Barry Robson claimed Aberdeen were “by far the better team” after they lost 2-0 away to Hibernian.

The Dons found home goalkeeper David Marshall in inspired form as they spurned a host of chances – including a late penalty from Bojan Miovski – on a frustrating day at Easter Road.

A goal in each half from Dylan Vente and Will Fish proved enough to make it three wins on the spin for Hibs, who tightened their grip on fifth place in the cinch Premiership and closed the gap on St Mirren above them.

“That’s probably the best we’ve played since I’ve been in the job,” insisted Reds boss Robson.

“I know people will say ‘but you lost the game’ and all that – I get that – but if we’re going to come to Hibs away and have 24 shots and dominate the whole game, I think we’re doing something right.

“I think it tells a story that their goalkeeper was given man of the match. We were all there, we all saw it, we were by far the better team.

“We know that, everybody knows that. But we’ve not come away with the points and that’s the important thing.

“We can sit and talk about all the chances we created, the missed penalty and losing two sucker-punch goals but football’s about winning matches.”

Aberdeen remain 10th with just three wins from their 13 league matches so far, but Robson is confident their situation will improve.

“We’ve not got what we deserved out of a lot of games this season,” he said. “Obviously there have been games where we need to be better but we had 24 shots here.

“I’ve got to give the players credit for that but I’ve also got to remember that we need to win games.

“We understand we need to get points and catch up. We’ve still got a couple of games in hand as well. But if they give me that type of performance, we will win games.”

Hibs boss Nick Montgomery agreed Aberdeen were unfortunate not to take anything but he was keen to point out that his team endured a similar sense of frustration when losing 1-0 to the Dons in the Viaplay Cup semi-final last month.

“I’d agree, they played really well,” said Montgomery. “I wouldn’t say they were the better team but they’ll be disappointed they didn’t get anything out of the game.

“But on the reverse, if you remember the semi-final, we were by far the better team and we lost that game 1-0. Aberdeen were good today and it probably wasn’t our prettiest performance.

“We definitely have to thank David Marshall. He’s a top-class goalkeeper and I thought he was outstanding. The penalty save summed up his performance.”

Goalkeeper David Marshall produced an inspired performance as Hibernian defeated Aberdeen 2-0 at Easter Road to make it three wins on the spin.

Striker Dylan Vente set the hosts on their way with his first goal since September before Will Fish’s second-half header sealed the points and tightened the Edinburgh side’s grip on fifth spot in the cinch Premiership.

Hibs were indebted to former Scotland goalkeeper Marshall who pulled off a string of vital blocks, including a penalty save from Bojan Miovski as the frustrated Dons remained 10th in the table, just three points off the bottom.

Home boss Nick Montgomery made two tweaks to the side that started last weekend’s 2-1 win at Dundee as Rory Whittaker and Lewis Stevenson replaced Jordan Obita and the suspended Lewis Miller.

There were eight changes to Aberdeen the side that started Thursday’s Europa Conference League dead-rubber away to HJK Helsinki, with goalkeeper Kelle Roos plus centre-backs Slobodan Rubezic and Richard Jensen the only players to remain in the team that kicked off the 2-2 draw in Finland.

After a bright start from Hibs, Aberdeen grew into the game and Ester Sokler threatened twice from inside in the box, with his angled shot deflected behind before he sent an acrobatic attempt that went harmlessly wide.

The Dons were caught out in the 17th minute, however, as the hosts went ahead with some direct football. Rubezic failed to deal with a long ball up the centre of the pitch from Marshall, and Martin Boyle ran clear before drawing Roos and squaring it into the path of Vente, who slammed the ball into the empty net.

After a VAR check for a possible offside, the goal stood.

Hibs almost doubled their lead on the half-hour when Jair Tavares saw a shot from just inside the box charged down by Stefan Gartenmann after Hibs did well to create an opening.

Aberdeen tried to summon a response and both Jamie McGrath and Miovski were denied by brilliant saves from Marshall within the space of five minutes.

At the other end, Fish headed just wide from a Joe Newell free-kick moments before the interval.

Aberdeen dominated the early stages of the second half and spurned some golden opportunities to draw level.

Miovski had an effort ruled out following a foul on Marshall in the build-up before James McGarry blazed the ball over from inside the box after being played in on the left.

