Source: team_talk
Vernon accepts competition
Aberdeen striker Scott Vernon understands manager Craig Brown's wish to bring in a new forward in the summer.
The Dons' 0-0 draw with Motherwell yesterday was the sixth scoreless match at Pittodrie so far this season and with just 33 goals in 30 league games to date, it is obvious where their problems lie.
Brown's admission that he would be looking to strengthen his options up front were hardly a shock on Saturday and Vernon recognises the need for competition.
He said: "We're not daft, we know that the manager is there to do a job and the name of the game is to score goals. If that's not happening then he has to do something about it. Our job is to prove that he's wrong and try and get goals to prove otherwise.
"The way it's going at the minute is frustrating. We're doing enough to win games but we just can't quite get there. We have to keep working at it and hope our luck changes. We feel like we're playing well enough."
Vernon came as close to anyone to breaking the deadlock yesterday, only to see his 42nd minute header beaten away by Steelmen keeper Darren Randolph, and the Motherwell man also denied Niall McGinn and Josh Magennis after the interval.
The former Colchester United player is looking to the positives ahead of his side's trip to Celtic next week, despite hopes of a top-six finish fading fast.
"It feels like a defeat because although we know we've done okay, we felt today was a must-win game for us. We've now got three more games before the split so we've got to look forward and try to get points from the games that we've got.
"Going to Celtic is always tough but we know they're not unbeatable as results have shown. We know that on an off-day for them and a good day for us, we can go and get a result."
For his part, Randolph was keen to play down his save from Vernon, and instead praised his defence, who did a good job of keeping Aberdeen, for the most part, to shots from distance.
"I didn't know much about it," he said. "I just tried to make myself as big as possible and luckily he's headed it against my hand. My other saves were pretty routine apart from that one.
"Aberdeen made a few substitutions to bring on some height and power which made it more difficult for us, but we dug in deep and got some pretty good blocks and clearances."
On a windy day in the Granite City, Randolph conceded the conditions did not make for a great spectacle on a day when the Dons had handed out 1,500 tickets to local children.
"The wind was a problem with balls in the air, and the pitch wasn't great for playing the ball on the ground. It was a game where we had to do the ugly stuff and it was a pretty dull game."
Motherwell had beaten both Celtic and Hearts in the games before this, and their run of good form recently leaves the Republic of Ireland international optimistic that they can finish the season strongly.
He concluded: "Hopefully one more win will secure our place in the top six, and we can then concentrate on cementing second place. We've got a draw but have taken seven points from three tough games so we have some momentum going into another tough game against Hibs on Friday."
