Light Blues skipper James Tavernier also tucked home a penalty before Jermain Defoe's stoppage-time clincher ensured a Sam Cosgrove double for the hosts counted for nothing.

The loss – Aberdeen's first to Steven Gerrard's side in four meetings this season – means they now trail Rangers by five points and Ladbrokes Premiership leaders Celtic by 11.

But winger Mackay-Steven is keen to ensure Wednesday night's defeat does not spiral into a damaging run that would end their hopes of taking the league crown north.

He told RedTV: "The feeling in the dressing room is just one of frustration and disappointment. We gave ourselves too big a mountain to climb in the second half.

"I thought the performance second half especially was good but for us not to come away with anything is a big disappointment all round and we're not happy.

"Once we get it out of our system in the next few days and really analyse it, there will be positives that we need to take. We can't get too down and we've been on a good run and need to keep the momentum and confidence, which I'm sure we'll do.

"It's frustrating especially when we could have gone above them with a win. We said at half-time that once we started playing and aimed for an early goal – which we got – we'd be the team in the ascendancy and it was that way but we couldn't get the equaliser.

"We were always open to the counter attack from them and they've hit us with a sucker punch right at the end, which can happen.

"It's not nice but we'll dust ourselves down and look at the positives. We can't dwell on this result.

"We feel we've got a good team and the manager has strengthened well. We'll look ahead to the Scottish Cup game with Queen of the South on Sunday and we'll still keep pushing in the league."

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