Marshall then did superbly to tip Miovski’s cushioned volley on to the inside of the post in the 63rd minute, before Fish slid in to clear the loose ball off the line just as Sokler looked set to force it home.

It proved a pivotal moment as Hibs doubled their advantage in the 70th minute when Fish headed in Boyle’s corner at the back post.

Aberdeen had a chance to get themselves back in the game seven minutes later when they were awarded a penalty after the ball struck Stevenson’s hand in the box but Marshall pulled off another crucial save as he got down to his right to push out Miovski’s spot-kick.

The goalkeeper continued to frustrate the Dons in the closing stages, with three more impressive saves to deny Jack Milne, Connor Barron and Leighton Clarkson.

Aberdeen manager Barry Robson praised his team for adapting to snowy conditions after they came from two goals down to earn a Europa Conference League point against Finnish champions HJK.

The Dons fell two goals behind inside 33 minutes but a brilliant 30-yard striker from Angus MacDonald gave them a lifeline just before the break and they took full advantage.

Luis ‘Duk’ Lopes nodded home an equaliser 11 minutes into the second half and Aberdeen had several chances to find a winner after a 13-minute delay to clear snow off the pitch.

The snow ploughs did the job but the effect was only temporary with the lines barely visible by the end of the game.

The snow fell throughout the 90 minutes amid temperatures of -5C, made colder by the wind chill factor.

Robson told RedTV: “At the start I knew the pitch wasn’t right and you could see the way we were, a couple of our players struggled on it.

“We have been on our travels a lot and that’s as tough an environment as you can play in.

“I thought first half especially they handled the conditions better than we did.

“I said to them at half-time, it’s all right saying Helsinki are on the astroturf but no, you have still got to get close to people and still got to play.

“We just came out a different Aberdeen second half and performed so well. We got the fans onside and probably should have gone on to win the game in the end.

“To come from two goals down shows the desire in the dressing room. They don’t know when they are beat and they should have won the game.

“Ach, I’m disappointed because they were brilliant, the fans. They were trying to suck us in, and we nearly got that goal to win it, which I think we deserved in the end.”

C fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with HJK in a Europa Conference League game that was held up by a Helsinki snow storm.

The referee briefly stopped the game early in the second half because the travelling Dons fans were throwing snowballs, before a longer delay to allow several snow ploughs to clear the pitch.

Aberdeen were two goals down inside 33 minutes but a stunning strike from Angus MacDonald gave them a lifeline.

Duk levelled in the 56th minute before the 13-minute delay. There had been snow on the artificial pitch at the Bolt Arena from the start with an orange ball deployed and there was no let-up throughout amid temperatures of -5C.

Aberdeen finished the stronger team after the game restarted but could not convert several late chances.

Both teams were consigned to a bottom-two finish in Group G after match day four and the home side’s domestic season ended on October 21 when they clinched the Finnish title on goal difference.

Barry Robson made eight changes to the team that started Sunday’s draw with Rangers. MacDonald made his first start in almost three months following an injury-hit start to the season, while 20-year-old Jack Milne and summer signing Pape Habib Gueye both made their first starts for the club.

Milne showed promise in the opening stages with a good run and cross that led to shots from Duk and Gueye but neither could get through to test the home goalkeeper.

HJK soon got on top and Kelle Roos twice saved well with his feet before the home pressure paid off in the 16th minute. Slobodan Rubezic sold himself with an over-eager attempt to cut out a forward pass and Hassane Bande took advantage as he fired high into the net.

The home side clipped the post and the bar in the following moments and Aberdeen squandered two chances to put HJK under pressure from free-kicks following cynical challenges. The Dons would be subjected to several more throughout the game as Kosovan referee Genc Nuza adopted a lenient approach, although two players were booked from each side.

Aberdeen fell further behind when Santeri Hostikka skipped past three weak challenges and fired through a crowded goalmouth into the bottom corner.

The Dons got back into the game completely out of the blue in the 41st minute. MacDonald controlled a pass 30 yards out and fired the bouncing ball into the top corner.

Robson made two half-time changes as Ester Sokler replaced the ineffective Gueye and Jamie McGrath came on for Ryan Duncan.

