Derek McInnes happy with Aberdeen's smash-and-grab win

Aberdeen's Ryan Christie and manager Derek McInnes (right) celebrate at full time. Picture: SNS

The Dons strengthened their grip on second place in the Premiership table as two goals in the last seven minutes by substitutes Jayden Stockley and Peter Pawlett wiped out Rory McKenzie’s first-half opener for Killie.

“It does give me just as much satisfaction,” said McInnes. “You always want your team to play well and show their full potential and we got somewhere really close to that against Motherwell last Wednesday, we were absolutely brilliant.

“But it’s not always about us. Today Kilmarnock deserve a lot of credit, they deserved more from the game. We’re a team that’s been used to winning, though, and I think you saw that. Certainly when the equaliser went in, it was about how to get the ball forward again and try and get the winner. We didn’t want to run out of time.

“I do think that’s an identity about us but I still think the opponent deserved a lot of credit for their work. On another day they probably get something from the game. That said, it’sIt’s always satisfying when you’ve come away from home, not been at your best but still found a way to win.

“When the dust settles, you look at the league table and realise you’ve nine wins out of ten and you’re keeping that winning momentum going, which is important at this stage of the season.. All the points are important. There are still 13 league games to go, so there are plenty of points to play for, so I don’t think it’s anything defining at this moment.”

Kilmarnock interim manager Lee McCulloch, who will have further talks with the club’s board later this week about the vacancy created by Lee Clark’s departure last week, insisted he had no regrets about the fateful 78th-minute substitution which saw Miles Addison replace the injured Stevie Smith.

It prompted a re-shaping of Killie’s back four, with Gary Dicker switched to midfield, and Addison was subsequently at fault for both of Aberdeen’s goals.

“To be honest, I was thinking about bringing Miles on anyway [before Smith was injured],” said McCulloch.

“I had said to him at half-time to make sure he was ready as I thought Aberdeen would be direct. With Stockley and Adam Rooney up front for them, Miles was the perfect one to be winning the headers.

“Gary Dicker had been doing brilliantly back in defence but it was the only change we could make.With hindsight, would I have done anything differently? Probably not.”