Ross Doohan insists 13 cannot be an unlucky number as Aberdeen bid to stop the rot in the Scottish Cup against Elgin City.
The Dons’ winless run reached 12 matches with a 3-0 defeat to Rangers at Ibrox on Wednesday.
Aberdeen’s loss of form has been alarming, and with a trip to Borough Briggs against League Two title-contenders Elgin looming on Saturday, goalkeeper Doohan knows it has to end now.
He said: “The cup game is absolutely massive. We can’t take them lightly, so we need to go there fully up for it and ready to do our best to get through.
“We know how big a game it is on Saturday, and we’ll be going there looking to get through to the next round.”
Doohan believes one game can turn Aberdeen’s season around
The Aberdeen camp remain convinced one win can be enough to turn their spiralling season around – and Doohan is adamant the mood within the dressing room remains positive despite the poor run of results.
He said: “Every game can kick-start the season.
“We started very well this season.
“Everyone’s staying positive and sticking together, that’s the main thing.
“We fully believe in ourselves and what we want to do. We just need to move on to the next game.
“It’s been a tough run lately, but as I said, we just have to stay positive, keep the spirit high and look forward to the game and the challenges ahead.
“That’s where we just focus on ourselves.
“Obviously, we want to be doing better, but the team spirit is still high. We’re confident in each other.
“We just need to keep working on the training pitch and turn this thing around.”
‘I’d rather have nothing to do and win the game’
Doohan gave his all to keep his side in the game against Rangers, as he repelled a barrage of shots in Glasgow, but it proved to be in vain as the home side scored two late goals to secure victory against Jimmy Thelin’s side.
While pleased with his display in the absence of injured team-mate Dimitar Mitov, the former Forest Green Rovers shotstopper, whose penalty save earned his side a point against Hearts at the weekend, would swap the platitudes for a Dons win.
He said: “I always wanted to play games. I knew it would be tough at the start of the season.
“I’ve had to bide my time and work hard in training to make sure I was ready for the chance.
“I’d rather win the game than make the saves, and I did what I could when called upon.
“We’re not getting the results, so I’d rather have nothing to do and win the game than make 20 saves and lose again.”
Goalkeeper insists Dons players remain positive
The Aberdeen goalkeeper believes the fact his side were able to stay in the game shows the attitude remains positive among the players.
This strong mentality and belief their fortunes will turn around will be vital when the team head to Elgin on Saturday.
Doohan said: “The dressing room was very deflated after the game, but we need to keep the team spirit high and stay positive.
“When the score is 1-0 for that length of time, there’s always that chance to get an equaliser, but it wasn’t to be.
“We hung in the game, which shows the spirit – as long as the game’s 1-0, there’s always a chance to get back into it.
“It was 1-0 for quite a while and when we were pushing for the goal, we lost another two, sadly.
“Obviously it’s disappointing that we are getting nothing from the game, but we’ll just need to move on from it and focus on the next game.”
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