The referee turned to Jonny Hayes to try to stop the Aberdeen fans throwing snowballs as HJK prepared to take a goal-kick early in the second half and Sokler was also unsettling the home defence with his harrying.

The substitute’s hard work led to the corner which resulted in Aberdeen’s 56th-minute equaliser. Richard Jensen flicked on Connor Barron’s delivery and Duk nodded home at the far post.

HJK substitute Jukka Raitala fired over from six yards in the 72nd minute just before Nuza took the players off.

Aberdeen re-emerged the stronger team. McGrath and Sokler each twice threatened and substitute Bojan Miovski saw an effort saved as Aberdeen broke with numbers.

The Dons were disappointed when the final whistle eventually sounded as they searched for a winner on a pitch which was again covered in snow with the lines barely visible.

Jamie McGrath has targeted a positive finish to Aberdeen’s doomed Europa Conference League campaign as they prepare for the penultimate game against HJK in Finland.

The Dons are third in Group G with two points from four games, with Eintracht Frankfurt and PAOK uncatchable in the top two places.

In October a Bojan Miovski header gave Barry Robson’s side a draw after Bojan Radulovic had put the Finnish champions ahead but McGrath is looking for three points in the return game in freezing Helsinki on Thursday and in their final game against Eintracht Frankfurt at Pittodrie on December 14.

The Republic of Ireland midfielder told RedTV: “Of course you want to finish off the group with two wins if possible.

“I know they are out of season but I’m sure they’ll be fresh and ready to go and it’s going to be a very tricky game.

“We’ve seen what they could bring in our place. So they’re a good side. They have a lot of good players, a good few internationals as well.

“So we’re going  to have to be our best to take three points but hopefully we can do that.”

McGrath, who signed from Wigan in the summer, has enjoyed his whole European experience as a Don so far, despite Europa League disappointment earlier in the season when they were knocked out of the qualifiers by BK Hacken, drawing 2-2 in Sweden before losing 3-1 at Pittodrie.

He said: “It has been class to be fair. First game was Hacken away and it was brilliant.

“Obviously disappointed not to go through but the atmosphere at Pittodrie, the first home (European) game, was unbelievable.

“And then the big nights in the group stages, PAOK away and home and Frankfurt away, it was unbelievable the support we brought there, as was the support in Athens, it was phenomenal.

“Those are the nights that live in your memory when you retire, playing in front of big crowds and big European games that’s where you want to be as a player. So we’re very privileged to be able to do that.

“At Frankfurt we went there and went toe-to-toe with them away from home and that gives a great belief, especially for the younger lads.

“We have shown some really good performances but we are disappointed not to be with a chance of qualifying.”

Philippe Clement is taking nothing from the best and worst of Aberdeen as he readies his Rangers side for the trip to Pittodrie on Sunday.

The Dons, who will face off against the Ibrox men in the Viaplay Cup final at Hampden Park next month, were thrashed 6-0 at Celtic Park in the cinch Premiership immediately before the international break.

However, a comprehensive 3-1 league win against Rangers at Ibrox in September signalled the end for former Gers boss Michael Beale, with Steven Davis taking over on an interim basis before Clement arrived from Belgium.

The 49-year-old former Genk, Club Brugge and Monaco boss denied there would be extra motivation for the Ibrox side following their most recent meeting with the Granite City side.

He said:  “I don’t think it works that way. I’ve never worked that way. The past is the past and every game has its own story.

“There are other players available now on both sides. It’s an away game.

“We need to focus on ourselves. If we’d won that game 6-0 it would not have been different preparation this time.”

As for the Dons’ dismal performance at Parkhead, Clement said: “It wasn’t their best day so I think it’s not an advantage for us because you know that after a game like that, you always have a team and players who want to react to show they’re better.

“And they are better because they’ve shown these last couple of few months.”

Clement is glad to see winger Rabbi Matondo available again after being out since September with a knee injury.

The Belgian said: “He can also play central and his best period in Belgium (on loan at Cercle Brugge from Schalke 04) was as a second striker where he had a lot of freedom.

“He’s an electric player, he can eliminate fast one versus one with his dribbles, with his actions and his speed.

“So it’s someone really interesting to break open walls but of course, he comes out of an injury, he was a long time out, so we can’t expect him to get his highest level from the first minute he plays so it’ll be building with him and he can give something to the team.”

