We can't get hung up on hangover

Shinnie says Dons must not dwell on loss

- MICHAEL GANNON

GRAEME SHINNIE has felt the pain of losing a League Cup showpiece before but the Aberdeen skipper knows how to use it to spur his side on for the rest of the season.

The Dons hero was left crestfallen at Hampden as his team were edged out by Rangers in the fight for the first trophy of the season.

It was a similar story in 2016 when Aberdeen went down to Celtic.

However, they refused to wallow in self-pity and bounced back to finish second in the league before returning to the National Stadium six months later for the Scottish Cup Final.

Aberdeen would go down to the Hoops in that one as well and Shinnie - whot lifted the Scottish Cup with Inverness Caley Thistle in 2014-has now tasted defeat in three finals with the Reds.

Yet the combative midfielder is adamant the agony can be harnessed to come in handy for the campaign.

Shinnie, straight back into league action tomorrow at home to Livingston, said: "I told the boys after the game we need to use the hurt as fuel for the rest of the season.

"We can't afford any sort of hangover, we need to turn our league season around.