McInnes pleased with in-form Dons
Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes is confident his team will continue to improve as long as they do not take their eyes off the ball.
The Dons manager praised his Pittodrie side after they shook off their frustrating start to the campaign to notch up three successive wins.
They rattled in 10 goals over Ross County, Livingston and then Inverness last week to move into the Scottish Premiership's top six and the last eight of the League Cup.
But it was the attention to detail paid by his players that really had McInnes purring.
He told RedsTV: "Every game needs that focus we have shown over the last week. We are not good enough just to turn up and let the game come to us. We have got to fight for every bit of advantage that we get.
"We have carried a goal threat and worked extremely hard but there are still areas of the performance and areas of the team that we think we can improve on.
"That is something we have got to strive for but what cannot be faulted is the players' focus. There has been a real determination to get results."
Last season's League Cup winners saw their attempts to get this campaign off to a flyer falter when they lost to both Dundee United and St Johnstone in the opening month of the campaign.
But three goals scored against County, four in their Livi cup romp and another three in Saturday's narrow victory over Caley Thistle has restored the Dons' belief.
"It's good for confidence knowing that we have got goals in us," said McInnes ahead of Tuesday night's Premiership clash with St Mirren in the Granite City.
"The response on Saturday was excellent. We lost a poor goal but got back in front before half-time. We lost another equaliser but again the response was good again.
"The boys never know when they are beat. They set out to win games and sometimes it's harder than other times.
"But it is always dependant on us. We cannot rely on anybody giving us a result. We have to work for everything we get."
Niall McGinn will be given until the last minute to prove his fitness. The former Celtic attacker missed both the League Cup clash with Livingston last week and Saturday's Premiership win over Inverness with a hamstring strain.
However, defender Clark Robertson (thigh), skipper Russell Anderson and midfielder Ryan Jack (both knee) are definitely all out of the Pittodrie meeting with the Buddies.
Meanwhile, St Mirren manager Tommy Craig has urged his players to take the initiative against an Aberdeen side that have been heavily outscoring his side in recent weeks.
Craig admitted the Buddies were missing the injured Steven Thompson following their 2-1 defeat by Celtic on Saturday, but he continues to believe they can rise up the Scottish Premiership table if they add a cutting edge to their play.
"I think everybody who has been at the games over the piece realises that we are not too far away but the ultimate aim of football is scoring more goals and we are falling down badly there," he said.
"It is still the area we need to address and we have to see if we can add a few more goals and add to our meagre tally.
"We know where the problem lies and we are working hard to put it right."
St Mirren agreed to postpone their trip to Pittodrie in August to allow Aberdeen to have a break following their Europa League exertions.
But the generosity may have backfired as Aberdeen have struck form in recent weeks with strike pair Adam Rooney and David Goodwillie on seven goals between them in their last four games.
Craig said: "It's a place we know well and it's always a difficult venue. They are riding high just now. We'll need to be at our best to get some kind of result.
"But a repeat of Saturday's performance added with a couple of goals give us an opportunity to get a result. But we know what they are like - they are very, very offensive at home. They have guys in their pool who can weigh in with goals.
"They have a very potent strikeforce and also got players who can hurt you from midfield. They are a good side and certainly one of the sides you expect to be up there at the end of the season.
"Rooney and Goodwillie seem to have struck up a good partnership. But we have to impose ourselves on the game."
Left-back Jeroen Tesselaar is a doubt after going off against Celtic with a tight hamstring.
Ellis Plummer, Adam Drury, Gary Teale and Isaac Osbourne all missed the defeat by the champions through injury and some will have fitness tests.
Source: PA
