Even in such a high-stakes, win or bust situation, to have not even a morsel of sympathy for Heart of Midlothian would require one of stone.
It is hard to deny that, for very nearly an hour’s play, their ten men outperformed Aberdeen’s eleven and looked the likelier victors in regulation.
As is often the case, though, extending the match by 30 minutes tipped the balance away from the team which had exerted more in the preceding 90, and the Dons will feel no pity or remorse for the manner in which they eventually got the job done.
Cammy Devlin, resident wind-up merchant of Hearts’ midfield, had spent much of the afternoon craftily attempting to provoke his opponents into injudiciously inviting John Beaton to even up the numbers.
So, when it finally did arrive, that the day’s second red card was shown to the Australian himself – for a kick which, while dangerous and mutually painful, was indisputably unintended – would have had Aberdeen chuckling into their hands had they had the time for such concerns.
Instead they had to focus on quickly exploiting their advantage while they still had it, and to double Devlin’s dismay they did so before he reached the shower, thanks to Jack Milne still lurking in the inside right position taken up for the free kick he’d conceded and Oday Dabbagh being the odd one out that eight maroon jerseys couldn’t cover.
Aberdeen will need to be far better than this, against a hitherto irresistible domestic force, to stand a remote chance in the final – or perhaps find a way to play it against even fewer than nine. Ingenuity may be needed of Jimmy Thelin’s team.
Strange things can happen in football, and only by being on the Hampden pitch can they influence what unfolds on it.
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