ABERDEEN 2 HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN 1

Scottish Cup semi-final

Sunday 13th April 2025

Hampden Park

Ref: John Beaton

They had to go the distance, but the Dons booked their place in this season’s Scottish Cup final, Oday Dabbagh the hero who was poaching in the dying moments to turn the ball past Craig Gordon and win the game. It wasn’t always pretty, but we’ll not be worrying about that on May 25.

There was just one change for the Dons from last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Rangers, Dimitar Mitov returning from injury in place of Ross Doohan. Jamie McGrath also returned from injury to take a place among the substitutes.

Hearts drew 0-0 at Motherwell last Saturday to miss out on a top six place. They made three changes with skipper Lawrence Shankland, Janes Wilson and Cammy Devlin coming in for Sander Kartum, Blair Spittal and Musa Drammeh.

Hearts had a glorious opportunity in the third minute from a short corner played to the corner of the Aberdeen box. When the ball was crossed in, Mitov came for it but missed it completely, the ball reaching McCart at the back post. Thankfully, he pulled the shot wide when he really should have been hitting the target. 

It was Hearts again on seven minutes, picking up a loose ball in midfield, Wilson bringing it forward and finding Kabangu, but he dallied on his shot, allowing Alfie Dorrington to come across to block. 

Shankland was given the freedom of Hampden on the right after nine minutes, playing in a cross that Kabangu jabbed at goal, but again, Aberdeen were able to block. 

It was the Dons who were in front on 18 minutes. Leighton Clarkson took the left wing corner, whipping the ball to the back post where Pape Gueye came roaring in, thumping his header off the bar, off the back of goalkeeper Gordon and into the net. It was against the run of play, you have to admit, but who cares?

Hearts looked to respond on 22, Wilson firing the ball into Shankland at the near post, but he couldn’t control his shot and put it well wide of goal. 

Topi Keskinen had an opportunity on 25 minutes after Aberdeen had penned Hearts in, Gueye flicking on a header forward from Alexander Jensen. It was from wide in the box, but Keskinen fired across the face and wide.

The Dons were growing in confidence now and a minute later, Shayden Morris beat Gordon to a long ball through that was the goalkeeper’s all day long, only for Morris’ pace to beat him. The cross from the winger was brilliantly cleared by Devlin as Gueye thundered in behind him to try to head in.

It was all square on 28 minutes, Shankland given too much time and space to collect a Penrice cross and drill the ball low and through Mitov to level it up. The game was wide open at this point, both sides counter-attacking at will.

Keskinen was sent clear through on goal on 44 minutes, collecting a Gueye header just inside the Hearts half. As he accelerated away, Steinwender came across on him and hacked him down, referee Beaton immediately, and rightly, going for the red card, Hearts reduced to ten men.

HALF-TIME: ABERDEEN 1 HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN 1

Hearts reorganised things by bringing on Kent and Halkett at the break, Kabangu and Wilson the men replaced, the Edinburgh side playing a 5-3-1 formation.

Aberdeen looked to start briskly, Jensen driving a shot wide in the 47th minute as they penned in the opposition. Moments later, Shankland was late on Ante Palaversa, stamping on the foot of the Aberdeen midfielder. It was his second really poor challenge of the afternoon, but again the Hearts skipper escaped a caution. 

The Dons were close on 54, Palaversa whipping the ball in from the right flank. Gueye won the header, glancing it across goal, but the ball spun just wide of the target. Hearts responded five minutes later, McCart putting a header over the bar from a corner. They threatened again on 64, Penrice galloping away down the left before crossing, Forrester shooting wildly over as the ball came to him 20 yards out.

With Hearts sitting in deep and Aberdeen struggling to find a way through, the Dons made their first change on 69 minutes, Palaversa replaced by McGrath. He immediately produced a good ball in, which Gueye chested down, but he couldn’t get his shot away. 

An Aberdeen corner was played short on 72, Shinnie hoisting the ball to the back post, Gueye heading wide. Four minutes later Clarkson almost found the way through, his 20 yarder catching a deflection and going just wide with Gordon rooted to the spot. Devlin was booked on 77 for a foul on Gueye, whereupon Hearts made another switch, Kingsley replacing Forrester. Jensen was the first Aberdeen man to be cautioned, for a foul on Penrice.

