Aberdeen booked their place in the Betfred Cup final, striking twice in the second-half to defeat Championship side Morton 2-0 at Hampden Park.
The match had threatened to become a nervy affair for the Reds after they had failed to capitalise on a dominant first-half performance, however goals from Adam Rooney and Kenny McLean ensured the Dons’ passage to next month’s final, where they will meet either Rangers or Celtic.
The victory was Aberdeen’s first triumph at the national stadium since 2000, with Derek McInnes’ side now aiming to once again lift the trophy they last won at Parkhead in 2014.
The Dons came into the match in confident mood following a five-match winning streak, with Derek McInnes’ only enforced change from the side that defeated Ross County 4-0 the previous weekend being to draft in defender Mark Reynolds for Ash Taylor, who suffered a thigh injury early on against the Staggies.
Aberdeen began at a frantic pace and were twice unfortunate not to take the lead after winning a succession of early corners, with Kenny McLean seeing his effort cleared off the line by Mark Russell and Jonny Hayes’ header crashing off the bar from James Maddison deliveries inside the opening two minutes.
The Reds continued to probe, with Maddison off target with a sidefooted attempt from Niall McGinn’s low free-kick on eight minutes, however they found their space to attack limited by a stuffy Morton rearguard, with Maddison and McLean both off target from long-range.
Morton struggled to put the Dons’ defence under pressure, with a loose touch by Maddison allowing Quitongo and Gary Oliver to exchange passes on the edge of the box before Anthony O’Connor thwarted the danger.
Much of Aberdeen’s danger was coming from Maddison’s dead balls, and the Reds’ ninth corner of the afternoon picked out the head of O’Connor, who sent his effort over on 36 minutes.
Morton’s golden chance to take the lead came just two minutes before the break, when Andrew Murdoch’s threaded pass was misjudged by Reynolds allowing Quitongo to bear down on goal, with goalkeeper Joe Lewis coming to the Dons’ rescue, blocking the attacker’s low effort with his feet.
It was the Dons who had the final attack of the half however, hitting the bar for the second time through Rooney’s header from another Maddison cross from the left.
Aberdeen looked to start the second-half just as they did the first, with Niall McGinn collecting a yellow card for an alleged dive at the feet of Ton skipper Thomas O’Ware.
The Greenock side grew in belief however, with Quitongo heading an effort wide and Jamie McDonagh’s menacing low delivery forcing an excellent clearance by O’Connor.
Quitongo looked eager to atone for his earlier miss and he came close with another attempt on 65 minutes, when he cut inside O’Connor before shooting just over Lewis’ crossbar, before sending an acrobatic overhead kick over the bar two minutes later.
Morton were firmly holding their own in the game but the Dons grabbed the lead to the relief of their supporters on 69 minutes. Shinnie’s delivery from the right flank was nodded across goal by Andrew Considine, with the ball sitting up for Rooney to steer a header into the far corner and give the Reds the lead.
The goal appeared to put Aberdeen into their stride and they came close to doubling their lead moments later, with Graeme Shinnie sent through by Hayes before blasting his shot wide, before McGinn was thwarted by goalkeeper Andrew McNeil from point-blank range.
Maddison spurned a glorious chance to wrap the game up when he got on the end of Hayes’ cut back, but could not keep his volleyed effort on target from close-range.
The Dons put their place in the final beyond doubt with two minutes to go however, when McLean was on hand to prod home after McGinn’s low strike had been parried by McNeil.