Aberdeen boss Jim Goodwin insists two goal hero Duk will only get better as the striker has “huge potential”.
Former Benfica striker Luis ‘Duk’ Lopes netted a second half brace to secure a 2-0 victory against St Johnstone at Pittodrie.
Duk’s double ended the Reds’ five-game run without victory and alleviated the pressure that had mounted on Goodwin.
Cape Verde international Duk, 22, has now scored 11 goals in all competitions this season.
Dons boss Goodwin also hailed the impact of influential midfielder Graeme Shinnie on his return to Pittodrie.
Shinnie, 31, arrived at Aberdeen 48 hours before kick-off on a loan deal from Wigan Athletic until the end of the season.
The Dons’ first win since returning from the winter break also delivered a timely boost ahead of next Sunday’s League Cup semi-final with Rangers at Hampden.
Goodwin said: “Duk is a really good young player who hadn’t played a lot of senior football before coming to us.
“He has huge potential and has developed probably quicker than anticipated.
“That is to our gain.
“But we’re not getting carried away and putting pressure on his shoulders.
“It is really important when one of your strikers like Miovski is going through a little bit of a barren spell to have someone else to take on the mantle.
“To be the match-winner for us.
“I thought Duk was excellent and thoroughly deserved his two goals.”
‘Noise’ of recent criticism blocked out
The pressure had been building on Goodwin and his squad prior to the defeat of St Johnstone following a return of just one point from 15 since the winter break.
Goodwin insists there was no “panic or negativity” within Pittodrie despite the five game winless run.
He accepts there had been a lot of “noise” regarding the slump in form but he, and his players, blocked it out.
Now all focus is on Hampden next weekend when they face Rangers in the bid to reach the League Cup final.
Goodwin said: “There has been a lot of noise outside the club but we have not let it affect us.
“Unfortunately since the return from the World Cup break we haven’t done as well as we would have liked.
“I could go through things which have gone against us.
“We were terrible against Killie and put our hands up.
“However we can’t look back.
“This was an important result.
“And I think the result was more important than the performance.
“From my point of view and the point of view from the players, there was no sign of panic or negativity.
“Block out what’s being said, believe in what we’re doing and the strategy we have here at the club.
“I have to give great credit to the players because we had been on a difficult run.
“However they stuck together and kept going.”
Shinnie’s ‘excellent’ Dons return
Scotland international Shinnie made his debut having arrived on loan from Championship Wigan Athletic until the end of the season.
Former Dons skipper Shinnie made 188 appearances for Aberdeen before leaving for Derby County in 2019.
Goodwin said: “Shinnie brought a bit of excitement, supporters hold him in high regard and rightly so.
“He can do a little bit of everything. He was excellent.
“I am really pleased for Graeme that he has come back and played a key role in getting a win.
“He was very good alongside (Ylber) Ramadani.”
Dons cut gap on third-placed Hearts
Aberdeen slashed the gap on third placed Hearts to just three points, although the Tynecastle club hold a game in hand.
Duk also had a goal disallowed in the first half for offside following a VAR review.
Goodwin said: “We deserved the three points.
“I thought we were excellent in the first half and St Johnstone didn’t cause us too many problems.
“We passed the ball about really well.
“We were unfortunate with a few decisions which went against us.
“It looked like it could have been a carbon copy of last Monday against Ross County.
“Where we were in complete control of the game but couldn’t find a way to get that all important goal.
“The second half became very scrappy, St Johnstone made it that way – we were aggressive and stood up to that.”
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