EVEN when they are second best. Even when they are down to 10 men. As long as Aberdeen have Bojan Miovski, they have a puncher’s chance.
That is exactly the scenario that unfolded at Hampden on Saturday, as a classic counter from the Dons late on caught Hibernian cold, and the striker showed ice in his veins as he finished just about the first thing resembling a chance that came his way all afternoon.
It was enough to take Barry Robson’s men into the Viaplay Cup Final, a victory that was built on resilience, some daftness from Jack MacKenzie in getting himself ordered off, a slice of luck with a marginal VAR call disallowing a Martin Boyle goal, and the clinical brilliance of Miovski.
It means they will come back to the national stadium on December 17th to try and do it all again, and for goalkeeper Kelle Roos, with the North Macedonian in their attack, anything is possible. Though, he would have preferred him to have killed the contest off rather than going down under the challenge of Will Fish when his keeper found him with a long ball in the dying moments.
“It’s brilliant,” Roos said.
“I would like it next time if I give him an assist he puts that in the net as well instead of trying to go down!
“I say that for fun. You can see when he is one on one with the goalkeeper, he really knows the space he has, he really slows down, he just finds the gap.
“It is great to have such a good finisher in the team.”
Roos played with some decent forwards during his time at Derby County, but he wouldn’t be drawn on where Miovski ranks among them.
“That’s such a hard question because no player plays the same,” he said.
“I have played with strikers who were better shooters but don’t have anything near the mobility he has.
“He always finds himself on the shoulder, he always gets his body in front, he can really be a threat from all angles.
“He can score from crosses, if you feed him, he will score, he has one touch finishes.
“So, it’s a hard one. But he’s a really good striker and someone we all enjoy having in the team.
“[This win] doesn’t give us points in the league, so we need to keep getting at it in the league, let’s make that very clear.
“We have a beautiful final to look forward to, but we didn’t come this far just to get to a final.
“We need to focus on the league and focus on European football and that will carry us towards that day.
“It’s also important we stay focused on our daily tasks. We’ll recover and then go back to work on Monday to prepare for Thursday.
“It is important we keep grounded. This was a semi-final and it’s a brilliant reward for everyone, the players and the fans.
“I can’t stress that enough, it’s a great occasion for the fans as well.
“It’s a great chance to get some silverware, and if you can do that, I have learned in my career your team turns into family. That’s what we’ll be looking to do.”
Roos was less impressed by compatriot Dylan Vente’s attempts to win a penalty for Hibs as he went down after poking the ball past the keeper in the second half.
“I was never near his feet, he just tried to buy one,” he said.
“He got the ball but at the same time I didn’t get any of him.
“He’s Dutch, so I said to him: ‘You’ve tried to do me in’. He knew it.”
Miovski meanwhile has backed young teammate MacKenzie to bounce back from his dismissal at Hampden, and the fact that the needless suspension now means he will miss the final.
The left back had picked up a booking for pulling back Lewis Miller just after the hour, and then he lost his cool just 15 minutes later as he chased down the Hibs man and shoved him to the ground off the ball to pick up his second caution.
At 23, MacKenzie isn’t a young prospect anymore, and should have known better. But Roos says that he wouldn’t want to temper the aggression that ordinarily makes MacKenzie such an asset.
“It’s one of those,” he said.
“Let’s be very clear. I spoke to Jack [just after the game].
“Jack’s strength in his aggression, his passion, and he had a little blip. It’s going to hurt him to miss the final, we’re obviously going to miss him. But it’s a great way for him to learn to control it.
“Let’s not get it twisted, he is a brilliant defender who plays with his heart on his sleeve. He digs a lot of people out of trouble a lot of the time.
“Here, it wasn’t to be for him.”
