Aberdeen midfielder Graeme Shinnie admits he was fired by a sense of injustice as his double helped the Dons return to Europe.
Shinnie netted twice in Wednesday’s 3-0 win over St Mirren as Aberdeen secured third spot, which will guarantee group stage football next term if Celtic beat Inverness in the Scottish Cup final.
The 31-year-old was returning from a four-match ban, which was extended because the club’s appeal against his red card against Ross County was deemed as having no prospect of success.
Shinnie had been suspended for five of Aberdeen’s previous seven games and was sent off in the other two, so he was determined to make his mark on Wednesday.
“That’s four games of frustration coming out,” he told RedTV.
“I went through the whole season without scoring. I think I have scored in every season that I have played in so far, so I am delighted to keep that run going. Bit selfish of the boys not to get me a penalty at the end for my hat-trick. My legs had gone at the end so I was struggling to push forward.
“The frustrating part of being out for so long, which I felt was unjust, was not being able to help the team and try to drive them forward.
“Coming into this game, having to win to finish third, it was my objective to drive the team on. Did I envisage scoring two goals? I wanted to but I didn’t expect it so I am absolutely over the moon to help the team.”
Shinnie admitted the Dons’ turnaround in fortunes under manager Barry Robson had been unthinkable.
Jim Goodwin lost his job after heavy defeats by Hearts and Hibernian sandwiched a huge Scottish Cup upset at Darvel, and Aberdeen were 10 points behind Hearts after losing to St Mirren in Robson’s first game in caretaker charge.
Wednesday’s victory sent them four points above the Jambos, with Saturday’s trip to Celtic Park now a dead rubber.
Shinnie said: “Who would have thought we would have been in this position in January? I can only speak so highly of the manager and the staff, how good they have been, and also the players.
“To react to one of the worst week’s in the club’s history, that’s what we had to react to, to where we are now, the third best team in the league, it’s an incredible turnaround. The hard work has paid off.
“The manager and staff have changed the style of football. It’s exciting football, there’s a lot of men pushing forward on the transition. It’s good to watch and it’s good to play in.”
Shinnie was coy when asked whether he would be part of the club’s European adventure. His loan spell from Wigan expires soon and he has a year left on his contract with the Latics.
“Well, I have got one more game to go first,” Shinnie said. “Like the manager always says, we will take one game at a time.”
Yamal return the key for five-star Barcelona, says Flick
The return of teenage sensation Lamine Yamal was the key behind Barcelona's 5-1 thrashing of Real Mallorca on Tuesday, according to Blaugrana coach Hansi Flick.
Spain's Euro 2024 star Yamal had been sidelined for four weeks due to an ankle injury, with Flick's team only taking one point from three games in LaLiga during that time.
Those stumbles allowed Real Madrid to cut their lead at the summit to one point, with Los Blancos still possessing a game in hand. However, Barca responded in emphatic fashion on Tuesday.
Captain Raphinha scored twice as they trounced Mallorca, with Yamal assisting his second as one of two chances he created for team-mates.
Speaking to Movistar Plus after the win, Flick said of Yamal: "Today he was very important for us, he always generates positive things for the team.
"He could have scored one or two goals today, he played very well.
"Of course I am happy with the team performance. In the first half we had a lot of chances and we scored, they equalised from a counterattack but we kept going. The entire team is happy with how things went tonight."
Flick did not even need his star striker Robert Lewandowski against Mallorca.
Lewandowski, who is the leading scorer in LaLiga with 15 goals this campaign, was handed a rest after starting all 20 of Barcelona's previous matches in all competitions.
Lewandowski's replacement Ferran Torres pounced on some sloppy defending by Mallorca to give the visitors an early lead, earning praise from his coach.
"Lewandowski needed to rest, we had to look after him," Flick said. "And Ferran had a very good game and scored the first goal, it's very important for him too.