The Dons had a period of good possession on 80 minutes, but again the massed ranks of maroon shirts in the Hearts box kept them at bay. Jeppe Okkels and Oday Dabbagh replaced Keskinen and Gueye on 81. 

McGrath picked out Morris at the back post on 84, but his header was cleared away inside the six yard box as Aberdeen kept trying to find a way through. At the other end, Penrice was inches away from finding a goal as Dabbagh gave the ball away with the Dons trying to clear their lines from a corner. Kartum replaced Grant in the 87th minute. 

As we headed into three added minutes, McGrath drifted inside before driving a 20 yarder well over the bar. Moments later, Dorrington was in the book for a foul on McCart, the last action of regulation time.

FULL-TIME: ABERDEEN 1 HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN 1

Dante Polvara entered the fray before the restart, replacing Morris. The Dons were on the front foot right away, looking to move the ball more quickly. A Clarkson lob into the box had Gordon at full stretch to take in the 95th minute with Nisbet lurking behind him.

With Hearts tiring, Aberdeen were playing the game entirely in their half, but they still couldn’t find that crucial delivery to open them up. A Dabbagh cross from the left was just a shade too high for Polvara and he couldn’t quite get over his header, putting it over the bar on 98 minutes. 

A free-kick from deep on 102 minutes produced a shot on target, Clarkson playing it in low to the edge of the area, Nisbet running onto it, but his shot was comfortable for Gordon. 

The Hearts man made a magnificent save two minutes later. Okkels and Shinnie combined well down the left before the skipper pulled it back for Dabbagh. His low shot went through a defender but, at full stretch, having only seen it at the last second, Gordon saved one handed and then was quick enough to snaffle the loose ball. 

EXTRA-TIME HALF-TIME: ABERDEEN 1 HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN 1

Two minutes into extra-time and Dorrington went down and needed treatment, Jack Milne coming on to replace him. 

A Mats Knoester cross looked as if it might have some joy but it was just behind Polvara, but the Dons kept pressing. The ball came back out to Shinnie and his cross picked out Jensen at the back stick with all the goal to aim at, but he pulled his shot across goal and wide, a glorious opportunity spurned on 110 minutes.

Shankland was next to be afflicted by cramp, and he was replaced by Drammeh after 113 minutes. From a Hearts’ free-kick that followed, the Dons finally had chance to counter-attack, but with bodies getting forward, they couldn’t carve out a chance. Knoester was booked as Hearts cleared their lines. 

A driving run from Polvara on 116 opened Hearts up. He played into Okkels and his shot was superbly saved by Gordon. Dabbagh jabbed the rebound at goal but it was cleared off the line. As Hearts looked to clear, Devlin caught Polavara from behind 20 yards out and collected his second booking, reducing Hearts to nine men. Fletcher Boyd replaced Jensen.

Clarkson’s free-kick buried in the wall, but Aberdeen recycled it and finally, with two minutes to go, Hearts’ rear guard was breached. McGrath crossed, Milne got a flick on it at goal at the near post that looked goalbound. A brilliant one handed save from Gordon was not enough this time, for Dabbagh was on the spot to jab the loose ball into the roof of the net from four yards out, delirious celebrations following. 

Baningime was replaced by Spittal with four minutes added, but it made no difference, the Dons had done the job. All back to Hampden on the 25th May!

ABERDEEN: Mitov, Jensen (Boyd 118), Dorrington (Milne 108), Knoester, Shinnie, Clarkson, Palaversa (McGrath 69), Morris (Polvara 91), Keskinen (Okkels 81), Nisbet, Gueye (Dabbagh 81).

Subs not used: Doohan, Devlin.

GOALS: Gordon (og) (18), Dabbagh (119)

BOOKED: Jensen, Dorrington, Knoester

HEARTS: Gordon, Forrester (Kingsley 78), Steinwender, McCart, Penrice, Baningime (Spittal 119), Devlin, Wilson (Halkett 46), Grant (Kartum 87), Kabangu (Kent 46), Shankland (Drammeh 113).

Subs not used: Fulton, Forrest.

GOAL: Shankland (28)

SENT OFF: Steinwender, Devlin

BOOKED: Devlin, Drammeh