Dons to do it again

Following a disappointing first half Aberdeen took control of the match after the break. Their pressure was rewarded with a great Sone Aluko goal as the Englishman drilled a low shot past the keeper. However the Dons poor defending came back to haunt them late in the game and Dunfermline earned a replay when Phinn bundled the ball over the line after Langfield could only parry a Kirk effort and his defence was slow to react. The replay is scheduled for Pittodrie a week on Tuesday.

There was an electric atmosphere inside East End Park as Aberdeen kicked off this afternoon. The home side threatened first as Aluko conceded a free kick in the 3rd minute, but fortunately Stephen Glass was too deep with his delivery. Dunfermline had started well without threatening before Wright broke in the 8th minute and was felled on the edge of the box only for referee Thomson to indicate a dive and award a corner. A second corner swiftly followed before the Pars cleared their lines.

Aberdeen had settled now and Wright and Smith were combining well in these early stages. A long throw from Severin in the 15th minute caused panic in the Dunfermline defence, before Thomson missed an obvious hand ball allowing the Pars to break and win their first corner of the match. As the ball was swung across, Phinn was in splendid isolation inside the Dons box, but fortunately he fired well over. The Dons were still not firing on all cylinders as the home side continued to enjoy most of the ball.

Aluko won another corner in the 23rd minute, but the keeper punched the Mulgrew delivery clear. Three minutes later the home side went close again when Bayne headed wide with Langfield exposed. Tommy Wright won a free kick on the half hour mark but once again Gallacher was able to gather easily. Two minutes later a Mulgrew cross was screwed wide by Severin. A Scott Wilson block prevented a goal in the 35th minute as Aluko looked set to score while he was having the shirt pulled from his back. The subsequent corner fell to Aluko but he was unable to get his shot on target.

The Dons were taking control now and another corner was wasted in the 38th minute then four minutes later Glass earned the first yellow card of the game for a crude challenge on Sone Aluko. From the resulting free kick Mulgrew forced a great save from Gallacher as he clawed the effort over the bar. The corner was then cleared as Aberdeen finished the half on top. The Dons had to be careful at the back however as the Pars broke quickly from another Dons attack. The fourth official indicated two minutes of injury time and in that first minute a good move from Aberdeen ended in disappointment as Jamie Smith fired well over.

It was a scrappy start to the second half, but a touch of magic from Aluko in the 49th minute produced the first corner as the Englishman’s shot was blocked. Aberdeen then put the home side under pressure as they were forced into some backs to the wall defending. A second and third corner followed in the 52nd minute and Diamond headed inches over as he met the cross from Mulgrew. Young then forced another corner in the 54th minute and as the ball was half cleared, Smith collected and beat his defender before whipping a cross in. Wright headed goal wards, but once again Gallacher was the home hero with another fine save.

Kirk replaced Bayne in the 57th minute after the former Inverness man failed to recover from a lengthy injury. Mole fell over inside the Aberdeen box on the hour mark, but the claims for a spot kick were optimistic. A minute later the Dons pressure paid off when Young released Aluko, who in turn strode forward and bulleted a low drive beyond Gallacher to give Aberdeen a deserved lead. Dunfermline tried to hit back quickly as substitute Scott Muirhead swung in a dangerous cross that Mair was forced to turn out for a corner. From the resultant corner Langfield pulled off a terrific save from the unmarked Phinn.

Aberdeen were terrorising the Pars again in the 68th minute as Smith and Wright combined well before the Dons were harshly penalised. Three minutes later Langfield had to block a long range effort from Kirk then seconds after that the keeper gathered a shot from ex-Don Muirhead. Mackie and Foster replaced Wright and Young in the 75th minute and a minute later Aberdeen won another corner. The set play failed to threaten as Foster moved to full back with Duff moving back into the more comfortable surrounds of midfield. Muirhead delivered another good cross for the home side in the 79th minute and the Dons were lucky to survive the threat.

The Dons horror defending, that has plagued them all season, came back to haunt in the 82nd minute after Langfield could only parry a Steve Kirk shot and as the Dons defence stood still Phinn bundled the ball into the net. Severin tried to hit back, but fired well wide then Thomson continued to frustrate as Mackie was penalised in the 85th minute following a perfectly good challenge. Considine had replaced Mulgrew a minute earlier then Mair went close in the 87th minute as Aberdeen tried to finish the tie. Two minutes later Severin headed a Mulgrew corner wide then another corner in the 90th minute was scrambled clear by the Pars.

The game moved into three minutes of injury time and Considine was forced to scramble the ball clear as Dunfermline ventured forward. Considine then raced to the other end before Smith and Aluko set up a chance for Foster, but the substitute failed to find the target. That was the last chance of the game and the two sides will have to do it all again at Pittodrie provisionally planned for a week on Tuesday.