Aberdeen Football Club (FC) beat Hearts 4-2 in an exhilarating Scottish League Cup final that went into extra time. This win guaranteed their place in the Scottish Cup final. Aberdeen would go on to win 2-1 in the Scottish Premiership match on Saturday. After rallying from an early onslaught, they took full advantage as Hearts went down to two red-card dismissals. That win now puts it on course for a final clash with either St Johnstone or Celtic on 24 May.
The game opened up to a feel reminiscent of Davis Cup with both teams looking to establish their power. Hearts’ Jamie McCart almost made it one-to-zero in favor of Hearts first, almost scoring with a chance in the first ten minutes. Elton Kabangu was the spark for Hearts, and the primary creator on two very good chances. His efforts were unable to find the back of the net. It was in the 18th minute that Aberdeen took advantage. Hearts goalkeeper Craig Gordon’s mistake led to a gift own-goal for Aberdeen, allowing the Dons to take an important early lead.
Despite the setback, Hearts responded tenaciously. It was Lawrence Shankland that brought the game level in the 28th minute. He met James Penrice’s cross like a thunderbolt, powering the ball beyond Aberdeen’s netminder, Dimitar Mitov. This equalizer brought Hearts back in the game and amplified the fighting atmosphere of the derby.
As the match melted away, the stakes kept rising with urgent intensity. Hearts were reduced to ten men when Michael Steinwender received a straight red card in the first half. This premature sending off dramatically changed the course of the game, with Aberdeen finally starting to make their extra man tell. Within minutes they pushed for a second but Hearts were tough cookies to crack.
Following a goalless second half that saw both teams struggle to convert opportunities, Aberdeen continued their offensive push into extra time. As it turns out, their persistence paid off! It took until deep into stoppage time, the 118th minute, but Oday Dabbagh was in the right place at the right time. Gordon did well to save Jack Milne’s initial effort, but Dabbagh followed up to power home the rebound. Just before the final whistle, he scored the winning goal for Aberdeen!
Hearts faced more adversity when Cammy Devlin was sent off with a second yellow for a bookable challenge in the 116 th minute. This put the team down to just nine players on the field. No matter their attempts to restructure and recapture, they were unable to complete the comeback against a gritty Aberdeen team.
Aberdeen were always likely to rue that squandered opportunity when they made only one change from their last match – the thrilling 2-2 draw with ten-man Rangers. Making his debut, Dimitar Mitov replaced Ross Doohan in goal and helped cement an impressive defensive display from the Scots.
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