Barry Robson praised his Aberdeen side for retaking third place but insisted they aren’t getting carried away because they haven’t achieved anything yet.
A double from Duk was enough to see off relegation-threatened Kilmarnock at Pittodrie. That win and St Mirren’s win over Hearts saw the Dons jump back into third place - for the first time in over four months. Robson, the manager of the month, said: “I’m not getting carried away because we’ve not achieved anything. I will sit down at the end of the season and see where we’re at.
“Then I can maybe get carried away, but until then nothing changes and we move on to the next game. I have been in this game so long I know what’s round the corner, I know what can happen. You have to be the best you can be every day and if you do that you’ll be okay. If you take your foot off the gas then you know what happens. I never thought about third place then and I haven’t thought about it now, to be honest with you.
“I’m sure that’s where the club wants to be - Hearts, Hibs, everyone else wants to be there too. There’s a long way to go for that and it’s not something we’re thinking about. “
Bizarrely, the Dons had lost third spot after their defeat to Kilmarnock at the end of December. That was part of a dismal run that saw them go into freefall, saw the Jambos go 10 points clear and Jim Goodwin lose his job.
So their return was book-ended by this latest win over Killie. This was one where the apprentice got one over the sorcerer, McInnes had signed Robson as a player at Aberdeen before he joined his coaching staff.
He learned the ropes under McInnes, Tony Docherty and Paul Sheerin before he continued his trade as Aberdeen under-18 boss and now after an extensive audition has earned a crack at the top job until the end of the season - at least.
The Dons went out and made it five wins in a row in the league for the first time since 2015-16. Ironically, that was under McInnes, where he oversaw an Aberdeen team that opened up the season with an impressive eight straight wins.
It was a season they finished second but it was a season where it left more than a tinge of regret, knowing they could have been genuine title contenders. Aberdeen had been European regulars for eight, consecutive seasons but missed out last time and that was the goal to return for the next campaign.
McInnes’s own hopes for Kilmarnock were a lot more modest but just as immediate. He was just trying desperately to keep them out of the bottom two.
McInnes knew his former parish well and the importance of going up there and frustrating the Red Amy. The players clearly didn’t pay heid to that as within 18 seconds they were behind.
Ryan Duncan won it and Bojan Miovski forced it through to Duk who fired it past Sam Walker. It wasn’t the start you would want when you had an away record as bad as Killie’s.
The home side went close again in the 36th minute. Ylber Ramadani played it through to Duk and he raced wide and crossed for Miovski, who was challenged by Jeriel Dorsett, but Walker got down to make a fine low block.
Killie, who had been unbeaten in their previous two, finished the half strongly. Christian’s Doidge’s low shot forced Kelle Roos into a low save and then captain Ross McCrorie’s saving challenge denied Luke Chambers.
Jordan Jones then curled in a corner that Donnelly headed goalwards, forcing Roos to claw away. The visitors created a couple of chances after the break but failed to take them and ultimately, cost them when Aberdeen netted again just before the hour.
Leighton Clarkson’s defence-splitting pass sent Miovski away, he fired a shot but never caught it right and it fell to Duk who made no mistake at the back stick. The afternoon got even better for the Red Army with the news that rivals Hearts were losing to St Mirren.
Sub Scott Robinson had the ball in the net in stoppage time but it was flagged for offside, meaning there was to be no consolation for Kilmarnock.
