Lewis Ferguson’s sixth minute strike and a ninety-second minute Sam Cosgrove penalty sent Aberdeen through to the Scottish Cup semi-final for a fourth time in as many years.
Ferguson produced a classy finish on six minutes to give Aberdeen a 1-0 first half lead. Sam Cosgrove won and scored a penalty in the ninety-second minute to kill the tie.
-Scottish Cup semi-final draw
-Fifth round replay: Aberdeen beat Kilmarnock 4-3 at Rugby Park
Aberdeen comfortable in a workmen like first half
The Don’s came into the game on the back of mixed form having endured a disappointing home defeat to Ross County at the weekend, although Derek McInnes’ men have not lost away in five and that form continued at the Simple Digital Arena.
The first chance fell to Curtis Main who could have scored in the opening minutes, but his header at the near post went wide.
The goal that broke the deadlock was taken in superb fashion by Lewis Ferguson who, on six minutes, received a pass from Matt Kennedy outside the box, drove at the St Mirren defence and, from eighteen yards, curled the ball with the outside of his boot into the top corner of Vaclav Hladky’s net.
Neill McGuinn was almost through on goal in the twenty-ninth minute after good pressing on the St Mirren defence, but the Northern Irish midfielder was adjudged to have fouled Cameron MacPherson and the play was brought back.
McGuinn’s energy and work rate was synonymous with the entire Aberdeen team, pressing with intensity whilst showing resilience at the back to keep St Mirren out.
Aberdeen remain resolute in the second half
The first incident to note in the second half was disappointing for the Dons. Scott McKenna instantly stopped and clutched his hamstring signalling to the bench to be replaced. On came Devlin and although Aberdeen’s defensive line had changed the performance remained the same, keeping the St Mirren attack at arm’s length of Joe Lewis’ goal.
Curtis Main was offside by a knuckle when his diving header was adjudged to be offside on fifty-four minutes. Matt Kennedy whipped in a cross from the left which Main finished powerfully into the corner, but Aberdeen’s number nine wasn’t quick enough to step in with the defenders before connecting with Kennedy’s cross.
In the closing stages of the match St Mirren peppered the Aberdeen box with crosses but nothing seemed particularly threatening to the Dons. The closet the Saints came was a Kyle McAllister cross which was just over the head of debutant Seifedin Chabbi.
Sam Cosgrove sealed the tie in injury time converting a penalty after being fouled in the box by Sam Foley. MacPherson tried to control a high ball but got it all wrong which allowed Cosgrove in on goal. Foley cut across Cosgrove, fouling the striker just outside the left side of the six yard box.
Cosgrove stepped up and finished the penalty confidently, the feeling obviously having rubbed off from Aberdeen’s composed display throughout the evening.
FT St Mirren v Aberdeen 0-2 (0-1)
Scorers;
Ferguson (6’), Cosgrove (92’ pen)
Line-ups:
St Mirren
Hladky, Hodson, McCarthy, Famewo, Waters, McGrath, Foley, MacPherson (Chabbi 71’), Durmus (Andreu 81’), Jakubiak (McAllister 45’), Obika
Subs: Lyness, Wallace, McAllister, Andreu, Mullen, Morias, Chabbi
Aberdeen
Lewis, Taylor, Logan, McKenna (Devlin 52’), Considine, Ojo, Campbell (Cosgrove 73’), Ferguson, Kennedy, McGinn, Main (Bryson 86’)
Subs: Cerny, Devlin, Bryson, McGeouch, Cosgrove, Anderson, Hernandez
Referee: Don Robertson
Rangers chances of a domestic trophy all but over with loss to Hearts
Rangers crashed out of the Scottish Cup losing 1-0 to Hearts at Tynecastle.
Oliver Bozanic’s simple finish inside the box after good work from Lewis Moore was enough to see the Jambos through to the semi-finals.
The result gave much needed reprieve for Daniel Stendel’s men who sit bottom of the SPL.
The first half was a drab affair with the only real incidents to note being two injuries. The first, a bad achilles injury to John Souttar who was stretchered off after fifteen minutes. Then Scott Arfield injured his hamstring on thirty minutes and was replaced by Sheyi Ojo.
A part from referee Steven McLean getting a roasting for his erratic performance by the BBC Scotland commentators, there was little to report until it all kicked off right before half-time
Rangers’ defender George Edmundson tried to clear a ball but swiped it out with his hand. It was a stonewall penalty that was given as a corner which Loic Damour turned in with his hand. After initially being given, the goal was disallowed sending half time scenes into pandemonium.
In the second half Rangers disjointed display continued allowing Hearts to nip in and score.
In the fifty-eighth minute Lewis Moore chased down what looked like an over hit pass but Moore managed to catch up with the ball, round McGregor and cross it into the box leaving Oliver Bozanic to tap into an empty net.
Rangers tried to change it by bringing on Defoe and Haji with thirty minutes to go, but still Gers couldn’t find the net and crashed out of the Scottish Cup leaving their only chance of silverware this season being a rather long shot in the Europa League.
FT Hearts v Rangers 1-0
Hibees sting Inverness in opening sixth round tie on Friday night
Hibernian were the first team to book their place in the Scottish Cup semi-finals with a 5-2 demolition of Inverness Caley Thistle at Easter Road.
Hibernian captain Paul Hanlon missed a penalty on nine minutes, his powerful shot saved by Caley Jag’s keeper Mark Ridgers.
Adam Jackson opened the scoring on thirty-eight minutes with a neat lob over Ridgers.
Scott Allan finished off a great counter-attack for Hibs just before the hour to make it 2-0. Two passes from Martin Boyle and Marc McNulty sent the Hibees up the park and put Allan in to finish.
Boyle was central to Hibs third setting up Greg Docherty for a powerful low shot that went across Ridgers and into the corner.
Carl Tremarco responded for the Caley Jags in the seventy-third minute with a deflected cross. A minute later teammate Brad McKay was sent off for a lunging tackle on Boyle.
Stephane Omeonga made it 4-1 Hibs with a stunning first time finish outside the box.
Jamie Gullen scored his first goal for Hibs after moving from Raith Rovers. Gullen cut in front of his man and finished nicely from eight yards. Nikolay Todorov got a late consolation for Inverness when he stabbed in from a corner.
FT Hibernian v ICT 5-2
Results/ Fixtures
Fri 28th Feb
Hibernian v ICT 5-2
Sat 29th Feb
Hearts v Rangers 1-0
St Mirren v Aberdeen 0-2
Sun 1st March
St Johnson v Celtic 3pm KO
Harry Jamshid Reporter Sports Pages 