Only for Dons fans to end up ones taking to their feet
Aberdeen’s man for the big occasion was once again in the headlines as he helped ease Dons past St Mirren and into the Scottish Cup semi-finals.
The 20-year-old produced a moment of brilliance in the seventh minute to send the Pittodrie side to Hampden and it was a finish which proved a class apart as Sam Cosgrove’s injury-time penalty put a gloss on a game which won’t linger in the memory .
A League Cup semi- f inal winner against Rangers last season and another memorable moment in Burnley on Europa League duty is part of a growing catalogue of classic strikes for a player who wasn’t born the last time his club lifted the trophy.
As Saints huffed and puffed to pull themselves level in lousy Paisley weather conditions, a lack of killer punch again proved their undoing
It was wet, windy and as miserable a night as you get in Paisley as both sides prepared to battle the elements with the majority of the pressure weighing down on Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes.
Having sold out their away allocation, the 1800 fans who’d travelled were in full voice and expectation of making progress in a competition they last won way back in 1990.
For St Mirren it was something of a hit to nothing but their recent form against the Dons offered hope.
The Pittodrie side had failed to score physical team.” Mark, age 25, is the unlucky one among the family trio.
Just as Archie did with his old man, Alastair got to join his father inside the National Stadium back in ’87 when Saints last lifted this silverware with a 1- 0 win over Dundee United.
“My old man, he’s old school so he doesn’t get emotional too much,” said Alastair, 57. “But we were sharing a bit of emotion that day.
“He was reminded of it a lot after that because I ended up, with some of my friends, making a huge banner in his back garden for the game.
“Billy Abercromby was the captain and ‘Alive and Kicking’ was the Simple Minds song at the time so we painted ‘Aber Alive and Kicking’ on it.
“Unfortunately the paint seeped through the canvas on to my dad’s back patio so for about three, four years afterwards there was this reminder – ‘Aber Alive and Kicking’ – out his back door. He was the guy who got sent off about six times in a game – he was a bit agricultural at times!”
Alastair’s hopes that this latest batch of Buddies would give his boy the experiences those before him in the family tree were dashed by Lewis Ferguson and Sam Cosgrove finishes.
For Dons fan Chris Strachan, who helps run the Blazing Lambs Supporters’ Club, it was a more enjoyable trek back north after their two buses stopped off in the Abbey Inn on the way down.
“I don’t think Paisley knew what had hit them, the pub we were in,” said Strachan.
“I told them a week ago it was going to be busy – I had 110 people booked. It was a bit of a family place – they had a 40th birthday for 20 people in!
“But no it’s fine, they were OK. We’ve been before and they’re welcoming.” The 38-year- old arguably deserved another trip to Mountount Florida – especially after a week contendingng with too much demand, too little supply given the size of Simple Digital Arena.
“I’m not going to lie, it has beenn an absolute nightmare of a week,” he added. ded.
“My wife has hardly spoken to mee all week because I have been stressed.
“If we had Motherwell in the Cupup it wouldn’t have been so bad – but because ause it was St Mirren, we were limitedd on what tickets we had.”
Having chosen not to travel for the fifth-round replay against Kilmarnock, ock, his blood pressure did at least not take ke such a hit last night as Cosgrove e buried another penalty in injury time. e.
Ten days earlier at Rugby Park the Dons were trailing 3-32 entering the 119th minute but somehow left AyrshireA with a 4-3 triumph to make last nignight’s quarter-final.
“My blood pressure was still high that night,” said Strachan. The radio went off at 3-2, I went upstairs, put on the TV and Cosgrove wasw lining up his penalty.
“My wholew house erupted when he scoredscore it. Even though I wasn’t at the game,gam I felt like I was.
“I think this result kicks on our season.sea We have been up and down butbu this last couple of weeks we haveha been improving.”