There was no one happier than Jonny Hayes when Paul Quinn smashed home the winner against Celtic at Pittodrie last month.
The Aberdeen midfielder feared he had cost his team victory when he was controversially sent off against the Hoops with 20 minutes remaining and the teams locked at 1-1.
Hayes, who subsequently failed in his bid to overturn his red card for a challenge on Mikael Lustig, felt a major sense of relief when his side managed to go on and beat the Hoops, despite their numerical disadvantage.
The former Caley Thistle player believes that victory should give the Reds hope they can end the club’s miserable run of results at Parkhead, where they have lost their last 20 league matches.
He said: “The last time I was sent off was for Inverness against Kilmarnock.
“We were either winning or drawing and we ended up losing. When I got sent off against Celtic it was 1-1 and we were down to 10 men, so I feared the worst.
“I had to end up watching the game with the video analyst. I was a bit annoyed about the decision.
“Emotions were high but after we won the game all the boys were delighted.
“I was more relieved than anything and gave Quinny a bit of a hug after the game.
“It could have gone the other way and if that had been the case my sending-off could have been seen as a pivotal moment in the game.
“I thought we played well with 10 men and that will give us confidence going into this game.
“If we can stick to our own game we can be a match for any team in the league.”
In the space of five weeks, the Dons have allowed a five-point gap at the top of the table to disappear after going four league matches without a win.
But Hayes says the Dons have remained upbeat despite their recent barren run.
He said: “As soon as people hear the word crisis they get a bit worried but we are quite relaxed about things in the dressing-room.
“The boys are more bothered about how cold it is or how the weather is when we are training.
“People outside are entitled to their opinions but we only listen to what the manager and Tony Docherty have to say.
“We have never really dwelled on the past, regardless of whether it has been a good result or bad result.
“We always prepare for the next game and that is how it is under the manager.
“We just need to keep looking forward to the next game, regardless of whether we have had a good or bad result.
“The Celtic game is one of the biggest of the campaign and one of the more enjoyable ones as well.”