Aberdeen boss McInnes calls for more Friday night Premiership games

Dons boss Derek McInnes believes there should be more Friday night football in the Scottish Premiership.

A crowd of 15,629 braved difficult weather conditions to watch the Dons defeat Hibs 1-0.

More than 1,000 had travelled up to Pittodrie from Edinburgh for the 7.45pm kick-off that was broadcast live on BT Sport.

McInnes enjoys Friday night action and insists the healthy crowd despite difficult weather conditions proves there is an appetite for it.

He said: “I love Friday night football and think we should push for it a little bit more.

“The crowd were great.

“At five, six o’clock people have that decision to make as to whether to go along to the game or not.

“I could fully understand why they wouldn’t with the conditions and the wind.

“However, our supporters responded well with good numbers and real voice because they saw their team play in a good manner.

“Hibs also took up a good support.

“Playing on a Friday night has always been good for us and it was great that we managed to get another win.”

Friday night football also offers the opportunity to put points on the board and then watch how rivals react over the weekend.

Victory courtesy of a Gary Mackay-Steven goal leapfrogged Aberdeen above Hibs into the top six.

Although it was Scotland cap Mackay-Steven who netted the decisive goal, McInnes reckons striker Stevie May caused the Hibs defence major problems.

A £400,000 signing from Preston North End last summer, May has netted just once this season.

The 26-year-old received a standing ovation when substituted late on.

McInnes said: “Stevie was brilliant and I didn’t want to take him off but he was feeling a tight calf.

“He has had a really strong game and a half now in the last couple of games now.”

In-form Aberdeen have now racked up four straight victories that have produced a rise up the Premiership table and booked a Betfred Cup final slot with Celtic on December 2.

Shutting out Hibs was the third clean sheet within that run of four wins, with Rangers and Hamilton also drawing blanks against the Reds.

McInnes said: “The responsibility to keep a clean sheet is there for everybody, it is down to the whole team.

“We were lacking in size against Hibs and only really had two bits of height in Mikey Devlin and Scott McKenna.

“You have Lewis Ferguson, Max Lowe and Shay Logan giving away inches inside our box but they were still really competitive and got their head on things.

“It is a team that delivers a clean sheet but there is no doubt there are some key players within that helping.

“The centre-half partnership (McKenna and Devlin) has been very good recently and hopefully that continues.”

Seven Aberdeen players have joined up with Scotland on international duty.

Joining Alex McLeish’s senior squad for the UEFA Nations League ties with Albania and Israel are Graeme Shinnie, McKenna, Gary Mackay-Steven and Devlin.

Meanwhile, Bruce Anderson, Connor McLennan and Lewis Ferguson have met up with Scot Gemmill’s Under-20 squad to face Turkey in Spain later this month.

Ferguson is a first-team regular, while Anderson and McLennan are pushing for a regular slot.

McInnes insists their emergence underlines the strength of his squad.

He said: “The squad is in a good place at the moment and there are boys on the bench itching to play their part.

“A couple of the younger lads, Bruce Anderson and Connor McLennan, are looking to get involved.

“It is pleasing to have a clean bill of health at the minute and have the players knuckling down and getting on with the game in hand.”