Dons boss Derek McInnes "loving it'" as Aberdeen close gap on Celtic

Derek McInnes admitted he was loving it'' after his Aberdeen side moved to within one point of Celtic at the top of the Premiership with a 2-1 win over Partick Thistle at Firhill.

It looked like the Dons would pass up another chance to put pressure on the Hoops when Jags midfielder Steven Lawless gave the home side the lead on the hour mark with a thunderous drive.

The visitors wobbled but two headers in two minutes from defender Andrew Considine and striker Simon Church bolstered their title hopes, albeit they have played one more game than the Parkhead men.

McInnes, who is hoping forward Niall McGinn will be fit for the home game against Kilmarnock on Saturday after he missed out with a foot problem which will be scanned, said: There is a good wee bit of momentum, it is just important that we try to keep dragging performances out of the team.

I think there will be more games like tonight before the end of the season but I am loving it to be honest.

It will be a rollercoaster, there will be games fraught with nerves for everybody else.

I thought there was a lot of tension from the supporters tonight but thankfully the players never showed that, they kept being confident and backing themselves and it is important that they keep showing that.

The players showed real determination. It was a big ask for the players to get that result and they had to dig deep, they deserve so much credit.

It would have been questioned; character and bottle and all that stuff.

We lacked a wee bit of quality and thought at times but the determination and character was there as you saw with the result.

I was proud of the performance tonight, that is why I love working with these boys, they never know when they are beat.''

Aberdeen have nine games remaining and, asked if Celtic would be feeling the pressure, McInnes said: I don't know, you need to ask them.

For us we are enjoying winning, we don't intend to stop winning and want to keep that momentum with us.''

Thistle boss Alan Archibald, with some justification, claimed his side deserved to win the match, it was very hard to take'' and says the Dons were more clinical in front of goal.

He said: We did the hardest bit, we got in front with a wonder goal.

We worked ever so hard to get that wonder goal, they didn't work hard for their goals.

But you are up against a good side and they showed their quality. They didn't look like scoring and they did score.

We had them rattled in the second half, but you have to take your chances against the good teams in the league.''