Source: FOOTYMAD
Lennon: Same Again Please
Both St Mirren and Aberdeen want to replicate previous form St Mirren manager Danny Lennon wants his players to forget all about the late equaliser that means they will have to head to Aberdeen for their Scottish Cup replay. However, he does want them to remember and repeat their second-half performance when they face the Dons again. There were just seconds left in extra time when Rory McArdle was the first to react and send the ball into the home net to secure a 1-1 draw after Saints failed to clear Paul Hartley's free-kick. This disappointment was the latest in a long line of late goals St Mirren have let in this season. Lennon had accused his team of regularly "choking" after a late defeat against Hibs last month, and again he felt his team should have killed the game off after Paul McGowan's 77th-minute opener. However, he felt there were more positive things to say after this occasion. The first half was largely forgettable but St Mirren took control of the tie when Lennon brought on forward Michael Higdon and midfielder Kenny McLean, and switched to a 4-4-2 formation. Higdon headed against the bar before setting up McGowan to score from close range and both he and Craig Dargo squandered chances when clean through on Dons goalkeeper Jamie Langfield, who had earlier made an impressive double save from each substitute. Lennon urged his side to believe they can do the same again on Wednesday, although he is wary over the state of the Pittodrie pitch. The Saints boss said: We've got to pick ourselves up for the replay and if we can take the positive things and creative play, let's hope we can just start converting those good opportunities. But are you going to get that opportunity on their pitch to create like that or to try and play like that? The last time I went up it didn't look the best but we've got to go. I said to the boys, if we've got anything to do we do it the hard way. It's certainly going to be a very difficult game but the boys can take great confidence in the way they went about their business, more so in the second half. The way we defended, even when we went to a back four, I couldn't see where Aberdeen were going to get a goal. The players were speaking about how too see a game out. At that stage of the game, the boys, with the experience they have, have got to be looking to hit the corners and press them in and don't allow the ball to come into our own half and sit back. I'm not saying we sat back but giving away cheap free-kicks as we did, that leads to balls arriving into your box. But I don't want it all negative. There were more positives from the vast majority of the game than what happened in the last minute." Aberdeen manager Craig Brown hopes his team can replicate their recent home form after just escaping a second consecutive away defeat. Brown said: "Home advantage should make you favourites, but not if we play like we did in the second half. A couple of weeks ago we beat Kilmarnock 5-0 at home, we were the better team against Hearts at home, so I'm optimistic that we are a better team at home. Jim Jefferies would testify they were fortunate (to get a 0-0 draw), their keeper made five saves. We have had two indifferent performances, against Dundee United and here. We need to make sure we buck that trend and get back to the way we played against Kilmarnock and Hearts." Editor Ger Harley (ger@scottishfitba net)Admin Team (admin@scottishfitba net)This is Scottish-Fitba Net
