The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
McInnes hails midfielders’discipline
ABERDEEN manager Derek McInnes praised the discipline of central midfielders Willo Flood and Barry Robson after the former Celtic pair helped knock the holders out of the William Hill Scottish Cup.
Celtic were on top for the first 20 minutes, during which timeAnthony Stokes fired the home side in front with a powerful finish after expertly taking down a lofted pass from Georgios Samaras.
But, allied to some sloppy play from the hosts, Flood and Robson were instrumental in turning the tide as they got on top of Scott Brown and Stefan Johansen in the middle of the park to send the Dons on their way to a 2-1 fifth-round win.
The experienced pair broke up play and kept the ball moving to the likes of Jonny Hayes and Peter Pawlett just ahead of them. And Robson played a key part in both goals.
His 38th-minute corner earned a deserved equaliser when it broke for defender Russell Anderson to volley acrobatically into the roof of the net, and the former Scotland midfielder played Pawlett through four minutes into the second half to fire in off the post for the winner after charging down Johansen’s attempted clearance.
McInnes said of his midfield pair: “The two of them gave us a platform to turn the ball over.
“They stayed in their slots when they needed to. When they came out of there and there was a ball to be won and put them under pressure, they did that.”
Celtic boss Neil Lennon was disappointed with his players’ performance and their desire.
“We have to show a bit of character now and take the criticism — we all do, myself, the players — and finish the season really well.”
Billy McKay headed a 74th-minute equaliser to prevent Inverness falling to a Scottish Cup upset at Stranraer on the 14th anniversary of their famous shock win over Celtic.
Aaron Doran had put the League Cup finalists ahead at Stair Park with five minutes to go before the break, but Martin Grehan levelled from the spot on the stroke of half-time and Jamie Longworth put the League One side ahead.
However, McKay struck two minutes later to secure a 2-2 draw and a fifth-round replay.
Colin Nish struck the winner as Dumbarton beat Alloa 1-0 to book their place in the quarterfinals.
On the half-hour, Scott Agnew hooked the ball across goal and Nish was there to tap home from close range high into the net.
Stenhousemuir were dumped out following a 2-0 defeat to League Two Albion Rovers.
The visitors’ Ross McMillan scored a bizarre own goal in the 23rd minute when the defender headed beyond helpless goalkeeper Chris Smith.
In the 66th minute, midfielder Gary Phillips put Rovers 2-0 ahead with a left-footed shot. THROUGHTO the last eight of the Scottish Cup, and through a seven-game winless run stretching back to last year — this was a very good Sunday for Dundee United.
Jackie McNamara’s side edged the tie in terms of the scoreline but were much the better team, and at times the football they produced brought to mind their purple patch of earlier in the season.
Ryan Gauld gave United a first-half lead, which was cancelled out a few minutes later by a Kenny McLean penalty.
A five-minute onslaught after the break resulted in the winner from Nadir Ciftci.
A Stephen Thompson header apart, the Tangerines were comfortable winners.
Stranraer away, or more likely Inverness Caledonian Thistle, now await in the semifinals.
United made only one change to the team which drew with Partick Thistle, but it was a significant one. Gauld was back in the starting line-up for the first time in five games. He took Farid El Alagui’s place.
For St Mirren, former Manchester United midfielder Eric Djemba-Djemba was flung straight into the deep-end despite saying in midweek he didn’t think he’d be ready to play.
Both sides showed their attacking intent in the opening exchanges.
With two minutes on the clock United old boy Thompson controlled a high ball down the middle and got a powerful shot away from the edge of the penalty area. It was a good height and direction for Rado Cierzniak, who saved comfortably.
Seconds later it was the home side’s turn to threaten.
Stuart Armstrong worked himself some space just inside the box and his angled left-foot shot took a deflection on its way to Marian Kello’s near post, but the Saints keeper reacted well and kept it out.
Connor Newton made an attempted sliding tackle on Gary Mackay-Steven down the United left and, when he didn’t make contact with man or ball, his defence was left exposed.
Mackay-Steven hit the byline and cut the ball back forArmstrong, who had timed his run to the 18-yard-line perfectly. He should have scored but his side-foot effort was guided wide of the far post.
United were enjoying a lot of success down Mackay-Steven’s flank, and when the Scotland international charged into the box a certain goal was denied by an excellent last-ditch tackle from Darren McGregor on 15 minutes.
On 21 minutes United broke the deadlock and, unsurprisingly, the move started in that part of the pitch.
This time it was Ciftci who made a good run. When he centred the ball, Gauld finished it off from close range.
The lead only lasted six however.
Mark Wilson hung out a leg as McLean ran at him, and referee Craig Thomson had no hesitation pointing to the spot.
McLean took the spot-kick himself and sent Cierzniak the wrong way, slotting the ball into the keeper’s bottom-right corner.
A slick United move on 35 minutes ended up with Mackay-Steven at full stretch to make a first-time shot just outside the six-yard box. He kept it on target but it didn’t have the power to beat Kello.
There were a couple of fraught moments in the United box when the home team were fortunate the loose ball didn’t fall to a Saints man, but it was United who ended the half the stronger team.
With two minutes left before the break Gauld sprung a counter-attack and, after the play had raced from one end to the other, Armstrong floated a perfectly weighted cross to the back post where Ciftci had a free header.
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