Midfielder Ross McCrorie insists Aberdeen are ready to stand up and be counted in the bid to save the season.
The Dons’ horror scoring drought now stands at six games following a 1-0 loss at Celtic.
It is the worst run without a goal in the club’s 118-year history.
Despite the failure to net in 553 minutes of action and with just one win in 10 games, McCrorie believes the bid for third remains alive.
It is the business end of the season and a good chance to stand up and be counted.
“It is the chance to show the character we have in the team.”
Ross McCrorie
And he has challenged the Dons to show their character in the remaining nine fixtures of the Premiership campaign.
That fight-back begins at home to Kilmarnock today.
The 22-year-old said: “It is the business end of the season and a good chance to stand up and be counted.
“It is the chance to show the character we have in the team.
“We are disappointed, especially results wise.
“The team is taking it as a challenge to try and rectify previous results.
“We have to have that belief.
“There were positives to take from the Celtic game, especially from the second half performance.
“We were very unfortunate not to come out with anything from the game.”
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Three loan strikers beginning to gel
The lack of goals, particularly from strikers, is not new and has troubled Aberdeen for most of the season.
In the first half of the campaign, the club’s recognised strikers Sam Cosgrove and Curtis Main had netted just three goals each.
In a bid to solve that scoring problem, boss Derek McInnes completely revamped his striking options towards the end of the January transfer window.
Cosgrove was sold to Birmingham for £2 milliom with Main leaving Pittodrie for Shrewsbury.
The three new boys that have come in have been great in gelling with the squad.
“We can see the three have real talent and I am sure we will soon see the fruits of that.”
Ross McCrorie
Three strikers were secured on loan on transfer deadline day – Florian Kamberi (St Gallen), Fraser Horny (Stade de Reims) and Callum Hendry (St Johnstone).
Yet still the lack of goals continues, although Kamberi impressed at Parkhead and hit the post.
The Dons also had a penalty claim turned down against Celtic for handball by Stephen Welsh from a Kamberi cross.
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McCrorie is confident the goals will come as the strikers are beginning to fully integrate.
He said: “The three new boys that have come in have been great in gelling with the squad.
“They’ve not had a lot of training pitch sessions due to the weather.
“However, we can see the three have real talent and I am sure we will soon see the fruits of that.”
Kamberi and Scotland Under-21s all-time leading goal-scorer Hornby both led the line in a two-pronged attack as boss McInnes opted for a 3-5-2 formation at Parkhead.
It was the second full 90-minute shift for Kamberi in five days, having made his delayed debut in the 0-0 draw with St Mirren.
Kamberi’s work visa was only cleared 24 hours before his debut and he only had one training session with his new team-mates before facing St Mirren.
McCrorie said: “You started to see against Celtic that things are coming together.
“There will be a time when everything clicks and it will go really well for us.”
McCrorie had initially been on loan from Rangers this season with the Reds set to sign him permanently for £350,000 in the summer.
However, the process was fast-tracked when McCrorie signed a permanent three-and-a-half-year contract on transfer deadline day.
Attacker Scott Wright, who had already signed a pre-contract at Rangers, moved to Ibrox permanently on deadline day in a £200,000 switch.
That opened the way for Aberdeen to then pay the remaining £150,000 to Rangers to secure McCrorie early.
He is now free to face Rangers in the post-split Premiership fixture.
Race for third with Hibs still alive
Aberdeen trail third-placed Hibs by four points, although the Easter Road club hold a game in hand.
Today will represent a battle for both teams to end a goal drought as Kilmarnock have not scored in their last four matches.
Killie, now managed by former St Johnstone boss Tommy Wright, have failed to score in six of their last seven games.
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McCrorie said: “It is the business end of the season and where the trophies and top places in the league are sealed.
“Rangers are ahead and it looks like they will win the league, but it is all about us.
“We want to get as many points as we can and try to make it as successful a season as we can.
“We have Kilmarnock and that will be a tough game because they have been rejuvenated having a new manager coming in.
“Tommy Wright will have them set-up well, but we are looking forward to it.”
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