2023/24 – Aberdeen 3 v 2 St Johnstone

Cormack Park, SFA Youth Cup 1/4 final, 23/1/24

Me 299 , Wee Man 167

Aberdeen Football Club

Founded – 1903

Nickname – The Dons

Honours – European Cup Winners Cup – 1982/83. European Super Cup – 1983. Scottish League – 1954/55, 1979/80, 1983/84 and 1984/85. Scottish Cup – 1946/47, 1969/70, 1981/82, 1982/83, 1983/84, 1985/86 and 1989/90. Scottish League Cup -1955/56, 1976/77, 1985/86, 1989/90, 1995/96 and 2013/14. Drybrough Cup – 1980

After seeing the “Aberdeen Babies” as Wee Man affectionately refers to them on numerous occasions away from home across the Aberdeenshire trophies and the Challenge Cup. We have both been looking to see them at the training ground on home soil. In the past the kick offs have been no use and tied up in the school run preventing us from heading to any games. Today we were quids in with a 17.00 KO which also fell in the window of decent weather in amongst some keech wind and rain.

As we turned up there was the obligatory thumbs up photo to take to add to our ever growing collection. As we made our way to the pitch the Saints team were coming in from their warm up and the youthful looks were more than clear. I would be surprised if they could have grown a moustache between them. A very young side by the looks.

On the pitch we were not let down either in this quarter final tie. It was action from start to finish. The game kicked off under a “shepherd’s delight” red sky but it was not to be any omen for sheep as Aberdeen were reduced to ten men in around a minute when Lewis Carrol felled a Saints striker with a clip of the ankle as he broke free. Protested he may have but he didn’t have a leg to stand on. It was clear and his team had 89 minutes ahead of them a man down. It didn’t take long for things to get worse when Brodie Dair nipped in on a short back pass to round the Dons Latvian keeper Rodrigo Vitols and slot into an empty net. The night was still in its infancy and things were looking bleak for the young Dons. But they didn’t seem to phased by early goings on and got on with the task of trying to reach the semi finals of this trophy. To be honest you would have not known there was a man disadvantage. They got in behind the Saints in wide areas but did not create anything. On the other side of the coin Saints man Dair was looking a hand full at all times and was the main creative threat for the visitors. But the Dons looked the better team and were rewarded with an equaliser when Alfie Bavidge let fly from distance across the box and into the top corner of the net. A superb finish but did the St Johnstone defence back off a bit too much? Not to take anything away from the strike though as it was a peach. St Johnstone continued to get forward and tried to regain the lead but the Dons defended well to see out the half on level terms but maybe a bit lucky this was the case after McMillan spurned a good chance from 12 yards. A decent half of football topped off by Derek Young walking past Wee Man saying “How’s it going Batman?”(due to his hat) before pulling his hat over his face. This leading to me having to explain he was an ex player, his bro played etc etc.

HT 1 – 1

Half time seemed to be huge and lasted forever. This leading to an huge amount of passes/shots at Wee Man and I tried to converse with my cousin Barry who was in attendance waiting his loon to finish training. The teams finally re-appeared for the second half as the nearby traffic of the “ile” companies of Westhill was still creeping past the training centre. Bollocks to working there for the record. On the pitch it didn’t take long for the young Dons to take the lead. A long ball over the top found a pumped up Fraser Mackie who seemed to just barge through three defenders and somehow get his effort up and over the keeper. Not a bonnie goal but fair play to the striker who didn’t give up when he looked second favourite on two occasions and he bared down. It could have been more soon after when Bavidge sent an effort a fraction wide. St Johnstone had their own chances and McMillan was guilty of blowing a huge chance when he lashed an effort over the bar from inside the box. Both teams were trying to win this tie and it was good to watch with some good football on show, but it was the clear the pitch was letting them down at time as it seemed overly slick and many a ball went out to touch. St Johnstone were taking the game to the Dons and Vitols was keeping his team in the lead with lets say routine saves but numerous . Aitken, McMillan, Boyd and McCrystal all had efforts. However he could not stop the equaliser when that man Dair again hit the net, this time assisted by a deflection or so it looked from our angle. Extra time beckoned by the looks. But captain Alfie Stewart had other ideas and in strange circumstances scored the third for Aberdeen. Strange firstly as when Aberdeen were awarded the corner Wee Man asked me “can you score from a corner?” I explained it was possible but rarely happens and its a tough ask to do it. Second piece of strangeness, Stewart hit his corner straight in sending me and Wee Man into fits of laughter, Incredible coincidence. But a goal keeping howler all the same, this cannot be overlooked. A case of lead in the boots. The character showing young Dons were winning with very little time to go. But the action was not over. Full back Brendan Hamilton was already on a booking and was given his second caution for an infringement in the corner. This leaving the Dons with 9 men for the last five minutes. It also lead to a bit of a bombardment from the Saints but he Dons defended stoutly and saw out the game. A superb performance in trying circumstances from the loons. Chuffed to bits for them. Onward to the semis. ‘mon the youngsters.

On the training ground. It’s no Seaton Park.

Entrance – Both Free

Attendance – 88 highest count(fluctuated due to passers by from adjacent trainings)

Pie – £2.80 Mince and Mealie

Pint – N/A

Score Predictions – Me 2 v 1 Wee Man 1 v 2

Score Prediction Season Totals – Me 0 v 0 Wee Man