Rangers Under 18’s 2 Aberdeen Under 18’s 1
Scottish FA Youth Cup Final
Hampden Park
1st May 2024
Referee: Euan Birch
Attendance: 1283
Aberdeen Under 18’s came up just short at the final hurdle in the SFA Youth Cup Final on Wednesday evening at Hampden after initially taking the lead in a closely fought final against Rangers.
Timi Akindileni prodded his side in front in Glasgow during the second half, but a Rangers penalty just minutes later combined with an unfortunate own goal meant it wasn’t to be Aberdeen’s day.
It was a contest that could have gone either way on the night.
Lead coach Scott Anderson named two changes to his team that overcame the challenge of Ayr United in the semi-final at Cormack Park. Lewis Carrol and Brendan Hamilton, who both served suspensions meaning they missed the final four showdown, returned to the XI: they replaced Dylan Ross and Ellis Clark, the pair taking spots on the Dons bench.
Rangers shuffled their pack for the trip to Hampden and made three changes to the side that edged past Dundee United on penalties in the semi-final. Connor Campbell, Kerr Robertson and Joshua Gentles all were in from the start, Blaine Mcclure, Calum Adamson and Christopher Eadie amongst the substitutes.
The young Dons were well worthy of their place in the showpiece final after getting the better of tough ties that involved going down to ten men after just a few minutes against both St Johnstone and Kilmarnock, before defeating Ayr 7-2. Aberdeen had also overcome an away tie at Caledonian Braves to earn their spot at Hampden.
It was Rangers who had the clearer of the chances during the open five minutes. Stevens got the better of Hamilton and squared the ball to Gentles, who was unable to take advantage of a great early chance.
A free kick in a dangerous crossing position created an opportunity to deliver a testing ball into the Aberdeen box, but Rodrigo Vitols was alert to bravely collect Curtis’ dead ball.
Scott tested the alertness of Vitols with a header at the back-post which was comfortably collected. Up the other end, Alfie Bavidge was showing early signs of coming to life when he spun his defender inside the box – his effort blocked.
The young Dons had settled into the game by the 20-minute mark and after Curtis had a shot well held, it was Aberdeen’s turn to float a free-kick into the box. Alfie Stewart’s delivery found Findlay Marshall, but his header was wide of the mark.
As the now cagey first half reached the half hour Scott’s low ball into the box looked a dangerous one, but it was well snuffed out by Akindileni to prevent Curtis from prodding over the white line.
Kai Watson done extremely well to block an effort from Nsio that looked bound to hit the net as he curled an effort at Vitols’s goal from close range, but the young Dons defender stood strong to deny a Rangers opener.
As he has looked in previous games between the sides this year, Nsio was a threat for Rangers and just a minute after his first chance he danced into the box and pulled the trigger – the winger denied by the feet of Vitols at full stretch.
The Dons responded with a chance of their own, created by Fletcher Boyd who ran from his own half to the edge of the Rangers box before unleashing, but there wasn’t enough on his effort to trouble Munn.
Bavidge picked up on a long ball and charged towards goal, aided by a misjudgement of the ball flight by Wylie the forward worked his way into the box before the ball wound up at the feet of Fraser Mackie who shot over.
Rangers had the edge on the Dons come the break of play for half-time, but for all their efforts there were no goals to show for it, and Aberdeen were more than in the game at the break.
Half-time: Rangers 0 Aberdeen 0
There were timid appeals for a handball at the start of the second 45 from Aberdeen after Hamilton’s cross was blocked by Grant. From the corner Cammy Wilson had his first chance of the contest, heading over.
After Stewart was fouled 25 yards from goal, Hamilton stepped up and delivered a free kick that went close to finding the net, sailing narrowly over as the young Dons ramped up their efforts to find an opener in the final.
The AFC pressure continued following Marshall’s shot from the edge of the box which was blocked before falling fortuitously at the feet of Bavidge. The young Dons striker was alert with the follow up, but his effort was turned behind by Munn.
Alfie Stewart came close to bringing out his party trick of scoring directly from a corner on the biggest stage of all soon after as his dead ball slipped through a sea of bodies and towards Munn, again however it was eventually blocked by Rangers. A much better attacking performance from the Dons to start the second half as the game reached the hour mark.
Soon after, the Rangers dugout blinked first and introduced McClure in place of Wylie to mark the first substitution of the game.
A corner won by Wilson was delivered by Stewart and was stopped just on the line as Aberdeen appealed that the ball had indeed crossed the line, but the protests were waved away, and the young Dons continued their quest for the opener.
Just a moment later, an opener was exactly what they had. Again, Stewart’s corner was turned away at the near post, the second ball won by Marshall, headed towards goal and flicked in by Akindileni in front of the Aberdeen support to spark wild scenes in the corner as the young Dons celebrated in-front of their travelling support.
Unfortunately, it was to be short lived celebrations for Aberdeen. Rangers hit back almost immediately from the penalty spot through Curtis after Lewis Carrol was adjudged to have handled Stevens’ cross inside the box. In the space of five minutes Aberdeen had taken the lead and squandered their advantage. 1-1.
Suddenly it was Rangers who were back in the ascendency and Vitols was again the busier of the keepers. The young number one done well to rush out and block Gentles, before making a smart stop to deny Curtis.
From the corner Rangers found a goal to get themselves ahead. From the corner Gentles worked the ball back towards goal, the final touch to send the ball beyond the helpless Vitols coming off Akindileni.
With ten to play Stewart’s free kick was knocked down by Mackie inside the area, whose half-volley flew over the bar.
A cynical foul on Boyd as he charged towards goal earned the young Dons a free-kick in a promising area outside of the box – Stewart’s free-kick off the wall.
A mix up at the back between the Rangers defenders presented Bavidge with a good chance to level out of nowhere, but as he spun away from goal off balance Munn was able to turn the ball behind.
Cooper Masson entered the fray on the 87th minute: he replaced Wilson as the clock began to tick for Aberdeen.
Rangers managed to negotiate the four minutes of additional time without any dramas and Euan Birch’s whistle eventually signalled the end of an epic cup run that ultimately ended in narrow heartbreak for the young Dons.
STATS
Rangers: Munn, Hutton, Scott, Grant, Wyllie, Campbell, Nsio, Robertson, Gentles, Curtis, Stevens
Subs: Halliwell, Kerr, Adamson, McClure, Burnside, Willox, Eadie
Goal: Curtis pen) 70′, Akindileni OG 77′
Aberdeen: Vitols, Watson, Hamilton, Marshall, Carrol, Stewart (C), Wilson, Akindileni, Boyd, Mackie (Masson 86′), Bavidge
Subs not used: Simpson (GK), Ross, Clark, Teasdale, Stephen, Kondolo
Goal: Akindileni 64′
REACTION
Head to redtv.afc.co.uk for post-match reaction from Under 18’s Lead Coach Scott Anderson.
