Jonny Hayes is honest enough to admit being handed the Aberdeen captain’s armband at Ibrox didn’t mean all that much to him.
But he can’t hide from the fact that finishing third will be all that matters to the demanding Dons support. With skipper Ross McCrorie ruled out after hernia surgery, Hayes was handed the honour of leading his side out for Sunday’s showdown in Glasgow. In the end, Todd Cantwell spoiled the Irishman’s big day as he sealed a 1-0 win for Gers. But Hayes was more concerned about seeing Aberdeen’s streak of seven successive wins under new gaffer Barry Robson come to an end.
It hasn’t done to much harm to the Dons’ bid to claim third place, with their lead over Hearts remaining at five points. Reclaiming that best-of-the-rest slot represents a remarkable turnaround from a team who looked to be in freefall under Jim Goodwin. But now they’re back where they feel they belong, Hayes admits there will be no sympathy from the Red Army if the Pittodrie side slip up again. He said: “For me it is probably an expectation of the fans that we have. They want Aberdeen up the top end of the table.
