Mark McGhee calls for fast start to put Raith on back foot
Mark McGhee, the Aberdeen manager, said that this evenings Active Nation Scottish Cup fifth-round replay at home to Raith Rovers is their most vital game of the season so far.
This is hugely more important than Saturday, said McGhee, who was heartened by his sides 4-4 draw with Celtic in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League at the weekend. If we start with the same attitude weve shown recently then the likelihood is that we will score first. And then we can make life difficult for Raith Rovers.
Aberdeen get a second bite at Raith thanks to Gary McDonalds 95th minute equaliser at Starks Park ten days ago in a 1-1 draw. Since that last-gasp goal, Aberdeen have turned in strong displays to draw 2-2 away to Hibernian and share eight goals with Celtic.
Against Raith Rovers the players thought they merited at least a draw and I think they finally thought, we got what we deserved and maybe that was a turning point, McGhee said.
We had a good performance at Easter Road and again on Saturday. The feeling that we were being hard done by or unlucky has been lifted and now its maybe our turn to get the rub of the green.
A trip to Dundee awaits the winners of the replay at Pittodrie, meaning that Aberdeen are two wins against first division opponents away from a place in the semi-finals. However, McGhees side lost at Dens Park in the Co-operative Insurance Cup this season and the manager is taking nothing for granted.
What we cant focus on is who we might play if we beat Dundee, he said. That would be getting ahead of ourselves. Ill be in the dressing room trying as best I can to demand the same kind of performance that we got on Saturday.
We cant fear them because of anything thats happened historically, about being knocked out of the cup by teams from the lower leagues.
