I'D HATE TO BE HACKED OFF AGAIN

Shinnie recalls Reds heartache two years ago as motivation in bid for the Holy Grail

- BY SCOTT BURNS

CAPTAIN Graeme Shinnie is determined to avoid more playoff pain as he bids to make history with Aberdeen tonight.

The Dons are in Bucharest looking for the win this evening that would see off FCSB and take them into the Holy Grail of the Europa League proper.

Shinnie and his Reds had the same opportunity two seasons ago but after drawing 2-2 in BK Hacken they lost at home and had to make do with the Conference League.

The veteran said: “Hacken was a big opportunity for us.

“So you put yourself in this position to get these opportunities and you need to try and take them.

“It was a disappointment. We failed in the end and we felt it was a game that we could have won.

“So we didn't go through in that game. Although we were in the Conference League, which was good, we still wanted to win that game.

“They are tough games, they're not easy. It’s hard to do it but tomorrow night we're excited to try to achieve what we want.”

Shinnie and others can dig into that previous experience but he knows it is all about what they do in the future, not the past.

He said: “Football, you talk about experience and this and that, and take bits from here.