Graeme Shinnie: Aberdeen disappointed to only score two against Rangers

While the Dons stunned Gers back in September with James Maddison's late winner, there was frustration when they lost both of the two following clashes.

But there was little doubt about who came out on top on Wednesday as the Pittodrie outfit triumphed at Ibrox for the first time in quarter of a century.

Read more: Rangers 1-2 Aberdeen: Dons end 26-year wait for Ibrox win

Shinnie fired the Reds ahead inside nine minutes before Ryan Christie's close-range header after the break rendered Martyn Waghorn's reply for the Light Blues meaningless.

And the Dons skipper reckons that 2-1 victory has now finally settled any doubts as to who is best of the rest behind Celtic after moving nine points clear of Pedro Caixinha's team.

He said: "We're delighted. I thought we played really well and we're probably disappointed not to have scored a few more.

"It was a shame we conceded too but overall we were really pleased with our performance.

"I think we've now cemented out place as the second best team in the country. Everybody can now see that. Over the course of the season where we are in the league shows we deserve to be second.

"That's due to the hard work from the team and the management staff across the whole campaign.

Read more: Rangers 1-2 Aberdeen: Dons end 26-year wait for Ibrox win

"I felt we had a real chance of winning at Ibrox before the match. Even the last time we came here we got beat 2-1 but played really well on the day.

"We had a couple of chances and had they gone in it would have been a totally different game.

"Up at Pittodrie last time we were also bitterly disappointed because we deserved better from that match than what we got out of it.

"So we took that into this match and knew if we played to the top of our game we could get a win and that's what we've done."

Caixinha and Dons boss Derek McInnes have been locked in a war of words for most of the week after the Rangers manager suggested Aberdeen's powers were waning.

But Shinnie insists he and his colleagues paid no attention to the mind games being played by the Light Blues camp as he backed his own boss to maintain Aberdeen's forward momentum.

"We don't listen to that or take any {extra motivation] out of that," he said in response to being questioned on Caixinha's statement.

"We prepare all week for how we are going to play the game.

"We knew it would be a nice pitch down here and that we could pass it about and that's what we did.

"We just wanted to come down here and do well. It's been a while since Aberdeen has won here. We were desperate to win and it showed in the performance.

"The manager has shown what he can do here. There are a couple of players leaving and others set to come in.

"But he will build on the squad and strengthen again next season."