Aberdeen defender Hayden Coulson knows lessons have to be learned following his side’s dramatic injury-time collapse against Rangers.
Jim Goodwin’s side looked to have answered their critics following their meek display against Celtic at the weekend after coming from behind to lead Rangers 2-1 at Pittodrie on Tuesday.
But, with the match into the fifth minute of the seven added on for injury time, the Dons let victory slip from their grasp by conceding not once, but twice in the space of two minutes to lose 3-2.
The look of shock on Coulson’s face said it all.
It was a new experience for the on-loan Middlesbrough left-back and not one he wants to go through again.
He said: “I have never been involved in such a drastic turnaround as that, especially in the short amount of time that it was. That’s a first for me.
“We thought we would see it out. We had no reason not to think that.
“We did drop a bit deeper than we would have liked to. But I think we have to see that extra time out.”
Dons dejected at late collapse
Coulson could only watch helpless as the dramatic finale unfolded, having been replaced by Jack MacKenzie in the second half with his side leading 2-1.
What was clear, however, was the impact losing the game from a winning position was hard to process.
This was Aberdeen’s personal horror movie replaying in slow motion.
Coulson said: “We definitely did not deserve to lose, that was the one. I think we have to deal with seeing the game out a lot better. I think there were four minutes left. We have to do better at the end.
“I was off the pitch at the time, but I thought seven minutes was a lengthy time.
“Obviously that is their (the officials) job, not mine. We just have to get on with it.
“There was not much said after the game, to be honest. I think everyone is very down and it is still a bit too early to say anything on the performance.”
It had all looked so promising for the Dons as the final, few remaining seconds counted down with Duk’s stunning free-kick and a fine Leighton Clarkson strike giving the Dons a deserved 2-1 lead.
Rangers substitute Scott Arfield had other ideas, however, as he struck twice to stun the Dons.
Coulson said: “It is one of them. You need to face the opposition on the day.
“Every team is set up differently. This was a sore one in the end as we did well throughout the game.
“It just wasn’t ideal at the end.
“It was not the best way to obviously end it. It was a crazy game.”
Positives to be found despite the result
A win against Rangers would have been the perfect riposte following criticism of the team’s failure to trouble Celtic at all three days earlier and, amid the despair felt at full-time, Coulson knows there are positives to be found.
He said: “Credit to Duk. He called it before he hit it to be fair. Full credit to him.
“We just need to work on stuff like that, keeping the momentum high, which I thought we did well in spells. We kept them quiet. We just need to finish off better.
“There were positives. We were 2-1 up at the end of the day.
“There were things we could do better, there were chances we could have created, but it is just one of them – at the end of the day we need to come away with at least something from the game.
“We will analyse it on Thursday and go from there.”
Digesting a second defeat of the season by Rangers is going to take time.
But with the teams due to meet again at Hampden in the semi-final of the League Cup on January 15, Coulson insists the performance, if not the result, shows the Dons can challenge Michael Beale’s side for a place in the final.
He said: “It gives us a boost, especially as there is a cup semi-final coming up.
“It gives us a bit more of an incentive to have a go now and we know how to play against them.
“It will be a good game again I am sure.”
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