A successful defence of the Scottish Cup is "everything" to Aberdeen after they reached the quarter-finals of the competition, according to The Herald's football writer Stephen McGowan.
The Dons came out on top in a dramatic fourth round tie at Pittodrie, winning 2-0 against Motherwell in a match where they had Dennis Geiger sent off but their opponents saw Oscar Priestman and Liam Gordon dismissed.
Aberdeen lifted the trophy with a famous victory over Celtic last May but this season has failed to deliver, with Jimmy Thelin sacked and the team still under the interim leadership of Peter Leven as the search for a new manager drags on.
With the side languishing in eighth place in the Premiership table, progress in the cup looks increasingly vital to the team's hopes of rescuing their season.
"I thought it was huge for Aberdeen," McGowan told the Scottish Football Podcast. "I think you saw what it meant to them at the end as well.
"Graeme Shinnie, was pushed to the Red Shed by the manager and was kissing the badge when he scored the goal. I think that shows you how much it means to him.
"The Scottish Cup is it for Aberdeen now.
"It doesn't look as if they'll even make the top six. So it's all about retaining that trophy.
"You saw what it meant to them last year. I think going to Hampden at least for the semi-finals, maybe for the final would be big for them.
"I mean, they're in a kind of holding pattern, aren't they? Because they don't have a manager, they're hanging on to the summer to see if they can get the new man over the line, get it done.
"They're kind of just clutching at straws wherever they can find them. And I think last night was quite a big straw for them to clutch at because they have a winnable, appealing game against Dunfermline in the next round now.
"It just extends their season a little bit longer because make no mistake, if they had lost last night, the season was over."