Motherwell 0-2 Aberdeen: Split opportunity to 'right a few wrongs' - Derek McInnes
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Highlights: Motherwell 0-2 Aberdeen
Manager Derek McInnes says the top six split offers Aberdeen a chance to "right a few wrongs" after his side moved three points clear of Rangers.
Second-half goals from Kari Arnason and Kenny McLean gave Aberdeen a crucial away win over Motherwell at Fir Park.
And McInnes is eagerly looking forward to the top six split and renewed clashes with Celtic and Rangers.
"We're going into the business end of the season and relishing the challenge," McInnes told BBC Scotland.
Although the Dons took advantage of their game in hand to move clear of Rangers, they remain nine points behind champions Celtic who have an extra game still to play.
Much of the frustration in Aberdeen's results this season has been their poor record against both sides of the Old Firm, with McInnes' side having lost all six encounters with the Glasgow duo.
Andrew Considine runs to celebrate with Kenny McLean after his goal
"There's reasons for that," said McInnes of his team's failure to secure any points from those matches. "Both Rangers and Celtic see us as a big game.
"We've been the closest team to Celtic for the last few years, Rangers have spent a lot of money in terms of the January window there as well. There's an expectation there for them to be second and that's the way it should be.
"For me, they should be ahead of Aberdeen and Hibs in terms of what they've got to work with. I think ourselves and Hibs are having a very good season domestically, we've taken points off each other, and we've won a lot of games.
"But the thing about the split is we get the opportunity to go and right a few wrongs.
"The boys are in a good frame of mind, we've a good level of performance, and we want to be right in amongst it. Six games to go in the league, a Scottish Cup semi-final to look forward to."
The 2-0 win over a Motherwell side who had taken points off the Old Firm in their previous two games will be a huge confident boost ahead of the pair's meeting at Hampden on 14 April.
McInnes said: "In terms of coming here as an away team against a very strong Motherwell team I was really pleased with the territory we were getting and the possession of the ball. We thoroughly deserved all three points.
"By and large it was almost a perfect performance by us."
Kari Arnason celebrates after giving Aberdeen the lead
Motherwell manager Stephen Robinson said his side struggled to "lay a glove" on the visitors as they saw their slim chance of reaching the top six disappear.
Robinson said: "I think it was a scrappy game and the reason Aberdeen are up there in second is because they know how to win scrappy games.
"I said at half-time a set-play will win the game and we miss a great chance from a set-play and they take it.
"For about 60 minutes I think that is as bad as we can be. There's plenty of hope for the cup tie because we'll be a lot better than that.
"Any time a team comes up against us it's usually the team that is the most physical that comes out on top and they won that battle tonight."