DUNFERMLINE ATHLETIC 3 ABERDEEN 0 Saturday 7 March 2026 Scottish Cup Round 6 East End Park Attendance: 10,399 Referee: Ryan Lee
Aberdeen bowed out of the Scottish Cup at East End Park, soundly beaten by Dunfermline Athletic who made light work of progressing into the last four, as the Dons’ wait for a first away goal of 2026 continues.
There were five changes to the Aberdeen side narrowly defeated by Celtic on Wednesday night. Gavin Molloy, Sivert Heltne Nilsen, Toyosi Olusanya and Alexander Jensen were among the subs, with Dennis Geiger suspended. In came Graeme Shinnie, Dylan Lobban, Tom McIntyre, Topi Keskinen and Nicolas Milanovic.
Dunfermline beat Ross County 3-0 on Tuesday night and made five changes also with Benedictus, Kearney, Hamilton, Bray and Morrison replaced by Chilokoa-Mullen, Kane, Tod, Gilmour and Fraser.
The Pars made a bright start, Tod firing in a low shot from the corner of the box in the opening minute, Dimitar Mitov right behind it at his near post.
Aberdeen began to grow into things and a Keskinen cross from the by-line was just too high for Stuart Armstrong in the eighth minutes. Armstrong played a neat combination with Keskinen that got him in behind on the right a minute later, but as he tried to beat Oxborough at the near post, the goalkeeper saved well with his leg.
The hosts were in front on 14 minutes, after the Dons failed to deal with a ball hoisted into the box from deep. It came in from Dunfermline’s left, Fraser 35 yards out. Mitchel Frame couldn’t get distance on his clearing header which dropped nicely for Todd who took a touch and hammered a ferocious shot past Mitov and into the roof of the net. Frame looked to have taken a shove from Tod as he went up for the ball, but the referee didn’t see it and there was no VAR to, perhaps, come to the rescue.
Shinnie wasn’t far away from an equaliser after 20 minutes. Lobban crossed into the box, the defensive header out was weak and the skipper came onto it, his first time shot well dealt with by Oxborough.
It was 2-0 to the Pars two minutes later. Fraser played a pass that got Thomas in behind the defence. As he advanced into the box, Mitov came to meet him and saved well, but the ball ricocheted off him, hit Thomas, and flew into the net, giving Aberdeen a mountain to climb.
Dunfermline were breaking at pace time and again, Turley and Fraser willing to carry the ball deep into Aberdeen territory, the Dons struggling to cope with the direct approach. Aberdeen finally got in on goal on 42, a good pass from Armstrong picking out Keskinen at inside-left, but his shot was deflected behind.
It was nearly three in added time, Thomas sprinting away down the left before pulling the ball back. Amade was onto it to drive goalward but McIntyre managed to get in the way to avoid complete disaster for Aberdeen.
HALF-TIME: DUNFERMLINE ATHLETIC 2 ABERDEEN 0
Olusanya, Heltne Nilsen and Molloy replaced Milanovic, Cameron and Frame at the break, going to three at the back.
Aberdeen penned the Pars in in the opening minutes, showing far more urgency than in the first half, but there was always the danger that Dunfermline might counter-attack – but the Dons had little choice at this stage but to roll the dice.
Turley required treatment after getting his head in the way of an Armstrong shot on 55 minutes. The resultant corner came to nothing. Aberdeen had certainly improved, but still there was no spark in front of goal as the home side packed their penalty area.
There was a spark at the other end on the hour as the Pars surely sealed the tie on the hour. Kane won the ball in the centre circle and released Thomas at inside-right. He accelerated away from the defence and put a diagonal shot across Mitov and in off the post for 3-0.
It might have been worse yet, Gilmour allowed to power 25 yards forward before unleashing a shot from distance on 64, Mitov doing well to tip the ball beyond the post. From the corner, Kane’s glancing header flew through the six-yard box and just wide. Aberdeen were being simply blown away.
Hamilton and Kearney replaced Amade and Kane for the home side in the 66th minute. Gilmour was booked four minutes later for a high challenge on Olusanya. Gilmour took Nisbet’s free-kick in the face and immediately dropped to the floor to halt the game as he required treatment.
An Armstrong cross was spilled by Oxborough in the 73rd minute, but no Aberdeen player was able to get to the loose ball. Moments later, Armstrong made way for Marko Lazetic. Almost immediately Thomas’ pace got him through to the by-line, only for his cross to be hacked clear. McIntyre went down injured in the aftermath and was replaced by Liam Morrison. Dunfermline made another double change, Turley and Todd making way for Benedictus and Cooper with 10 minutes to go. They made their final switch three minutes later, Thomas having done the damage, coming off for Oakley-Boothe.
Molloy saved Aberdeen from conceding a fourth at an 86th minute corner, hacking off the line after Mitov had saved another Tod drive then an Oakley-Boothe follow up, the ball spinning goalward before Molloy intervened.
Aberdeen finally had a shot in the 93rd minute, Olusanya slicing wide after chasing a flick on. That summed up a miserable, misfiring evening in Fife for Aberdeen.
FULL-TIME: DUNFERMLINE ATHLETIC 3 ABERDEEN 0
STATS
Dunfermline Athletic: Oxborough, Turley (Benedictus 80), Chilokoa-Mullen, Ngwenya, Fraser, Amade (Kearney 65), Tod, Kane (Hamilton 66), Todd (Cooper 80), Gilmour, Thomas (Oakley-Boothe 83).
Subs not used: Terrell, Abdulai, Bray, Fyfe.
Goals: Todd (14), Thomas (22, 60)
Booked: Gilmour
Aberdeen: Mitov, Lobban, Milne, McIntyre (Morrison 76), Frame (Molloy 46), Shinnie, Armstrong (Lazetic 74), Cameron (Heltne Nilsen 46), Keskinen, Milanovic (Olusanya 46), Nisbet.
Subs not used: Vitols, Jensen, Bilalovic, Aremu.
Booked: Shinnie.