Steve Agnew admitted Aberdeen are expecting to host a different Rangers side on Sunday to the version they defeated 3-1 at Ibrox almost two months ago.

The Dons pulled off an impressive victory over the Gers on the last day of September, leading to the sacking of the Glasgow club’s boss Michael Beale two days later.

Since then Philippe Clement has taken over and overseen a seven-game unbeaten run in all competitions – including six wins – ensuring Rangers head to Pittodrie this weekend with renewed confidence.

“Obviously that was an encouraging performance and result at Ibrox but there have been changes there,” said Dons assistant Agnew on Thursday. “They’ve obviously changed the coach and results have been good since the new coach has come in.

“Rangers will be slightly different because a new coach usually changes the way he wants the team to play. We’re aware of that and we’ve analysed Rangers.

“We know it will be a tough game but we’re all really looking forward to it. We’re quietly confident. There will be a great atmosphere on Sunday and we believe we’re more than capable of getting the result we want.”

Aberdeen and Rangers meet again three weeks later in the Viaplay Cup final, but Agnew is adamant the Hampden showdown on 17 December will not come into the Dons’ thoughts this weekend.

“I think Rangers at Pittodrie, Sunday lunchtime, is as far as we look,” he said. “All our focus is on that. Anything beyond that, we really don’t look at. Sunday is just an exciting fixture that we can’t wait for.”

Sunday’s match is the first of 12 for Aberdeen in just over five weeks before they sign off for a short winter break after their trip to Ross County on 2 January. Agnew is confident the Dons – currently ninth in the league – are equipped to handle the demands of what promises to be a gruelling run.

“It is a big challenge, the number of games coming in such a short period of time,” he said. “We adapt training because of the amount of games and in the summer the club were terrific in terms of the recruitment so we have a squad in place to take us through this hectic period.

“We’re all quietly confident as a group that by the time we come through all this, we’ll be in a healthy place, whether that’s a cup final that goes well or moving up the league.”

Matt O’Riley believes Celtic need to use Kyogo Furuhashi even more after the Japan striker scored his ninth goal of the season in the 6-0 thrashing of Aberdeen on Sunday.

The Hoops went into the game on the back of a 6-0 Champions League defeat by Atletico Madrid on Tuesday but they blew the Dons away starting with South Korean forward Yang Hyun-jun’s first goal for the league leaders in the ninth minute.

Furuhashi was more than grateful that O’Riley set him up for the second soon after to take his goal ratio for club and country so far this season to almost one in two games.

Winger Luis Palma scored a penalty in the 76th minute and the Hoops struck three times in 10 added minutes at the end of the game, with Celtic substitutes David Turnbull and Oh Hyeon-gyu, twice, notching as Brendan Rodgers’ men restored their eight-point lead over Rangers at the top of the table.

O’Riley said of “nice man” Furuhashi, who had to go off with a head knock in the second half: “Me and him have a really good relationship on the pitch and I think probably 70 percent of the assists I have for Celtic have been for him, and that shows how good he is to play with, and how easy is to play with him.

“His movement’s top class. I actually think we need to use his runs a little bit more because his movement’s so good.

“He deserves the ball to be given to him because he works hard to create the space for himself. We need to keep utilising him because he’s our best goalscorer and that would be helpful going forwards.”

O’Riley described the response to the mauling in Madrid which left them bottom of their Champions League table as “perfect”, and believes such a convincing domestic result had been on the cards.

He said: “I think a result like that was pending in the league, to be honest.

“We’ve put in enough good performances and it was time – with the utmost respect – that we gave someone a real doing.

“There were a lot of chances created and it could’ve been more. It was needed.

“I shanked one from about three yards, so was a questionable finish.

“But we were on it right from the start with our runs in behind. We let them know they were going to be in for a game right from the start and we maintained that level throughout.

“We tire teams out, the way we play. And I think when you are 3-0 down at Celtic Park and you have been running for 90 minutes and haven’t had much of the ball, naturally you are going to be tired.

“The spaces do open up and we had boys coming off the bench for the last half hour ready to fire. James (Forrest), and then Bull (David Turnbull) comes on and scores. I think having that strength in depth to come on and really push the fitness levels, it is hard for teams to live with.”

