Dundee 2
Aberdeen 1
League Cup (Quarter Final)

Match Report

Dundee booked their place in the Coca-Cola Cup semi-finals with the most thrilling of victories Dens Park last night.

The Dark Blues hadn't beaten Aberdeen since Hogmanay 1988 and looked to be heading for extra time, BIlly Dodds penalty conversion having equalised a great effort from Paul Tosh.

However, in the dying seconds of a torrid tie that had seen Dean Windass sent off and seven others booked, they pulled it off through Scotland under-21 internationalist Jim Hamilton.

His shot from George Shaw's assist was mis-hit but somehow Nicky Walker allowed it to squirm under his body and into the net.

It was sweet revenge for the North East born striker-one of only three survivors in the home side from last year's cup final defeat and it sparked wild celebrations amongst the fans who had suffered along with the Dark Blues in last season's showplace.

"We did nothing at Hampden but battled welf for each other and deserve our win." Hamilton said.

"I thought the game was going into extra time and couldn't believe it when I saw my shot going into the net. I had been at full stretch when I hit it and didn't get a good contact on the ball."

Dundee boss Jim Duffy, jubilant that his side had pulled off a famous win on the occasion of his son Paul's 12th birthday and the day before daughter Kim's 9th, was expansive in his praise for the players.

"I am not interested In who we play in the semi-finals," he said. "All I am interested in is getting this side into the Premier League.

"They are a quality team and have proved it again against an Aberdeen side who have been firing on all cylinders.

"I felt we got a lot of unjustified criticism when we went to the final of this tournament last season. We beat two Premier sides, have done it again this year, and hopefully this time we will get the credit we deserve."

Duffy had particular praise for man of the match Chic Charnley.

"Chic has attracted a lot of attention for the wrong reasons in the past but he showed tonight that he is a magnificent football talent and someone people will pay to see."

Dundee, inspired by Charnley promptings, were positive from the start with Tosh crashing In a shot in the opening seconds only to see it blocked by Tzvetanov.

Much had been made of the impact the arrival of the Bulgarian Internationalist and Frenchman Toni Kombouare had made to the Dons defence but they were ripped apart by the Dark Blues throughout the tie.

Neat passing sprung Tosh clear at the front post and when he slipped It back across goal the ball bobbled up off Hamilton's thigh and past the despairing leap of keeper Walker. For a second It looked as if Gavin Rae would be left with an easy tap-in but it drifted past and out to safety.

Aberdeen, whose manager Roy Aitken summed up as having "huffed and puffed all night but failed to produce the standard required," responded with an attack that had their screaming for a penalty.

Dean Windass was the man at the centre of the claim, nutmegging Barry Smith on the edge of the box and then appearing to be obstructed as he tried to run through.

Referee John Rowbotham wasn't having any of It and he was even less Impressed when Kiriakov came up with a spectacular dive.

As the minutes went by goals looked more and more likely and the break through came in the 34th minute when Dundee swept Into the lead with a glorious opener.

Stewart McKimmie hesitancy in the middle of the park allowed George Shaw to work the ball through to Tosh. The winger was surrounded by three Dons defenders but left them all flat-footed with two marvellous pieces of control.

A header got him past his markers, then as Walker gushed out, he teed up the ball for himself with a touch in mid air and had all the time in the world to pick his spot behind the keeper.

Dariusz Adamczuk had finished the first half limping after heavy tackles from Steven Glass and Windass but resumed his position after the break.

Aberdeen enjoyed a lot of pressure early in the second half but again it was Dundee who came up with the first real incisive attack on the hour mark.

Shaw looked well marshalled on his own wide right in the Dons half but he showed great vision to pick out the late run of Kevin Bain and from just inside the box the defender sent a volley crashing against the crossbar.

That near miss was to prove crucial for in the 71st minute Aberdeen struck back.

A Glass across from the left was going nowhere but when Barry Smith left the ball to Billy Thomson, Billy Dodds sprinted between them and crashed to the ground at the keeper's feet.

Rowbotham took a second, pointed to the spot and Dodds himself converted the spot kick with ease.
Dundee felt probably rightly, that Dodds had dived and in the stramash that followed, Windass and Reside were booked.

The warning didn't register with Windass for just four minutes later he chopped down Charnley and was sent back to the dressing room.

In addition to the sending off of Windass, Aberdeen Glass (foul on Inglis (persistent fouling) Bernard (foul on Hamilton), Shearer (foul on Charnley) and Dundee's Tosh (foul on Bernard), Winnie (foul on Windass) and Raeside (clash with Windass) were the seven men booked.

Over A hundred Dundee fans poured onto the pitch at the end of the game in jubilation but it was all good natured and with manager Jim Duffy helping push them back, the playing surface was soon cleared

It was, however, watched by SFA security chief Willie McDougall which could spell trouble for the Dens club.

Attendance - 8650

Dundee - Thomson, Smith, Rae, Bain, Raeside, Winnie, Shaw (Ferguson 92), Charnley,Tosh Hamilton, Adamczuk (Farningham 67). Unused sub - Magee

Aberdeen - Walker, McKimmie, Tzvetanov, Rowson (Shearer 65), Inglis, Kombouare, Bernard, Dodds Windass, Kiriakov, Glass. Unused subs - Watt, Woodthorpe

Referee J. Rowbotham (Kirkcaldy)

Match report written by The Courier