Jim Goodwin happy with Aberdeen response to Motherwell loss

Aberdeen manager Jim Goodwin has been delighted by the reaction of his new-look team following their “reality check” against Motherwell.

The Dons were strong favourites to follow up a 4-1 home win over St Mirren when they hosted Steven Hammell’s side last weekend but were on the end of a 3-2 defeat.

Goodwin described it as an “off day” but has been encouraged by the response as his players prepare to take on St Johnstone in the cinch Premiership on Saturday.

“When you are trying to change things as drastically as we have – we let 15 players go and brought 12 in – these things don’t just click overnight,” he said.

“For the new players on Saturday, it was just a little bit of a reality check because we have had plenty of plaudits in the games prior to that.

“Sometimes you learn more about people in defeat than you do when you’re winning. It’s all very easy when things are going well and the atmosphere is bubbly and everybody is high-fiving each other.

“You find out more about personalities when you are up against it and when you have had a bad result.

“The reaction from the players this week has been exceptional, it really has. We spoke about the game on Monday morning for half an hour, we were all in agreement that it wasn’t acceptable, that we need to raise the level of performance again and get back to what it was against St Mirren the previous week.

“That’s all it is really, there’s no panic stations.”

Goodwin has learnt lessons from the defeat ahead of the trip to Perth.

The Irishman, who has doubts over the fitness of Hayden Coulson, Matty Kennedy and Leighton Clarkson, said: “We are still a very new group, there are still a number of players from other countries and this is their first experience of the Scottish