Aberdeen have reported racist abuse which was allegedly directed towards Senegalese forward Pape Habib Gueye during their Europa Conference League encounter against PAOK in Greece.

The Dons revealed that it was brought to their attention during the second half that the unused substitute was “the victim of racial abuse from a section of PAOK supporters”.

A statement added: “Aberdeen FC club staff immediately informed the UEFA venue director and following conclusion of the match met with the UEFA match delegate to officially report the matter.

“Pape has the unwavering support of his teammates and all at Aberdeen FC will liaise fully with UEFA during the course of their investigations into this very serious matter.

“As a club we have zero tolerance for any form of discrimination or racist abuse. There is no place for such behaviour in football, or society as a whole.”

Aberdeen manager Barry Robson was “gutted but so proud” after his side’s Europa Conference League qualification hopes ended with a 2-2 draw against PAOK in Greece.

Luis ‘Duk’ Lopes hit an early opener for the Dons who later quickly fought back from 2-1 down when Jamie McGrath scored a 30-yard free-kick in the 70th minute.

The Dons went for the win by putting on top goalscorer Bojan Miovski to join Duk up front but the home side finished the stronger team and both they and Eintracht Frankfurt sealed their place in the knockout stages.

The Dons have two points after suffering a narrow defeat in Germany and losing a two-goal lead to PAOK last time out as well as drawing with HJK Helsinki in an eventful encounter.

Robson told RedTV after the game in Thessaloniki: “A difficult one to take. You can see how good a side they are – they beat Olympiacos 4-2 at the weekend, they beat Eintracht Frankfurt here.

“We went toe to toe with them and gave them a real go and we have drawn 2-2. The home game we were 2-0 up after 78 minutes. I think Eintracht Frankfurt away was one of our best performances you will see in Europe for a long, long time.

“I sit here so frustrated and disappointed because we deserve to have more points on the board.

“We have been outstanding against some brilliant teams. If you go back to the Hacken games, Helsinki when we missed the chances, Eintracht Frankfurt away, two PAOK games, we have been outstanding. Little, wee details cost us.

“I am so gutted but I am so proud of my players. We have come into Europe and had a real go and that’s what I wanted.”

Robson believes his side will be better for the experience.

“It’s all about learning,” the former Celtic midfielder said. “I did it myself as a player, in every European game you get better, better and better.

“This is new to a lot of them, and these are big group games against
proper, proper teams.

“We passed the ball really well for bits in the first half and you know, with the quality they have, we are going to have to defend. We did that.

“I thought we might have carried a bit more of a threat but in the end we had a go, as hard as it was because of how heavy-legged the players were.

“I am so proud, and so proud of those fans. They were absolutely bouncing and they could see we tried to give them a win.”

Aberdeen have expressed their “extreme disappointment and frustration” after their “robust” case for a 50-50 split of tickets for the Viaplay Cup final was rejected.

The Scottish Professional Football League has announced that Rangers will receive about 25,000 tickets – roughly half the capacity of Hampden – but the Dons will only be allocated up to 19,500 seats for the December 17 showpiece.

An Aberdeen statement read: “The club robustly put its case to the SPFL to treat both teams fairly with an even share of tickets, given Hampden is a neutral venue and, as such, presented an option that would split the allocation for the match evenly between both competing finalists.

“Much to our extreme disappointment and frustration, this proposal was rejected by the SPFL, who cited operational challenges and attendances at previous semi-finals/finals as the principal reasons for their determination.”

Aberdeen had proposed that they hold back five sections of the North Stand and hand back tickets to pass on to Rangers by a certain date if the demand among their fans was not evident.

An SPFL spokesperson said:  “Deciding ticketing allocations for cup finals is always a challenging task, as more fans invariably want to attend than the stadium can accommodate.

“We take a range of factors into consideration, including the number of tickets each club sells in the semi-finals, as well as their historic ticket sales in any previous League Cup finals and semi-finals.

“In addition, the design of the stadium and its ability to split sections is a major factor which influences our decisions, together with input from safety and security authorities to ensure fan safety and appropriate segregation.”

The league added that the split was broadly the same configuration as Aberdeen’s previous League Cup final appearance against Celtic five years ago.

There were 28,295 fans at the semi-final between Aberdeen and Hibernian.