"Whenever we need him, he's always there. Today we didn't need to play Lewandowski."
Barca top the standings on 37 points, four ahead of second-placed Real Madrid who have two games in hand. Atletico Madrid, meanwhile, are third on 32 and have one game in hand.
Ipswich Town 0-1 Crystal Palace: Mateta seals Eagles' first away win of season
Crystal Palace moved three points clear of the relegation zone after a 1-0 victory over Ipswich Town.
Jean-Philippe Mateta scored the only goal at Portman Road, where Oliver Glasner's side recorded their first away win of the league campaign.
The French striker made the decisive impact in the 59th minute, with a neat lofted finish over Arijanet Muric after a swift counter by the visitors.
Ipswich could not respond and their wait for that elusive first home win since returning to the top flight goes on.
Palace climb a place to 16th and take their tally to 12 points, which is three more than Kieran McKenna’s side, who stay 19th.
Data Debrief: Eagles end away drought as Mateta matches Johnson
Palace could be forgiven for lacking confidence upon arriving at Portman Road. Without a win in four matches – drawing three – Glasner's side had failed to record a success on the road this term.
Mateta made the difference as he became only the second Palace player to score in four successive Premier League games against newly promoted sides, after Andy Johnson in the 2004-05 season.
The Eagles held out for their first away clean sheet since their 1-0 win over Liverpool at Anfield in April.
As for Ipswich, they have now failed to score in five of their 14 league games this season, with only Everton (seven) drawing a blank more often.
‘It would mean everything’: T&T’s Kaile Auvray and Cavalier FC hungry for Caribbean Cup glory
Cavalier FC midfielder Kaile Auvray is fully aware of the significance of the 2024 Concacaf Caribbean Cup Final for both himself and his Jamaican club.
As Cavalier prepare for Tuesday’s decisive second leg against Cibao FC in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic, Auvray is embracing the magnitude of the moment and the opportunity to etch his team’s name in the annals of Caribbean football history.
“Being part of such an exciting match, such as the Caribbean Cup final, it's really an honor,” said the Trinidad and Tobago native, who has been a pivotal figure for Cavalier throughout the competition.
“I think this title would mean everything, honestly. I know that last year we came close to winning it, so this year, [we] just want to go one step further and bring it home,” he added.
The two clubs were evenly matched in the opening leg in Kingston, Jamaica, where Cavalier claimed a narrow 1-0 victory. Shaquille Stein’s decisive strike extended his tournament-leading tally to eight goals, setting the stage for a tantalizing conclusion at Cibao FC Stadium.
Auvray has played an instrumental role in Cavalier’s road to the final, notably contributing in the semifinals with a multi-goal performance alongside Stein. His creativity and attacking instincts will be critical as Cavalier aim to protect their slender advantage and secure the club’s first Concacaf Caribbean Cup title.
Despite the first-leg setback, Cibao FC remains confident in its ability to overturn the deficit in front of its passionate home crowd.
The Dominican club had been unbeaten in the competition until the loss in Kingston and will look to its leading scorer, Rivaldo Correa, to inspire a comeback.
Correa, who has netted five goals in the tournament, led Cibao’s charge in the first leg with seven shots on goal. His determination to deliver for the home fans was evident in his pre-match comments.
“We are going to give our all. The team's spirit is that we are very focused, that we are going to turn it around, that we are going to do things in the best way. We are going to be very concentrated to turn this match around and take us to the championship.”
With the aggregate winner set to be crowned 2024 champions, every moment of the second leg promises to be high-stakes.
Should Cibao win 1-0, the match would proceed to extra time and potentially penalties to determine the victor. Away goals serve as the first tiebreaker, adding another layer of intrigue to the contest.
For Auvray and Cavalier, this is a chance to solidify the club’s place among the Caribbean elite and bring a sense of pride to their supporters.
“This is about going one step further. We’re ready to give it everything we’ve got,” Auvray emphasized.
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