A Day Of Disappointment And Despair

It all looked so promising for Aberdeen coming into the match with the stats and figures weighing heavily in the Dons' balance however once again in a Scottish cup semi-final, it was not to be. Aberdeen missed a catalogue of chances to put the game out of reach from St Johnstone but they passed them up inviting the Saints back into the game and that thy did going on to come from a goal behind to progress through into the Scottish cup final. Once again the Red Army were left despondent at a Scotttish cup semi final witnessing the opposing teams celebrations while the sea of red washed out of the stadium. However as Dons fans we cannot be too disappointed considering we have secured a cup, next to certainly secured a European place and sitting second in the league. If somebody offered you that at the start of the season i sure as bet you would have snapped their hand off. The disappointment we are experiencing this time around is rather strange as it feels as if we could of added to our magnificent season not make or break it.

McInnes decided to start the game with an unchanged line up from the Hibs game in the capital, which on paper and on the pitch could pose a very real threat to any team. That promise was upheld in the opening stages of the game as Aberdeen injected some pace and energy into the game speeding up the tempo. St Johnstone were obviously finding it tough to match the speed of the game the Dons had set and adopted a more "physical" shall we say approach to the game which was not received well by the Red Army. Pawlett was taking the brunt of this and on 5 minutes the winger was rewarded with a free kick. Robson stepped up and looked to curl it in the top left hand corner but his first attempt struck the wall, it rebounded back to him and he lashed at it seeing his shot go inches wide. So nearly the opening goal.

Aberdeen now had the game by the scruff of the neck and after good defensive play by Anderson he played a long ball for Rooney to latch on to on 15 minutes. Rooney chested down to Pawlett just outside the box, he then drove in and slid the ball into the path of McGinn who was supporting his run. McGinn right through on goal slotted the ball under the keeper to put the Dons up by a goal to nil. St Johnstone now had to do what they had not done so already this season. Score against Aberdeen (However that proved a useless stat by the end of the game). Ten minutes or so later the Dons passed up a brilliant chance to double their lead. Superb work from McGinn out on the right freed up space on the left which Rooney exploited as McGinn switched the play to him. Rooney was right through and maybe he had too much time to think about the shot as he bore down on goal as when he did produce the shot it was weak, striking the legs of keeper Mannus. Instantly up the other end May had a chance to level. A scramble in the box allowed the ball to fall to the feet of May who viciously prodded the ball towards goal forcing Langfield into a good stop. That concluded the first half action and Roonet would have been reflecting at half time about how he missed that chance.

While Aberdeen reflected St Johnstone took up arms at half time a they came out a different team in the second period while Aberdeen looked jaded and the speed and tempo which the applied in the opening 45 was lacking in the second period.

However It was the Dons who had another brilliant opportunity to go two goals ahead at the start of the second half. Once again McGinn was causing havock on the left and glided past his marker on the wing heading for the bi line to cut back to Pawlett who was in acres of space just inside the box. That is where the good move ended though as Pawlett's effort was tragic as he sliced it sending it out for a throw in much to the disgust of the 19,000 or so Dons fans inside Ibrox who should have seen their team three goals to the good. If you don't take your chances it will come back to bite you and that was certainly the case as St Johnstone equalised from a corner on the hour mark. The ball was initially cleared bu scooped back into the box breaking to Stevie May who controlled the ball turned and rolled the ball into the net getting his side back in the match. The Dons defence looked at one another in despair.

That goal rocked Aberdeen and creating chances then became hard to come by for the Dons as they looked rigid and almost froze after that. Langfield had to make another good save to deny MacLean from getting on the end of a May cross to put the Saints in front. Five minutes later Robson missed another glaring opportunity as he latched on to a Flood cross and headed unmarked straight at the keeper. He really should have done better. Then McGinn missed the pick of the bunch as Robson swung in a delightful ball to the back post that McGinn running on to it headed wide! How did he miss? Well only he can answer that question. Then in the 80th minute Aberdeen were made to pay the ultimate price of defeat for their missed chances. May burst into the box with a single touch and then fired past Langfield to put the Saints through and into the Scottish cup final. Aberdeen had no reply to such a late set back.

FT: St Johnstone 2-1 Aberdeen

St Johnstone

• 01 Mannus
• 02 Mackay
• 24 Easton
• 07 Millar
• 06 Anderson
• 05 Wright
• 10 Wotherspoon
• 12 Dunne
• 17 May Booked
• 09 MacLean
• 29 O'Halloran (Cregg - 89' )

Substitutes

• 04 Cregg
• 11 Hasselbaink
• 15 Banks
• 19 Miller
• 20 Brown
• 23 Clancy
• 25 Iwelumo

Aberdeen

• 01 Langfield
• 29 Logan
• 06 Reynolds
• 08 Flood
• 04 Anderson
• 05 Considine (Vernon - 90' )
• 22 Jack
• 15 Robson
• 17 Rooney
• 10 McGinn
• 16 Pawlett

Substitutes

• 02 Shaughnessy
• 03 Robertson
• 09 Vernon
• 14 Smith
• 18 Low
• 20 Weaver
• 24 McManus