was after one down in half-time.”
Praise for Aberdeen super-sub Shayden Morris
It may have been a bittersweet outcome for Aberdeen, but Thelin was pleased with the impact of substitute Shayden Morris off the bench after he had a hand in two of the goals in the second half.
The Dons boss said: “Shayden has been good for a long period now. How he has matured and grown as a player, and his decision making, is good.
“He was good also against St Mirren – he doesn’t get as many balls as we want, but he was really good against St Mirren also – so I think he’s in a good place right now and performs really well.”
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