Jim Goodwin has called for his Aberdeen players to raise their game again when they take on Rangers as they look to rescue their top-six hopes.

The Dons fell to 10th in the cinch Premiership when they lost against Hearts on Wednesday to leave Goodwin with two points from his first three matches in charge.

Aberdeen are at the bottom of a bunch of seven teams who are chasing the final three top-six places and Goodwin knows they need results soon.

The Dons drew twice against Rangers this season under Stephen Glass and could have had more from both games, so Goodwin knows they are capable of getting a result at Ibrox.

“We need to try and carry on that unbeaten run against them,” he said.

“We know how difficult a task it is going to be. Rangers are playing particularly well at the moment and they have got a real consistency in their starting XI as well and in the way Giovanni Van Bronckhorst wants his team to play.

“It is going to be a difficult task but we have to go into it with the right mindset and be positive.

“The players have shown in the past that they are capable of raising their game against the big boys. We will look for the same reaction.”

Goodwin was particularly disappointed with the first-half display during Wednesday’s 2-0 loss at Tynecastle.

“The players are an honest group, we have had a conversation and I don’t think that there is anybody that thought the performance on Wednesday night was acceptable,” he said.

“The big point for me is the level of consistency. We had a decent performance against Dundee United at home in the previous game and it was important that we backed that up.

“That is the big thing for me and I suppose it is why the club find themselves in the position that they are in because they have shown in glimpses they are capable of being a good team but the good teams do that week in, week out. We have not been able to do that for the majority of the season.

“We have to try and finish this campaign in a positive manner, there is still time to turn it around.

“We have got four games before the split but we need to start winning games as soon as possible.”