Following on from Tuesday’s eight goal thriller the second fifth round replay didn’t disappoint, Aberdeen edging Kilmarnock 4-3 with five goals scored in extra time.
Mohamad El Makrini opened the scoring with a stunning over-head kick just before half time.
Aberdeen equalised in the eighty-eighth minute through Andy Considine.
The Don’s took an early lead in extra time through Matt Kennedy. Kilmarnock responded with a freekick scored by Eamonn Brophy in the 98th minute.
Nicke Kabamba thought he had won it for Killie in the 116th minute with a tap in from five yards after a wild clearance by Michael Devlin.
The Don’s responded with two goals on 119 and 121 minutes. Sam Cosgrove confidently converted a penalty then a Connor Johnson own goal sent Aberdeen through to the sixth round.
Scrappy first half with one bit of sublime skill
Wind and rain accompanied kick-off which saw Aberdeen start the brighter.
McInnes set his side up with an expansive 3-5-1-1 formation which initially pinned Kilmarnock back.
Killie eventually got into the game which began as a scrappy encounter with little chances to note.
Don’s striker Curtis Main had Aberdeen’s best chance with a turn and shot inside Kilmarnock’s six yard area blocked by Kirk Broadfoot.
Chris Burke crosses seemed the most likely place for a goal to come and that was the case when the deadlock was broken with a stunning overhead kick scored by Killie’s Dutch midfielder Mohamad El Makrini.
Burke held a free-kick up in the wind which allowed time for Makrini to execute an acrobatic finish. Main could have prevented the goal by putting his head in the block but the idea of a boot print on his face seemed to discourage the striker from making a clearance.
Second half
Derek McInnes made all of his substitutes at half time hauling off midfielders Craig Bryson and Dylan McGeouch as well as forward Connor McLennan for Cosgrove, Shay Logan and Dean Campbell.
Kilmarnock sat deep looking to defend their one goal lead and catch Aberdeen on the counter.
It was Killie who had the first chance when Eamonn Brophy was sent threw on goal but his low shot was saved by Joe Lewis.
Niall McGuinn toe poked the ball just wide of the post for the Dons after nice build up play in the middle of the second half.
Brophy had another chance to kill the game for Kilmarnock at the end of a counter attacking break with a first time shot that went just wide.
The game ignited in the last five minutes. Kilmarnock, defending deeper and deeper, were allowing Aberdeen chances.
Considine missed a header unopposed from six yards but made amends with a diving header which found the far corner of Kilmarnock’s net and finally Aberdeen had the breakthrough.
Kilmarnock almost responded instantly when Brophy worked some space in the box but his shot from the angle went over the bar.
Then Aberdeen had a chance to win it when Cosgrove’s header hit the crossbar in additional time.
Five goals in extra time
Aberdeen scored in the first minute of extra time to make it 2-1.
Former Killie youngster Matt Kennedy headed in from Curtis Main’s flick-on after a suspected push by Cosgrove, which wasn’t challenged by the Saints players.
Eamonn Brophy hauled Kilmarnock back into the tie with a superb free kick that was too powerful for Joe Lewis.
Moments later Brophy had a stunning shot which flew off the outside of the Don’s goal post.
Nicke Kabamba thought he won it for Killie in the 116th minute with a fortunate tap in. Ross Millen took Considine on down the wing and drilled in a cross that Devlin took a wild swipe at. The clearance hit Joe Lewis and fell to Kabamba who tapped in from five yards to make it 3-2 Kilmarnock and send Rugby Park into raptures.
But Aberdeen weren’t done and not only did the Reds equalise they went on to win the tie.
Stuart Findlay made a late challenge on Lewis Ferguson just inside the box.
Andrew Considine stepped up to take the spot kick and confidently scored his twentieth goal of the season. 3-3
Then at the very death Aberdeen won it with an unfortunate own goal from Kilmarnock substitute Connor Johnson who’d only been on the park for one minute when he headed the ball into his own net trying to clear a Considine cross.
FT Kilmarnock v Aberdeen 3-4 aet (1-0)
*Aberdeen through to the sixth round against St Mirren at St Mirren Park on the 29th February.
Scorers;
M El Makrini (43’), Considine (88’), Kennedy (91’), Brophy (98’), Kabamba (116’) Cosgrove (119’pen), Johnson (120’ og)
Line-ups:
Kilmarnock
Branescu, O’Donnell, Broadfoot, Findlay, Hämäläinen, Burke (Millen 87), Power, Dicker, El Makrini (Kiltie 90+’), Brophy (Johnson 118’), Kabamba
Subs; Johnson, Kiltie, Millen, Koprivec, Del Fabro, Taylor, Connell
Aberdeen
Lewis, Taylor (Devlin 102’), McKenna, Considine, McGeouch (Loganat 45’), 7Bryson (Campbell 45’), Ferguson, Kennedy, McGinn, McLennan (Cosgrove 45′), Main
Subs; Logan, Devlin, Hedges, Cosgrove, Cerny, Campbell, Anderson
Referee: Nick Walsh
Motherwell and St Mirren play out a thriller in last night’s other replay
The Steelman and the Saints put on a show that would have held Storm Dennis a gasp.
Their eight goal fifth round replay went all the way to penalties with the shootout sealed by Saints’ Jon Obika.
St Mirren found themselves 4-1 up at half time with two goals from Obika, one from Foley and a Peter Hartley own goal.
Motherwell responded with three goals in the second half from Tony Watt, Rolando Aarons and Allen Campbell which took the game to extra time and then penalties, won by St Mirren.
Obika guided Ilkay Durmus’ cross in with a neat volley to open the scoring, then Well’s Liam Polworth equalised with a low shot that somehow made it through a host of bodies in the Saints’ box.
Obika shinned a Cameron MacPherson free-kick into the net then, after a nice counter-attack from St Mirren, Motherwell defender Peter Hartley was unlucky to see the ball go into his own net. Foley’s shot was saved by Mark Gillespie but the rebound ricocheted off Hartley and into the goal.
Foley then finished with a low shot in the box before Motherwell scored three on the bounce.
Tony Watt finished with a deflected shot after nice footwork in the box. Rolando Aarons low cross made it all the way through the Saints’ defence to bring the score within one. Allen Campbell’s cross looped over Vaclav Hladky to bring the game level and send the tie into a nervy extra-time.
The game went to penalties and after four of the first five spot kicks were missed, Well’s Jermaine Hylton ballooned his spot kick over the left corner of the crossbar and with that Motherwell’s 2019/20 Scottish Cup campaign ended.
FT Motherwell v St Mirren 4-4 (St Mirren win 3-2 on penalties)
Sixth round draw
St Mirren v Aberdeen
Hibs v Inverness CT
St Johnson v Celtic
Hearts v Rangers
*Sixth round ties to be played on the weekend of the 29th of February.
Harry Jamshid Reporter Sports Pages 