Aberdeen’s bid to end the club’s 34-year Scottish Cup drought ended with a valiant and heartbreaking penalty shoot-out defeat to Celtic at Hampden.
Midfielder Killian Phillips’ spot-kick was saved by keeper Joe Hart as the Dons were edged out 6-5 on spot-kicks by the cup holders.
It was an agonising exit for Aberdeen who had put so much into a pulsating game that finished 3-3 after regulation time.
But the Scottish Cup drought dating back to 1990 continues.
In the build-up to the game interim boss Peter Leven had challenged the Reds to become club heroes by lifting the Scottish Cup.
The bid to lift the cup is over but this was a heroic performance from the Dons.
Under the guidance of interim boss Leven the Reds delivered attacking intent, threw bodies on the line in defence and had an edge in midfield.
They ran themselves into the ground for the cause.
Aberdeen were also raging that a penalty in the 113th minute awarded by referee Don Robertson for a foul on Junior Hoilett was over-ruled following a VAR review.
New Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin indicated he would watch the semi-final from his home in Sweden.
Thelin will remain at Elfsborg until the Swedish top flight summer break begins, starting at Pittodrie on June 3.
However this semi was all about Leven and the team.
Leven was tasked with ending a run of 24 games dating back to May 2018 (1-0 win at Parkhead) without beating Celtic – and came so close to delivering.
Any hope of Thelin inheriting a Scottish Cup winning team in the summer, and European qualification, is over.
However the Swede will be able to take many positives from this performance ahead of a summer transfer window rebuild.
Angus MacDonald captains Aberdeen
Centre-back Angus MacDonald was handed the captaincy for the semi-final in the absence of suspended skipper Graeme Shinnie.
MacDonald’s costly blunder gifted Celtic an equaliser to make it 1-1..
To the defender’s credit he never let that error derail his performance for the remainder of the game.
A weaker player would have folded. MacDonald didn’t as he delivered a captain’s shift and netted the late equaliser to force a penalties.
He also stepped up and netted in the spot kick shoot-out.
Miovski nets after only two minutes
Aberdeen raced into a sensational start with the opener after only two minutes.
An accurate, long ball inside from Nicky Devlin found Jamie McGrath who opened up space by turning quickly before passing to Clarkson.
With Celtic stretched Clarkson played a superb defence-splitting through-ball to Miovski who timed his run perfectly.
One on one with keeper Joe Hart striker Miovski shot powerfully from 15 yards.
His calm, clinical effort clipped onrushing Hart’s foot and slammed into the roof of the net to send the travelling Red Army into raptures.
Aberdeen gift Celtic a leveller
Celtic were gifted a leveller in the 21st minute by a blunder from MacDonald.
The defender hesitated in possession in front of goal and was punished when dispossessed by Kyogo Furuhashi.
Running at goal Furuhashi’s shot was blocked by Stefan Gartenmann who slid in front of Kelle Roos to intercept.
The loose ball fell to Nicolas Kuhn who fired into the empty net from 15 yards.
Moments later a Clarkson free-kick picked out Gartenmann’s run at the far post but the defender’s low eight-yard drive as blocked by keeper Hart.
Aberdeen had a penalty call in the 45th minute when Liam Scales handled the ball when jostling with Miovski for possession.
Following a VAR review no penalty was awarded as the contact was just outside the box.
❌ NO PENALTY ❌
Bojan Miovski was screaming for a penalty against Liam Scales but after a VAR check, it is ruled that the incident was outside the box.#BBCFootball #ScottishCup pic.twitter.com/3Ouuf9upWb
— BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot) April 20, 2024
Sokler header forces extra-time
Celtic went ahead in the 62nd minute when substitute James Forrest was given too much time to fire off a low 20-yard shot that flew beyond Roos.
Forrest had been on the pitch for only one minute.
Interim boss Leven made key substitutions and it revitalized the Dons.
The Dons should have levelled in the 80th minute when a flicked header from substitute Ester Sokler released Miovski through the middle.
Miovski squared a pass to Junior Hoilett, also a substitute, but he took a heavy touch and shot into the side-netting.
In the 85th minute a cross from Clarkson caused havoc in the Celtic box.
The ball fell to Hoilett but his six yard shot was cleared off the line by Carter-Vickers.
Aberdeen grabbed a deserved leveller in the 90th minute when Hoilett’s sweeping cross to the back post picked out Ester Sokler who headed in from four yards.
Drama continues during extra-time
Celtic went ahead near the end of the first half of extra-time when Matt O’Riley was left unmarked 10 yards out and fired home.
Aberdeen were left incensed when denied a stonewall penalty in the 113th minute.
Carter-Vickers clearly kicked and swept away Hoilett’s standing leg in the box.
Referee Don Robertson immediately awarded a penalty.
However it went to a VAR check and the spot-kick was over-ruled for a foul by Hoilett on Greg Taylor.
It was extremely harsh on Aberdeen.
Aberdeen refused to be down-heartened.
In the 120th minute Hoilett swung in a cross from the left and skipper MacDonald raced in to head home from four yards for redemption after his earlier error.
Jamie McGrath, Angus MacDonald and Ester Sokler converted their pens before Ryan Duncan hit the post.
Keeper Hart also hit the post before Junior Hoilet and Jack Milne netted.
However Killian Phillips’ spot kick was saved for heartache for the Dons.
ABERDEEN (4-2-3-1): Roos 7; Devlin 7 (Milne 79), Gartenmann 7, MacDonald 6, MacKenzie 7; Barron 7 (Duncan 106), Polvara 7 (Sokler 79); McGrath 7, Clarkson 7 (Phillips 86), Duk 5 (Hoilett), Miovski 7 (Morris 98)
Subs not used: Doohan, Jensen, Rubezic
CELTIC (4-3-3): Hart 6; Johnston 7, Carter-Vickers 7, Scales 7, Taylor 7; O’Riley 7, McGregor 6 (Iwata 62), Hatate 7 (Bernardo 86); Kuhn 7 (Palma 86), Furuhashi 6 (Idah 70) Yang 6 (Forrest 62)
Subs not used: Bain, Idah, Nawrocki, Kelly, Ralston
Referee: Don Robertson
Attendance; 45,385
Man-of-the-match: Stefan Gartenmann (Aberdeen)
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