The Dons were confident of selling a 50 per cent allocation given they took 43,000 supporters to Celtic Park when they last won the League Cup in 2014 by beating Inverness in the final.

Graeme Shinnie was always confident Bojan Miovski’s quality would count when he grabbed his chance to score Aberdeen’s winner in the Viaplay Cup semi-final against Hibernian on Saturday.

The Easter Road side edged a nondescript first half at Hampden Park and were denied an opener in the 49th minute when VAR, after a lengthy check, ruled forward Martin Boyle was offside before he had fired the ball past Dons keeper Kelle Roos and into the net.

It looked ominous for a hitherto lacklustre Aberdeen side when defender Jack MacKenzie was sent off by referee John Beaton in the 75th minute for picking up a second yellow card for a silly push on Hibs defender Lewis Miller.

However, it was North Macedonia international Miovski who struck three minutes later with his 10th goal of the season when he raced on to a pass from substitute Dante Polvara and drove past Hibs keeper David Marshall.

Aberdeen defended resolutely until the end of the regulation 90 minutes and through seven minutes of added time before their appearance in the December 17 final was confirmed by the final whistle.

Captain Shinnie, in his second permanent spell at the Granite City club, was “delighted” to get through.

He said: “It was a tough game, especially going down to 10 men but it shows great character from the boys to grind it out.

“We knew if we got one chance we needed to take it and if you wanted it to fall to anyone it would be Bojan, and he does brilliantly to score and as a team after that we defended magnificently, and I am absolutely delighted to be in the final.

“He has been doing that since I have been here, almost a year.

“He is a top player and we have a lot of top players in the team but like I said, if you wanted it to fall to anyone it would be him this season.

“He’s been in top form this season and then it takes a group effort to see the game out.

“I am delighted for everyone. It has been an up-and-down season so far, but this a real plus point for everyone and it gives us something to look forward to.”

Nick Montgomery has challenged Hibernian to take a big step towards more cup glory by eliminating Aberdeen in Saturday’s Viaplay Cup semi-final.

The Hibees last won a trophy in 2016 when they claimed the Scottish Cup for the first time in 114 years, while they last got their hands on the League Cup in 2007.

Current left-back Lewis Stevenson, 35, was involved in both of those triumphs while club captain Paul Hanlon, 33, played in the most recent one.

Both players are in contention to start against the Dons this weekend as the Hibees bid to set up a final showdown with city rivals Hearts or Rangers.

“There’s a lot of history at the club,” said Montgomery. “The past is the past but there are some great memories there.

“Now there is an opportunity for some of the players who have been there before to try and get to that moment again and for some of the players who have never been there to try and get to that moment.

“Any time you get to a cup final, it’s something to look back on in your career. Right now it’s 90 minutes plus extra time or whatever it is, and we’ll give everything we’ve got to try and make sure we get to the final.”

Montgomery, who was appointed Hibs boss in September, is looking forward to leading his team to Hampden less than two months after his first trip to the national stadium.

“I’ve never played or managed there,” he said. “The first time I visited was the Scotland v England game when I first arrived here in Scotland.

“I’m really looking forward to leading the team out tomorrow. It’s a special occasion at a special stadium and I’m looking forward to seeing plenty of our fans there in full voice.”

Hibs have drawn five of their seven league matches under Montgomery, with one win and one defeat.

“We’ve had a couple of draws that I feel we played well enough to win in and we’ve let a two-goal lead slip twice so it’s something we have to fix because getting into the lead is not easy,” he said.

“We have to be more resilient in terms of holding on to those leads. I think we’ve played some good football but there’s plenty improvement to make, especially in terms of concentration.

“You have to concentrate for the full game, especially defensively, like we did against Celtic (when drawing 0-0 last weekend). We have to make sure we do that every game because we know we’ve got goals in the team.

“For me, it’s been eight weeks of learning about the team, the players, the individuals and myself, and I think we’re close to being a good team. What we have to do now is turn those draws into wins but that’s all out the window this weekend because there can’t be a draw.”

Aberdeen manager Barry Robson welcomed a return to form ahead of their Viaplay Cup semi-final after watching his side beat Motherwell 4-2 at Fir Park.

Jamie McGrath hit a double and Nicky Devlin and substitute Luis Lopes were also on target as the Dons played the ball around with confidence, especially after the Irish midfielder’s first goal in the 26th minute.

