Angus MacDonald has backed Aberdeen to finish the job of securing a third-place finish in the Scottish Premiership.
The Dons are five points clear with five games remaining and the defender, who signed a new two-year deal to stay at Pittodrie on Friday, is confident his side can hold off the challenge of Hearts to secure third spot.
He said: “Since coming in the door I don’t think I’ve looked and thought ‘oh, a nice easy one this weekend.’
“Every one of them has been a big game.
“But we’ve got ourselves in a position now where we’re five points clear, we’ve got a couple of good games at home and a couple of big games away.
“But I back the boys to really stick in and get the results we need.”
Fans have a part to play
MacDonald believes the Red Army have a huge role to play in the post-split matches.
The defender hailed the atmosphere in the 2-0 win against Rangers in the Dons’ last outing as the best he has experienced in his career.
He insists the same backing is needed in the remaining matches.
MacDonald said: “That was probably the best atmosphere I’ve played in.
“They got right behind the team, especially when the first goal went in. It gave us a real lift and there was real belief we’d go on to take the three points.
“It’s a clichéd thing to say ‘the fans lift the players’ but you saw it on Sunday.
“You’re tired, you’ve played 80 minutes of football against a very good team and sometimes all it needs is that extra support to get us over the line.
“Fans will turn out in their numbers and hopefully we can put on good performances for them but ultimately it’s about getting the three points to keep us where we are.”
MacDonald takes pride in clean sheet record
MacDonald has made a huge impression in helping shore up a porous defence since his arrival at the end of January, transforming the backline into one of the meanest in the top flight.
The Dons have won seven matches in a row and not conceded a goal in open play in more than 10 hours 30 minutes with MacDonald and team-mates Liam Scales and Mattie Pollock forming a formidable three-man backline.
The 30-year-old former Swindon Town captain is proud of the defensive record and revelling in the challenge of maintaining it.
He said: “It’s been an enjoyable spell since I came through the door.
“The results before that were not the best, the club wasn’t sitting in the table where it wanted to sit but it has been a massive turnaround.
“The lads have dug deep, trained hard and well, and it has shown on the pitch.
“This is one of the best runs I’ve had in my career.
“I don’t remember a spell or a time where I’ve kept clean sheets, won seven games in a row and been fighting for what we’re fighting for in European football.
“You normally look at the top two putting long runs of games unbeaten and clean sheets so it’s a massive credit to the team for doing so well recently.
“There are three defenders back there dying to keep clean sheets and people on the bench dying to keep clean sheets too.
“You’ve got strikers wanting to defend, midfielders getting tight to people, Kelle behind us.
“It’s all over the pitch and there is a massive desire to win games of football and get the club back to where it deserves to be.”
Conversation