Derek McInnes insists his Aberdeen side can score all-important goal away to Maribor
Dons passed up numerous chances at Pittodrie then had to rely on Jonny Hayes scoring a late leveller to cancel out opener
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DEREK McINNES last night insisted Aberdeen CAN score in Maribor.
The Dons passed up numerous chances at Pittodrie then had to rely on Jonny Hayes scoring a late leveller to cancel out Milivoje Novakovic’s opener.
Losing the game in Scotland would have been hard on Aberdeen, who dominated.
And despite the away goal putting them on the back foot in the return, McInnes said: “There’s no doubt Maribor are in a stronger position now but we can score over there.
“I have no doubt we can still win this tie, it’s still alive for us.
“We scored away in Groningen and we scored away against Rijeka, so we can do it.
“We caused Maribor a lot of problems, took the game to them, rattled them and should have made more of the chances.
“The game is still alive, we know we can get to them — and THEY know we can get to them.
“We might not have as much of the ball as we did tonight but I believe we can score.
“The scoreline will make them play the same way next week, they are compact and they will remember what they faced tonight.
“We took advantage of the way they defend deep tonight so I wouldn’t expect them to be too different.
“I’m delighted with the response of the players because it was a sore one to go behind as we’d been the better team.
“We were on the front foot and asked questions of Maribor, we got the ball into the box and caused them concern.”
Aberdeen looked like being suckered when Ash Taylor was too easily bundled off the ball by Novakovic for his 83rd minute goal.
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It looked set to play out like such a familiar tale for so many Scottish clubs over the years.
But the Dons kept going and got their reward two minutes before the end.
And while McInnes admits it was a poor goal to lose, he was more interested in the response of his team than individual mistakes.
He added: “They had one chance in open play and they took it — that shows the quality they have.
“We are a bit annoyed with the goal but I’m more interested in the response.
“We have scored a lot of late goals and that sort of attitude takes you a long way.
“We never know we’re beaten, it could have been easy to write that off in the last five minutes.
“But we didn’t. The team spirit and never-say-die attitude is a magnificent thing to have.”
Maribor boss Darko Milanic rejected suggestions his team are now favourites after banking an away goal.
He was impressed by the Dons but reckons McInnes won’t be so bold to play Adam Rooney and Jayden Stockley in attack together in Slovenia.
He said: “I don’t accept we are favourites now. It’s going to be very difficult against Aberdeen in the next game.
“It was a tough match so I have to congratulate my team for the fight we showed on the pitch.
“It will be another difficult match in Slovenia next week.
“It will be different next week, Aberdeen won’t play in the same way they played tonight.”