There was no dream cup triumph for Barry Robson and Aberdeen at Hampden on this occasion.
James Tavernier’s strike proved decisive in a cagey and tense final at the national stadium.
It has been a rollercoaster for the Dons support since Robson took charge earlier this year.
There was the high of last season’s surge to third place and this season’s commendable performances on Aberdeen’s return to European group-stage football.
This season’s 3-1 victory at Ibrox and the controversial 1-1 draw at Pittodrie against Rangers meant the Red Army travelled to Glasgow feeling hopeful they would witness a first cup win since Parkhead was painted red in 2014 and the Dons defeated Caley Thistle on penalties.
For a long period, it looked like Sunday’s final was also destined for a shootout until Tavernier struck the fatal blow.
The cup final will be chalked down as a disappointment in a season of highs and lows.
While there have been some memorable moments such as last Thursday’s unexpected victory against Eintracht Frankfurt, there have also been some abject performances.
The 6-0 humbling at Celtic Park and morale-sapping defeats home and away against Kilmarnock spring immediately to mind.
But such inconsistency should perhaps be expected and understandable following a summer of huge changes at Pittodrie and a rookie manager finding his way.
There have been hiccups and disappointments this season but the Dons and Robson will be stronger in the long run for the experiences provided by regular European football and a Hampden final.
It has clearly been a challenge to balance Europe and domestic commitments.
The task now for Robson and his players is to make sure they climb the table from the 10th spot they currently reside to a position that will offer them European football again next season.
Now with the final and Europe behind them, the Dons can put full focus on kickstarting their stuttering league campaign.
There is reason to feel optimistic for the months ahead – even the day after a painful defeat.
Robson has assembled a squad that contains some exciting players – not least striker Bojan Miovski – who appear destined to move on to a more lucrative league in time.
Despite their lowly position, Aberdeen have already shown enough this term to suggest they can replicate last season’s third-place finish.
They sit 10 points behind Hearts, the team that currently occupies that spot, but with two games in hand.
Robson’s side will require another winning run if they are to propel themselves into contention to finish best of the rest behind Celtic and Rangers.
As the dust settles on a frustrating 90 minutes, Aberdeen must look onwards and use the setback as fuel for the second half of the campaign.
They have five winnable games before the winter break against Livingston, Dundee, Motherwell, St Mirren and Ross County.
They should be targeting as close to 15 points as possible and heading into the shutdown on a positive note.
The first half of the season has been a steep learning curve for Robson and his new squad at Pittodrie.
Some of those players look capable of becoming key men at Pittodrie, others have yet to show their worth.
On their day this Aberdeen side is exciting and entertaining – but there have been too many off-days so far.
Far more consistency is required in the second half of the 2023-24 campaign – and if they can deliver that then good times lie ahead.
There is no reason why this season’s Scottish Cup can’t culminate with another trip to Hampden – but this time with a much happier outcome.