Late goals from Motherwell substitutes Theo Bair and Mika Biereth added a touch of respectability to the score from the home team’s point of view but they failed to take the shine off the night for the Dons, who face Hibernian at Hampden on Saturday evening.

“We were good all over the pitch, passed it really well,” said Robson, whose side had lost 2-0 at Kilmarnock on Sunday.

“Credit to Motherwell, it’s a great pitch, night and day from playing at the weekend. That helped us a bit as well.

“We passed it really well, brought speed to the game, transitioned really well and thoroughly deserved it.”

The Dons had not won in their previous four matches.

Robson said: “They are all big wins. We are sixth, have a game in hand, we are in a semi-final, we are fighting it out in Europe against some huge European teams. We just need to keep going.”

Motherwell have now not won in six games and conceded some soft goals throughout as manager Stuart Kettlewell experienced his side’s worst performance of his reign.

Kettlewell said: “We played poorly and got everything we deserved. In terms of our discipline and decision-making, having a real soft centre, our organisation.

“I know there is always an intent to score, but what we did when I first came in, we started from the back end of the pitch and made sure we had a real stability, not just from the guys in the back line but the midfielders and forwards too.

“That’s not working just now – we have conceded seven goals in two home games. We are not rectifying situations when we lose the ball.

“There’s a chink in the armour at this minute and sometimes it can come from decision-making more than ability. That was a big aspect again – we have put ourselves into poor positions and made bad choices.

“There isn’t a magic wand to fix that side of it but we have to remain together. We are going through a bad spell – it was undoubtedly our worst game since I took charge in February.”

Jamie McGrath hit a double as a 4-2 victory at Motherwell gave Aberdeen a much-needed morale boost ahead of the Viaplay Cup semi-finals.

McGrath scored in each half with Nicky Devlin and substitute Luis Lopes also on target as the Dons claimed their first win in five matches to send them to Hampden on a high when they face Hibernian on Saturday.

Motherwell conceded some sloppy goals and never troubled Aberdeen keeper Kelle Roos until substitute Theo Bair netted his first goal at Fir Park in the 79th minute.

Mika Biereth scored his third goal in three cinch Premiership appearances off the bench in stoppage time but the Steelmen have now taken just one point from six games.

Aberdeen manager Barry Robson had taken responsibility for Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Kilmarnock, admitting he should have made more than one change to his starting line-up. He made two at Fir Park as Dante Polvara and Leighton Clarkson came in.

Motherwell had Lennon Miller back from suspension while Conor Wilkinson made his first start since August.

Both sides had some decent spells of possession without threatening, until some hesitant defending gifted the visitors the lead in the 26th minute.

Dan Casey failed to get a decent connection on his header following Devlin’s cross and Paul McGinn was slow to react as McGrath got in behind to nod home at the far post.

The goal seemed to have a major and contrasting impact on each team. Aberdeen looked increasingly confident on the ball while Motherwell were struggling to string two passes together and the crowd started to get on their backs.

A slack pass from McGinn set up Polvara to shoot straight at Liam Kelly before the away team doubled their lead in the 44th minute.

McGrath’s pass put Bojan Miovski through and, although McGinn made a last-ditch tackle, Devlin was by far the quickest to follow up and slotted home.

Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell made two half-time changes, bringing on Biereth and Calum Butcher, who was making his first appearance since suffering a foot injury in May.

The start of the second half was delayed by about seven minutes by a technical issue with the VAR equipment.

The home fans soon lost their patience with referee Colin Steven as he booked four of their players in the space of eight minutes and waved away several appeals for Motherwell free-kicks – Biereth’s yellow card came for a show of dissent.

McGrath had a header saved before adding to his tally in the 68th minute after another goal-saving challenge fell for the Dons.

Casey this time slid in to nick the ball off Miovski’s feet and McGrath emerged with it as Kelly hesitated to pick up, before the Irishman found the net. The goalkeeper was booked for dissent as he claimed for an infringement.

Kelly was well beaten six minutes later when he came for Ryan Duncan’s corner as Lopes headed into the empty net.

Bair soon curled the ball home from 22 yards with Roos slow to get down at his near post.

The Canadian missed a decent chance from Biereth’s driven cross before the Dane slotted home following a cross.