Stephen Robinson Proud of Aberdeen's Effort Despite Narrow Loss

Aberdeen manager Stephen Robinson stated he was proud of his players' effort in their 3-2 loss to Dundee United, despite the team's inability to convert a dominant performance into points. The squad was affected by a virus during the week, leading to several players being unavailable.

The match saw Dundee United take an early lead through Zidane Iqbal, but Nesta Guinness-Walker equalized for Aberdeen in the 25th minute. Dylan Tait restored United's advantage shortly after halftime, and while Conor Ronan leveled the score again for Aberdeen, Zac Sapsford secured the win for the home side with a late header.

Robinson acknowledged his disappointment with the goals conceded, describing them as a set-play and a deflection. He took responsibility for the team's tactical approach when leading 2-2, suggesting they might have managed the game better. "It was probably our best performance going forward, but then the balance has to be right at the other end," Robinson said, noting that some players were visibly struggling in the final ten minutes.

He emphasized that the players who competed gave their absolute all, making criticism difficult. Robinson also explained that the team's lineup had to be changed multiple times, with several players being too ill to leave their beds. "The boys that didn't play literally couldn't get out of bed," he stated. "But the ones that did showed a real desire and they got backed massively by the fans. So we're all really disappointed that we couldn't come away with a minimum of a draw."

Dundee United manager Stephen Goodwin praised match-winner Zac Sapsford for his resilience. Sapsford had a second-half goal disallowed for offside before scoring the decisive header. Goodwin highlighted Sapsford's effectiveness in the penalty area and his excellent movement, crediting his analyst for identifying space between Aberdeen's center-backs. "To suffer the disappointment of getting the goal chalked off then still go on to score and win it showed great resilience," Goodwin added.