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Dons Hit Five To Progress In Cup.

17 February 2009

Pars wait Aberdeen in cup.

Aberdeen eased comfortably into the Scottish Cup quarter final after building a 3-0 lead at the interval against ten men East Fife. The Fifers were reduced to ten men in the 4th minute when keeper McCulloch raced outside his area and handled as Aluko tried to chip him. The referee had no option but to send the keeper packing as he had denied Aluko a clear goal scoring opportunity. Wright and Vidal grabbed their first goals for the club and Sone Aluko made it three with a deflected shot on the half hour mark. The second half was a major disappointment as the Dons failed to find the net again until the 82nd minute when Chris Maguire grabbed two goals in two minutes to seal the win and book an away tie against Dunfermline.

Aberdeen carved out the first chance of the match as Aluko spun his magic down the left and swung in a high cross. Tommy Wright was the recipient and his downward header came off the post and into the hands of a grateful keeper McCulloch. Two minutes later the visitors were reduced to ten men when Aluko was through on goal and McCulloch came out of his box and blocked the Englishman’s chip with his hands. The referee had no option but to send the keeper packing. From the subsequent free kick Miller had a pot at goal from 25 yards out, but the effort went wide.

Aluko was involved in everything in the early stages and he hit the side netting in the 9th minute, but a minute later Langfield was forced into a fine stop when his defence failed to clear. Aberdeen went ahead in the 11th minute and once again Aluko was the provider as his cross was missed by the East Fife defence allowing Tommy Wright to net his first goal for the club at the far post. The Dons doubled their advantage five minutes later and once again it was another first as Vidal netted from 12 yards.

Not surprisingly Aberdeen were in complete control at this stage and Mulgrew was harshly penalised for high feet as he tried to set up another chance in the 28th minute. The game was over as a contest on the half hour mark when Aluko danced down the left before hitting a low shot that was deflected past substitute keeper, Michael Brown. A Mulgrew free kick in the 34th minute was comfortably cleared and the officials must have been feeling sorry for East Fife as one of the defenders aimed a punch at Aluko and only received a stern talking to. Mair. Wright and Foster all had efforts late in the half, but all three went wide of the target.

Kerr had a chance to add to the scoring two minutes after the break, but his control inside the box let him down and the keeper was allowed to gather. Foster won a corner in the 50th minute, but keeper Brown gathered well under pressure. Vidal went close a minute later when his shot from the edge of the box scraped the post with the keeper rooted to his line. Maguire forced another corner in the 56th minute but again Brown had a comfortable save as the Dons looked to increase their goal tally. A second and third corner quickly followed as Aberdeen kept up the pressure, but the visitors looked more organised since the break and even managed a shot at goal that went well wide.

East Fife had a double let off in the 62nd minute when the keeper made a fine parry from a close range header with the rebound being headed on to the post. A minute later Wright fired wide before Peter Pawlett was handed his debut in the 66th minute, replacing Vidal. An overhead kick from Lee Miller didn’t come off after some good build up play then Mulgrew fired a free kick wide as the Dons struggled to add to their tally. Michael Paton replaced Lee Miller in the 73rd minute and two minutes later Chris Maguire should have made it 4-0. He outpaced his marker to collect a clearance from Langfield, but after doing the good work he fired over.

Derek Young replaced Aluko in the 77th minute and the Dons finally found the net again five minutes later as Maguire steered a corner in at the near post. The youngster pounced again two minutes later when his pace was too much for a tiring defence and he calmly slotted the ball past keeper Brown. Maguire had a chance to claim his hat trick in the 88th minute but he headed well wide of the target from 15 yards. The East Fife keeper was quick to claim the ball in his six yard box in the 90th minute to prevent a sixth goal as the Dons eased into the quarter final and a tie at East End Park against Dunfermline.

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