redweb match report

Aberdeen produced a magnificent second half performance to book their place in the fifth round of the Scottish Cup. Every player put in a great performance, but special mention goes to Hayes and Shaughnessy who were immense. Fallon opened the scoring when he lashed the ball into the net following great work from McGinn. Hayes then set up Shaughnessy for the second and in between Randolph made several great saves to keep Motherwell in the match. The Dons were comfortable until the home side were awarded a penalty in the first minute of injury time. Langfield was close to stopping Higden’s effort, but the ball ended up in the net for an undeserved consolation. The keeper deserved to stop it on his 250th Dons appearance, but he will have been happy to see the Dons progress in a fair amount of style.

Aberdeen started well as a Magennis shot was deflected inches wide to win the Dons the first corner of the match. From the set play Randolph was called into action to save a Shaughnessy header. A positive start for Aberdeen, but three minutes later the home side won a soft free kick and forced their first corner of the game. The Dons dealt well with the danger allowing Magennis to break, but he played the wrong ball and the initiative was lost. In the eighth minute Langfield was called into action as he made a fine save with his defence appealing for an offside flag. It was a good way to celebrate his 250th appearance for the club and it had been a decent start to the action on a freezing cold night.

Magennis was caught offside in the 14th minute as the Dons threatened and at the other end Higdon clearly pushed his marker before heading over. A goal kick was awarded and there was more danger a minute later, but some tough tackling inside the box from Shaughnessy blunted the danger. Both sides had now settled, but there was little goalmouth action at this stage. Fallon tried a repeat of his Hampden strike in the 23rd minute, but he just didn’t get it right this time. Conditions weren’t great as players were losing their footing too easily. Motherwell won their second corner in the 27th minute, but they failed to test Langfield.

A minute later Hayes hit a shot from distance and almost caught out Randolph as the keeper had to back track before turning the ball out for a corner. As the ball was swung across from the set play Willie Collum spotted an infringement and awarded a free kick to the home side. Aberdeen tried to carve out another chance in the 36th minute, but play was getting scrappy and they failed to trouble Randolph. With three minutes of the half remaining Robertson swung in a great cross and Fallon forced a save from Randolph. There was then a flurry of activity from the home side, but the Dons defence stood firm as the interval approached.

Langfield had an early touch of the ball in the second half when he cut out a cross from Humphrey’s and at the other end a great challenge on Hayes blunted a Dons attack. Aberdeen then took the lead in the 51st minute when McGinn worked his way down the wing and swung in a cross. The ball broke to Fallon and the striker lashed the ball into the net to warm the travelling Red Army. Three minutes later Reynolds had to make a saving tackle after the assistant referee had missed a blatant offside decision. The Dons then won the first corner of the second half, but Randolph had an easy save from Shaughnessy.

The assistant was hardly endearing himself to the travelling support as he awarded a corner when the ball had clearly gone out for a throw in. Langfield came and claimed the ball before starting a quick counter that led to another Dons corner, but the danger was cleared easily. McGinn almost doubled the lead in the 58th minute after being released by Vernon, but Randolph made another great save to deny him. Two corners quickly followed and the danger ended when Shaughnessy drove the ball inches wide. Randolph denied the Dons again on the hour mark as McGinn broke again and Rae forced the save from the keeper.

The second goal did come in the 61st minute as Hayes did the spade work and fed Shaughnessy who swept the ball past Randolph. This was some second half performance from the Dons and Randolph had to look lively again in the 64th minute as he cut out a Hayes cross to deny McGinn. Two minutes later Aberdeen had a chance to break from a Motherwell corner, but Vernon couldn’t find McGinn and Randolph was quick off his line to clear. The keeper then had a simple stop from Fallon as the Dons looked to try and kill off the tie. They were lethal up front and giving Motherwell no time on the ball when they went forward.

Motherwell were sweeping forward now, but they were leaving spaces at the back and in the 73rd minute they made a double substitution. Langfield was forced into a save in the 78th minute before a Dons free kick at the other end caused little trouble for the home defence. Fallon then intercepted a loose ball and strode forward before going down under a challenge inside the Motherwell box, but Mr Collum was unmoved. At the other end Reynolds blocked Lasley as he strode forward before Fallon was once again denied a free kick.

With two minutes remaining Hayes and McGinn combined well, but they couldn’t add the icing to the cake. Then in the first minute of injury time the ball hit a hand inside the Aberdeen box and the referee pointed to the spot. Higdon netted the penalty despite a fine attempt from Langfield to give the Dons supporters a nervy last minute. The Dons comfortably played out the remainder of the tie and Aberdeen now have a trip to Easter Road to look forward to next year after a tremendous performance from every man in a white shirt.