ABERDEEN 4 QUEEN’S PARK 1
Scottish Cup Quarter-Final
Saturday 8th March 2025
Pittodrie
Ref: David Dickinson
Attendance: 10,705
An emphatic first half performance from Aberdeen did the heavy lifting, three goals without reply effectively settling the tie and allowing the Dons to secure their second cup semi-final of the season.
After last Sunday’s dramatic comeback to draw 2-2 with Dundee United, Jimmy Thelin made five changes to his team. Skipper Graeme Shinnie, Leighton Clarkson, Shayden Morris, Oday Dabbagh and Alfie Dorrington, replaced Jack MacKenzie, Jeppe Okkels and Pape Gueye, who were on the bench, and Sivert Heltne Nilsen and Kristers Tobers out through injury. Jack Milne returned to the bench after his own injury problems.
Queen’s Park were beaten 3-2 by Ayr United on Tuesday night, having been 2-0 in front, and they made three changes, with the cup tied Leon King, Ben Jackson and Aberdeen loanee Ryan Duncan missing out. In came Zach Mauchin, Niko Ujdur and Seb Drozd.
It was a positive start from Aberdeen with a couple of dangerous deliveries into the box in the opening couple of minutes, but the Spiders responded with a dangerous corner in the third minute. Turner was picked out on the edge of the box and his volley looked set for the net before it was blocked away by Mats Knoester.
Seconds later, Alexander Jensen’s weak header back towards his own goal dropped kindly for Hurst but he dithered over the chance and was crowded out. The Dons then quickly broke up the other end through Morris. He picked out Dabbagh and his shot across goal flashed just wide of the far post.
An Aberdeen corner on 12 minutes was half cleared to Clarkson 20 yards out but his curling effort was just a shade too high. Two minutes later, it was Jensen firing over the bar after a loose back pass caused chaos in the Queen’s backline.
It was another Aberdeen counter-attack that got the crowd going on 17 minutes. This time it was Topi Keskinen bringing the ball out, then finding Dabbagh. His low cross looked dangerous, but at full stretch, Ferrie was able to cut it out.
Devine needed prolonged treatment on 22 minutes, the game resuming with a Dons corner. It was a well worked short one, culminating in a shot for Keskinen, but he didn’t really get behind it and it was an easy save for Ferrie.
Shinnie was next to try his luck on 25. Keskinen drove forward and though his cross found no takers, the Dons recycled the ball, the skipper shooting from 20 yards into Ferrie’s arms.
The Dons had the lead on 27 minutes, a brilliant finish from Kevin Nisbet to celebrate his birthday. Shinnie was wiped out 20 yards from goal, only for the referee to surprisingly award a corner rather than a free-kick. Palaversa speared the flag kick into the edge of the six-yard box where Nisbet, running away from goal, manufactured a superb back heel volley that flashed past Ferrie at the near post before he’d had time to move.
It was 2-0 two minutes later, Dabbagh doing the job. The Dons had penned Queen’s in before farming the ball to Morris on the right side of the box. His precise diagonal pass through the area was behind the defenders but there was Dabbagh, timing his run perfectly, accelerating onto the ball at the back post to stab home from five yards.
Dabbagh and Welsh needed the physios after colliding in the 41st minute, both able to continue. Right on the break, a corner won by Morris’ quick feet saw Shinnie mark the 600th game in his club career with a goal. Palaversa’s outswinging corner found the captain on the far edge of the box and his first time volley back across goal found its way past Ferrie and in. There was no time to restart the game before Aberdeen returned to the dressing room, well in control of the tie.
HALF-TIME: ABERDEEN 3 QUEEN’S PARK 0
Raymond replaced Devine for the visitors at the interval.
It should have been 4-0 to Aberdeen on 51, Palaversa playing a raking ball forward that fed into Nisbet’s run, but Ferrie was smartly off his line to make the block and keep his side still just about in the game.
They were out completely out of it on 53 though. Morris skinned the full-back once again, sprinting towards the by-line before sliding the ball through the six-yard box, where Dabbagh was poaching to slot in for 4-0.
Ujdur went down for treatment in the 55th minute and Hinds came on for him a couple of minutes later. The Dons also made a triple change with Gueye, Fletcher Boyd and Peter Ambrose replacing Dabbagh, Nisbet and Keskinen.
Morris wasn’t far away from a goal on the hour, a 25 yarder saved low down to his right by Ferrie who was up quickly to paw the loose ball away from Gueye.
Knoester took a whack in the face that drew blood from his nose on 64, necessitating some repair work from the medical staff, along with a change of shirt.
The Spiders had one back on 68 minutes. Raymond bent a free-kick in from the left, the ball making its way to the centre of the goal, coming off Tizzard and dropping invitingly for an unmarked Rudden to tuck away from eight yards out.
Milne was introduced to the fray in the 72nd minute, Dorrington making way for him. Queen’s responded with a double switch, MacGregor and Hickey-Fugaccia for Hurst and Turner. Dante Polvara was the Dons’ final change in the 78th minute, Morris getting a few extra minutes to rest the legs.
Gueye almost made a goal for himself in the 79th minute, robbing Raymond on the flank before surging goalwards and firing off a low shot that was just wide of the near post. A minute later, Polvara skipped around several challenges inside the box before forcing Ferrie into a save. The ball bounced out to Jensen on the right and he stood the ball up to the back stick. Ambrose’s header looked set to make it five but Ferrie produced another excellent reflex save. But there was no stopping Aberdeen from marching on to Hampden.
ABERDEEN: Mitov, Jensen, Dorrington (Milne 72), Knoester, Shinnie, Palaversa, Clarkson, Morris (Polvara 78), Keskinen (Gueye 58), Dabbagh (Boyd 58), Nisbet (Ambrose 58).
Subs not used: Doohan, MacKenzie, Okkels.
GOALS: Nisbet (27), Dabbagh (29, 53), Shinnie (45+4)
QUEEN’S PARK: Ferrie, Mauchin, Tizzard, Ujdur (Hinds 57), Devine (Raymond 46), Turner (Hickey-Fugaccia 75), Welsh (McGinlay 86), Longridge, Drozd, Hurst (MacGregor 75), Rudden.
Subs not used: Wills, Evans, McGarva.
GOAL: Rudden (68)
