Aberdeen 2
Dundee 1 (AET)
Scottish Cup (Quarter Final Replay)

Match Report

Newspaper extract from Steve Bruce | The Courier .

Dundee's hopes of a place in the last four of the Scottish Cup were dashed in the cruellest possible fashion in this quarter final replay at Pittodrie last night.

The Dark Blues dominated this match but failed to capitalise and crashed out to a fluke Peter Weir goal in the eleventh minute of the first period of extra time.

Roared on by 4000 fans who'd made the journey north and inspired by John Brown and Graham Harvey, Dundee had the possession and the opportunity to book a ticket to a semi-final meeting with Hibs, but their reservation was taken by a very fortunate Aberdeen.

The Dundee players were given a standing ovation by their followers at the end of the game, but they looked inconsolable and such an emotion was easy to understand.

Dundee started brightly, with Scotland centre-half Alex. McLeish forced to concede a corner in heading away a dangerous Stephen cross.

However, the Dark Blues had cause to be grateful to keeper Bobby Geddes in eight minutes when he dived bravely at the feet of Simpson to thwart the Dons midfielder when he was clean through.

Graham Harvey and Aberdeen's Billy Stark both missed fine chances to open the scoring by shooting straight at the respective keepers before Ray Stephen, restored to the side after injury, struck for Dundee in 19 minutes.

A McKinlay cross from the left was fisted away by Leighton but only as far as Harvey, who shielded the ball then rolled it into the path of Stephen who despatched a low shot into the net.

That goal was no more than Dundee deserved and they pressed for another, with Vince Mennie in the thick of the action.

Penalty claim Referee Brian McGinlay waved away a penalty claim where Mennie went down in the box after a challenge by McKimmie, and the former Cologne player completely missed a McKinlay free kick touched on by Harvey, when he had only Leighton to beat.

Aberdeen's Neil Simpson became the second booking of the night-McKinlay having earlier been cautioned for fouling Black- after an off-the-ball incident that left Mennie lying on the deck.

A couple of minutes later Bobby Connor had his name taken for a tackle on Cooper as tempers became frayed.

Johri Brown came close to increasing Dundee's lead in 37 minutes with a wicked 25-yard free kick which Leighton did well to hold at his left-hand post, but seconds later, and against the run of play, the home side equalised.

McKimmie swung in a cross from the right and with the Dundee full-back missing from his post, under-21 striker Eric Black was untroubled as he headed the ball into the far corner of the net.

Alex McLeish was entry number four in Mr McGinlay's note book for persistent fouling but the Balfron whistler was harsh in booking dark blue substitute Bobby Glennie for a foul on Hewitt, a minute after he'd replaced the injured Forsyth.

Aberdeen began the second half in determined Beck should have done better than shoot into the inde fashion and Smith had only partially cleared a Hewitt pass.

Dundee responded quickly with Leighton having to push away a dangerous Duffy centre and one of his defenders mapping up the danger after Smith had touched on a Connor corner.

Connor again troubled the home rearguard moments later with an accurate free kick which eluded Leighton at the front post, but failed to find a Dundee attacker to knock it home.

Both sides made changes, Wright replacing Black for Aberdeen and Colin Hendry coming on for Ray Stephen who appeared to have suffered a recurrence of his knee injury. The loss of their goal scorer, however, failed to loosen Dundee's grip on the game and they might have had a penalty in 66 minutes when McKimmie appeared to trip Mennie just inside the box.

Sixty seconds later Mennie couldn't believe his bad luck when a seemingly net-bound effort was blocked by the feet of Leighton and again Dundee could have gone ahead when McKinlay swung a dangerous ball across the face of the Aberdeen goal. Harvey, however, failed to get on the end of it.

Aberdeen's best offering was a Willie Miller 25-yarder which was not far off target, before they sent on Angus for Stark.

Both teams headed for the dressing room with the score 1-1 at the end of 90 minutes, for consultation with their respective managers.

Some of the 21,000 crowd apparently didn't realise that extra time was to be played and headed for the exits before realising their mistake.

John Hewitt wasn't far off target with a shot from the 18-yard line. Peter Weir had an effort deflected for a corner by Glennie, as Aberdeen tried to fake the lead and in the 101st minute they did so in bizarre fashion.

Weir's effort from the left had cross stamped all over it but the ball incredibly swerved over Bobby Geddes and into the roof of the net at the back post.

Dundee shrugged off that bitter disappointment and fought back with Hendry squandering a great chance by shooting weakly wide from 20 yards when he had three team-mates in support. Neale Cooper took a Mennie cross off the toes of Harvey, as time and luck ran out for the Dark Blues.