How Barry Robson greeted Jack MacKenzie after Aberdeen red card as post match cuddle was nearly 'something different'

Barry Robson reckons sin-binned Jack MacKenzie could've ended up with something way different at full time rather than a cuddle.

The Aberdeen defender put his side in major jeopardy at Hampden in the Viaplay Cup semi-final before hitman Bojan Miovski came to the rescue to down Hibs and book their place in next month's showpiece final. Meeting them will be either Rangers and Hearts, who get set to do battle tomorrow after Aberdeen ended a busy week with a 1-0 win with plenty of drama at the national stadium. It was needless and reactionary shove from MacKenzie on Lewis Miller that saw John Beaton brandish a second yellow card just before Miovski provided the goods.

And while the 23-year-old was forced to march down the tunnel, a delighted Robson reckons his battle-hardened Dons saw the tough affair in Mount Florida out in cool fashion, after a jam-packed fixture schedule leading up to the game. On MacKenzie, Robson told Viaplay Sports: "Listen I gave a Jack a cuddle in there, but it might have been something different."

He added: "I think we got it right tonight, we got through. We had to make sure it was careful, it's hard to take some of your experienced players out of the team when you know they need a rest. It's hard to take a man out because you need to win. It's a semi-final, you just need to win.

"I knew you would ask that (who he wants in the final). I know who everybody wants us to get but whoever it is we need to give it a go. A few days before the final we play Frankfurt, so they've done well for us again, eh? (he joked). Honestly, you have no idea. They gave us four away games we came back from Europe. Today we played Hibs with a game less rest, plus we've had two extra games on them. That's the way it is."