Docherty says win really important for Aberdeen
The Dons got back to winning ways with a 1-0 victory over Motherwell.
Aberdeen assistant Tony Docherty hailed a “really important win” for his side as James Wilson's first goal for the club earned a 1-0 victory over Motherwell.
Wilson, a summer loan signing from Manchester United, struck just six minutes into his home debut when he fired home following Niall McGinn's reverse pass.
That goal, which Docherty described as the “one moment of quality”, gave Aberdeen only their second league win of the season and lifted them into the top five ahead of Tuesday's Betfred Cup trip to Hibernian.
Docherty said: “It was a really important win for us in a difficult game.
“Motherwell are a challenging opponent, they always make it tough for you and you know the kind of game you're going to get against them. I thought we stood up to that.
“The one moment of quality was the finish from James Wilson. It was nice to see him score on his home debut, and it sets us up for Tuesday.”
Neither side were able to create many clear-cut opportunities in a hard-fought clash at Pittodrie but Docherty believes his side deserved the points.
“It's well documented Motherwell have their identity. We stood up to that, we were resolute and defended well. We matched them in that respect and showed a bit of quality in attack so I think we came out deserved winners,” said Derek McInnes' assistant, who also highlighted the contribution of goalkeeper Joe Lewis to the win.
He added: “Joe Lewis didn't have a lot to do today but he made the save when he was called upon and that to me is the mark of a top-class goalkeeper because his concentration levels are such that he makes a great save when called upon.”
Motherwell, who clipped the crossbar through Carl McHugh's 20-yard effort in the first half, have now lost four of their six league games this season and find themselves in the bottom three.
Boss Stephen Robinson said: “There was nothing in the game. We started poorly and Aberdeen started brightly, and I think we were punished for an error.
“We were chasing the game at a really difficult venue. It's a tough one to take because there wasn't much in the game. We defended OK and our midfield were OK, but up front we lacked a bit of creativity and I think we lacked a bit of belief in the final third.”
Motherwell's players appealed for a penalty soon after McHugh had hit the bar following a Andrew Considine challenge on Elliott Frear, but Robinson refused to dwell on that.
He added: “I'm not going to talk about the penalty claim because we can't influence that, but our creativity in the final third is something I can control and try to affect."