Eoin Jess kept alive Aberdeen's hopes of a dream cup double with a late strike
to shatter Dundee United's hopes for the second time in a month and book the
Dons' place in the semi-final of the Scottish Cup.
The Scotland striker was making his first start since suffering ankle ligament
damage at St Mirren in the third round in February and did not disappoint with a
cool finish when the game looked destined to go to a replay.
The visitors have already got next week's CIS Insurance Cup Final against
Celtic at Hampden Park to look forward to and now have a place in the last four
of Scotland's number one cup competition.
Aberdeen beat United at Dens Park to secure their league cup final place and
the home side were looking for revenge.
The game got off to a scrappy opening with neither side able to keep
possession for more than three passes with the
size of the occasion perhaps getting to the players early on.
It took 15 minutes for the game to come to life when both sides created their
very first openings.
It was United who went close first when Bernard Pascal fired a low cross into
the box and Jim Hamilton hooked the ball back but Alex Mathie just failed to get
on the end of it.
That woke the visitors up and they went straight down the other end and only a
great stop from Jim Leighton low to his right prevented Andreas Mayer from
finding the bottom corner.
But Leighton then had to be alert on two occasions in the space of four
minutes to prevent United from going in front.
Craig Easton crossed for Hamilton in the 27th minute to brilliantly fire on
target from 12 yards but Leighton produced a save to his right to deny
him.
Two minutes later and Cato Guntveit received a yellow card for a foul on
Hamilton, which will keep him out of their semi-final clash on April 8.
Leighton was needed again in the 29th minute to tip over a fierce drive from
John McQuillan.
Aberdeen retaliated and only the brilliance of United keeper Alan Combe kept
the home side on level terms.
First he somehow turned Jess' shot from the edge of the box around the corner
in the 43rd minute, then a minute later he blocked away Dow's in-swinging corner
when Guntveit was lurking ominously.
In the final minute of the first-half Hamilton thought he had put the home
side ahead but his effort was ruled out for offside.
However the visitors should have taken the lead in the 56th minute when
Norwegian striker Arild Stavrum spurned the best chance of the game.
Jason de Vos tried to clear the ball upfield but his effort ricocheted off
David Partridge and into the path of Stavrum, who fired past the post from 12
yards.
But Aberdeen stepped up a gear and de Vos was on the goal-line to clear Jess'
effort and prevent his side from going behind.
Jamie McAllister then fired wide and a minute later Mayer blazed high over the
bar from Stavrum's superb pass.
Leighton again made two stunning saves in the space of a minute to deny the
home side.
A De Vos header from Craig Easton's corner hit Thomas Solberg and Leighton
kept out Hamilton's effort from point blank range.
A minute later and Hannah should have broken the deadlock when he headed Scott
McCulloch's cross on target from five yards but the veteran goalkeeper again
could not be beaten.
Aberdeen boss Ebbe Skovdhal introduced Rachid Belabed to the proceedings in
the 74th minute for Mayer looking for a bit of magic while Joaquim Ferraz came
on for former Aberdeen man Hamilton five minutes later.
But it was the Moroccan that was smiling when Aberdeen netted what proved to
be the winner in the 83rd minute.
Belabed set Dow racing down the left and his cross was aimed for Stavrum who
took two defenders out with a dummy, leaving Jess with all the time in the world
to pick his spot past Combe and put his side into the semi-final.
Teams
Dundee Utd: Combe, De Vos, Pascual, Partridge, McQuillan,
Hannah, Easton, Jonsson, S. McCulloch (Davidson 84), Mathie,
Hamilton (Ferraz 79).
Subs Not Used: Malpas.
Booked: Jonsson.
Aberdeen: Leighton, Lilley (Perry 85), Anderson, Solberg,
McAllister, Mayer (Belabed 73), Bernard, Guntveit, Jess, Stavrum, Dow.
Subs Not Used: Preece.
Booked: Dow, Guntveit.
Goals: Jess 83.
Att: 6,733
Ref: Michael McCurry (Scotland).
E-mail Article 
Print-Friendly
Subscribe to RSS Feed 
Post to del.icio.us
Facebook