How 'unlucky' Aberdeen plan to cope with Anthony Stewart suspension as defender vows to step up

Anthony Stewart's absence due to suspension is set to leave a large hole in the middle of the Aberdeen defence but Liam Scales has vowed to step up in the Pittodrie side's hour of need.

Aberdeen's Liam Scales in action during the 3-1 defeat at St Mirren. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)

Stewart is suspended for two games after his red card against St Mirren on Saturday, starting with tonight’s trip to Kilmarnock.

Manager Jim Goodwin has already described this fixture as “must win” after three successive defeats since returning from the World Cup break.

Failure to note the circumstances of each loss – all could be claimed to be unfortunate – would be unfair. However, the manager knows there is no use pleading for sympathy.

Aberdeen need to start getting results again – starting this evening in Ayrshire. Scales noted fine margins involved in their recent reversals and he knows Kilmarnock will be looking to pile on the agony. The hosts are hoping to build on their comeback from 2-0 against Motherwell last week despite being reduced to ten men.

Aberdeen, meanwhile, are rueing a combination of ill fortune and poor decision-making. Scales is determined to put the recent poor run behind them.

“We haven't really had any luck in the past week,” said the centre-half, who is on loan from Celtic. “We've performed quite well but we've suffered from individual mistakes and they have cost us, so we know it is massive for us to go away to Kilmarnock and get three points on the board.

"We know how tough it is going to be down there. They make it hard on their surface, but it is huge for us to go there and win.

"We've scored some great goals against Rangers and St Mirren and on Saturday we also hit the post and the crossbar. Against Rangers we also hit the woodwork twice.

"But little individual errors at the back have cost us. Every mistake we make seems to be getting punished at the moment. An example was the first penalty we conceded on Saturday. It definitely looked outside the box and I don't know how that was given as a penalty to be honest. We just haven't had the rub of the green at all.”

Stewart’s suspension means Goodwin will have a decision to make about formation as well as personnel. The skipper has been an ever-present in the league since joining this summer.

"Ant has been great for us, so solid in the middle of the back three, so we'll have to reshuffle a bit for the next two games,” said Scales. “We'll just have to make an effort to be extra solid, because he does lead us well.

"Myself and the other players around me will have to take a bit more responsibility to lead the team."

Aberdeen have lost six of their nine league games away from home so far this season. By contrast, they have won six of nine league outings at Pittodrie.

“I do think we've been unlucky away from home,” said Scales. “We lost a goal with the last kick at Ross County and then everyone knows what happened on Saturday. We've been performing quite well away from home - although there have been a couple of poor performances - but hopefully we can turn up on the 28th, because we need to."