Stephen Robinson says Aberdeen defied expectations amid praise for 23y/o who ‘gets incredible amount of stick’

Aberdeen manager Stephen Robinson praised his squad's character and defended 23-year-old centre-half Jack Milne following a narrow 1-0 defeat to Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final at Hampden. Despite entering the match under pressure, Robinson maintained that Aberdeen defied expectations of getting battered, commending his players' work ethic and defensive organisation during an injury crisis.

Rangers secured victory courtesy of an 82nd-minute winner from Ryan Naderi, shortly after Aberdeen captain Kevin Nisbet missed a prime scoring opportunity. Robinson highlighted Milne, who often faces heavy criticism from supporters, alongside right-back Nicky Devlin for stepping up in adversity despite the eventual semi-final elimination.