Jimmy Thelin feels Aberdeen are ‘getting stronger’ after reaching cup semis

Jimmy Thelin believes Aberdeen’s convincing 4-1 Scottish Gas Scottish Cup win over giant-killing Queen’s Park on Saturday demonstrated that his side are heading in the right direction.

There was little between the Dons and the Championship outfit, who had knocked Rangers out in the previous round, at Pittodrie until two goals in as many minutes from Kevin Nisbet, celebrating his 28th birthday, and fellow striker Oday Dabbagh had the visitors reeling.

Dons captain Graeme Shinnie then celebrated a landmark 600th professional appearance by rifling in a third before Dabbagh grabbed his second of the match to render a strike from Spiders forward Zak Rudden a consolation.

The result leaves Thelin looking ahead to the semi-finals in April and, more immediately, to the William Hill Premiership game against St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park next week with confidence.

The Dons boss told RedTV: “In the first five minutes we were a little bit shaky in some parts but then we get more and more control of the game and we scored four goals and then some more opportunities, so I think it’s good to see the team stable after making a lot of changes.

“The squad is getting stronger because we need to build a strong squad to be coping with cups and leagues in the future, and it was good to see that we can keep performing here and make some changes and everybody is taking a step forward instead of a step backwards.

“We had some good transitions to keep the intensity there. In the first half we had to improve the high pressing, but it was quite okay after a while.

“There was a lot of changes but still you can feel an identity and the team is more connected, and again we need a squad to achieve something during the season and everybody has to be connected.”

It was a bitter-sweet day for Queen’s Park midfielder Roddy MacGregor who returned to action as a second-half substitute after being out injured since December.

The former Inverness player is hoping to finish the season on a high, starting with the Championship game against Partick Thistle on Tuesday night.

He told the Spiders official X account: “Just to be involved in such a big game was great, but any game would have done me and so good to be back and amongst it and hopefully I can contribute to the end of the season.

“We’ve had a lot of games recently and it will just keep going like that with a few midweek games as well.

“So that’s why we’ve got a squad and obviously a few boys were struggling on Saturday.

“I’m sure the squad will get rotated and we’ll do our best to recover and be fighting fight for Partick.”