Dons disappointment as Celtic run riot to win Betfred Cup

By Paul Third

November 27 2016, 2:28 pm

Celtic celebrate as McInnes ponders what could have been

Aberdeen’s hopes of winning the Betfred Cup were dashed by a clinical Celtic at Hampden.

First half goals from Tom Rogic and James Forrest gave the Hoops a commanding first half lead and they went on to put the game beyond the Dons when Moussa Dembele scored the third from the penalty spot.

The win means Hoops manager Brendan Rodgers celebrated his first trophy of his managerial career while the League Cup becomes the Hoops’ 100th trophy in the club’s history.

Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes made one change to his side for the game with Ashton Taylor returning to the side for his first start in six weeks in place of Jayden Stockley, who dropped to the bench for the game against the Hoops.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers made two changes to the team which lost 2-0 to Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Scott Sinclair missed out due to injury while Callum McGregor dropped to the bench. Patrick Roberts and James Forrest took their team-mates’ place in the Hoops starting 11.

Following a subdued start to the game it was Celtic who created the first chance through Moussa Dembele but the Hoops forward’s header was parried by Dons goalkeeper Joe Lewis before the Aberdeen defence cleared.

The Dons responded strongly to the early chance but just as they were coming into the game they were caught and it was that man Tom Rogic, who scored the only goal of the game at Pittodrie in the last meeting of the sides, who struck when he cut inside Graeme Shinnie and fired a low curling shot past Lewis to put the Celts ahead.

Aberdeen responded with Andy Considine forcing Craig Gordon into his first save, the Celtic goalkeeper palming the defender’s header away.

Roberts’ was creating the Dons problems down their left and one surging run ended with a ricochet falling to Forrest whose shot went just wide.

Forrest was not to be denied, however, and he added a second in the 37th minute for his side when he collected the ball just inside the Aberdeen half before running unchallenged into the Dons box where his low drive beat Lewis to make it 2-0.

Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes was unhappy that Celtic captain Scott Brown’s fouls went unpunished in the first half but the Celtic skipper became the first name to go in the referee’s book when he was shown a yellow card at the start of the second half for a foul on James Maddison.

It was a lively start from the Dons who were chasing a goal to get them back in the game and they pushed Celtic back into their own half, forcing three corners in the opening 15 minutes but frustratingly for Aberdeen they were unable to make their set-pieces count.

The frustration turned to dismay when Anthony O’Connor fouled Forrest in the box to concede a penalty and Moussa Dembele sent Lewis the wrong way with the spot kick to put Celtic within touching distance of their 100th domestic trophy.

McInnes made a tactical change, sending forward Jayden Stockley into the fray with O’Connor the player to make way.

The substitution meant a return to left back for Graeme Shinnie with Andy Considine moving back to centre-half.

Brendan Rodgers responded by sending Nir Bitton on for Partrick Roberts.

Niall McGinn joined the action for the out-of-sorts Jonny Hayes before substitute Bitton joined Brown in the book for a foul on Maddison.

With the Dons struggling to test Gordon Hoops manager Rodgers withdrew Rogic, scorer of the opening goal, for Callum McGregor as the celebrations began early among the Hoops support.

Wes Burns replaced Adam Rooney for the final 10 minutes as the Dons went direct to Stockley but the intensity had dropped with Celtic well on top.

Maddison forced Gordon into a save with a curling effort from the edge of the box and with the Celtic end in full voice Celtic forward Leigh Griffiths replaced goalscorer and man of the match Forrest in injury time.

By then the game was already won for the Hoops as Celtic celebrated another trophy.

For the Dons, they were underdogs for the final but Derek McInnes and his players will look back on their second cup final of his tenure as a day to forget and one which ended in disappointment.