Aberdeen midfielder Leighton Clarkson is drawing on hard-learned lessons from the painful 6-0 defeat to Celtic in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final at Hampden. Despite that setback, Clarkson insists there will be no fear when the Dons face the league leaders in their upcoming top-of-the-table clash. With Pittodrie set to host the showdown, he believes a raucous home crowd can unnerve the reigning champions and give Aberdeen the edge.
Reflecting on the semi-final defeat, Clarkson acknowledged his side never found their rhythm that day. However, he takes confidence from their performances in the three games before that match, all of which ended in draws against Celtic. As Aberdeen sit in second place, four points adrift of the leaders, Clarkson is determined to see his team cut the gap. “Before the 6-0 at Hampden, we had three draws against them or something like that,” he said. “We had a decent record against them. We can’t fear them. We’ll give them total respect but aim to perform to the best of our ability and try to take the three points.”
Clarkson admits the wounds from Hampden remain fresh but sees them as a source of motivation. “Of course, it’s happened before, and it happened then. But that’s in the past now,” he said. “We look forward. The spirit and fight have always been there since then. You saw it at the end on Sunday; we’ve got that real togetherness in the squad.”
The midfielder emphasized the importance of learning from their mistakes, particularly regarding their approach at Hampden. “It’s a mixture of things,” he explained. “The balance of counter-attacking, keeping hold of the ball, maybe not being as passive. At Hampden, we were a bit passive, and Celtic’s quality players punished us. We need to be on it.”
Pittodrie has been a fortress for Aberdeen this season, with the Dons winning every home game so far. Clarkson believes the electric atmosphere, especially under the floodlights, can give them a critical advantage, as seen in their victory over Rangers. “When you get that place bouncing, it’s a tough venue for opponents,” Clarkson said. “We’ll be at it on Wednesday night, and the crowd will back us all the way. A game under the lights can’t get much better. Hopefully, we can take the three points.”
Despite a challenging recent run that saw Aberdeen pick up only two points from three away games, Clarkson remains confident in the team’s stability. The Dons remain clear in second place and have only lost one league game all season. Clarkson dismissed concerns of a slump, stating, “I don’t think the wheels are coming off. We had nine points to play for and came out with two, but we’re still in a strong position.”
With the Red Army behind them, Clarkson and his teammates are determined to rise to the occasion and keep their title hopes alive.
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