McInnes said: "It's clear to anyone watching Sam that confidence is important to strikers.

"His first goal was scruffy but he reacted well, his second we see in training where he can open his legs and isolate a centre-back and move.

"He's worked hard at his game, knuckled down and tried to learn his profession.

"Considering where he's come from he's improving brilliantly and hopefully that continues. His game is in a good place.

"Greg is very thoughtful, gives us craft and graft and adds a bit of thought to our play.

"I'm delighted Greg's helping us with the challenges ahead and hopefully he can have a big influence on the team.

"When they're all on song there is decent movement there but the importance is being a threat.

"There wasn't a killer instinct earlier in the season. There's a goal at the end of the pitch for a reason. We seem to have grasped the importance of that."

McInnes insists it is too early to talk about a title challenge.

He said: "It's too early for a title race but the next eight or nine games including tonight, get to 30-game mark and still in and around it we can make it into something."

Hamilton are now just two points above bottom-placed St Mirren and manager Martin Canning felt his side could have had a penalty when Aaron McGowan went down under a challenge from Gary Mackay-Steven just before Cosgrove notched Aberdeen's second but then played a part in their own downfall.

Canning said: "It looked a penalty, he came the wrong side. I claimed for it. But it sums up.

"We then had poor decision making. We over commit, let their striker inside when he had nowhere to go.

"It's a game that started well but finished poorly. We had to keep it at 1-0 because as soon as it goes 2-0 they enjoy it and start knocking the ball about."

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