ABERDEEN manager Derek McInnes praised his players for their resilience in coming from a goal down to draw 1-1 against Kairat Almaty, despite the result seeing his side knocked out of the Europa League qualifiers on aggregate.
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However, Kenny McLean nodded in for Aberdeen and a stoppage-time Vladimir Plotnikov save from Paul Quinn’s header prevented extra-time.
“Until someone says to me at the back end of the season – when hopefully we have a trophy in our hands – that going out of Europe was the best thing that could have happened to us, it is going to feel disappointing”, McInnes told reporters.
“I couldn’t have asked for more in terms of effort”, he said.
“It was clear we were hell bent on getting on top of them”.
“They had the advantage of being halfway through their season but it wouldn’t have shown on the intensity of play”. They will be unseeded for the play-off round should they manage to overcome FC Kairat this evening, which would mean another tough draw. But try as they might, it wouldn’t come.
The Scots were stretching their opponents though and Zarko Markovic, Anatoliy Tymoshchuk and Mikhail Bakaev all collected first-half bookings as Kairat took a physical approach.
McInnes’ men quickly settled and after Niall McGinn’s shot was kept out, they felt they should have had a penalty when Peter Pawlett tumbled in the box.
“My team’s improving. We’ve got a right good squad, we’ve got loads to be encouraged by, loads of optimism”. ‘The more backing we get the better. In 9 minutes, Bakayev’s teammate Baurzhan Islamkhan scored the second goal with a 30-yard strike. “Aberdeen are a good strong team and they caused problems in the air”.
“It was a great game and the supporters created a big atmosphere”.
“That’s obviously part of why I wanted to stay at this club”.
‘We are now giving him the benefit of playing in games like Sunday’s match, as well as European games.
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“We want to enjoy this as much as we can but we also put ourselves under pressure to go as far as we can”.
