Aberdeen 3 - 0 Dunfermline Athletic

The Dons finally put down a spirited resistance from Dunfermline Athletic, goals from Pape Gueye and Alexander Jensen either side of the break doing the damage before Kevin Nisbet sealed things with a late third.

Jimmy Thelin made four changes to his side after last weekend’s defeat at Hibernian, with Graeme Shinnie, Nicky Devlin, Alfie Dorrington and Leighton Clarkson all on the bench. In came Sivert Heltne Nilsen to skipper the side, Jack MacKenzie, Kevin Nisbet and Mats Knoester to make his Dons debut.

Dunfermline lost 2-0 on Wednesday at home to Livingston in the Scottish League Challenge Cup semi-final and they made four changes with former Don Kieran Ngwenya, Kane Richie-Hosler, Omar Taylor-Clarke and Ephraim Yeboah replaced by Joe Chalmers, Archie Stevens, David Wotherspoon and Chris Kane.

The afternoon began with a tribute to Jimmy Calderwood from both sets of supporters before the Pars made a brisk start, Chilokoa-Mullen heading over from a free-kick in the third minute.

Topi Keskinen had Aberdeen’s first chance on six minutes, a neat pass from Nisbet giving Gueye chance to stretch his legs down the left. His low cross in found Keskinen, but he couldn’t get enough on his effort to discomfort Oluwayemi.

It was an open game, end to end stuff, and in the 11th minute, Nisbet intercepting a loose pass and driving forward. His cross was cut out by Comrie, who then had the visitors on the attack, Stevens forcing a save from Ross Doohan with a shot across goal.

Keskinen was battling away in the middle on 21, winning possession and accelerating towards the box, but as the path for a shot seemed to pen up, he chose to pass to Nisbet and the chance was gone. That was followed by a real goalmouth stramash moments later, Jensen jabbing at goal in the end, his shot cleared in the six-yard box, Ante Palaversa lashing over the bar from the rebound.

Wotherspoon had a real chance on 35 minutes after Jensen and Tobers got in a tangle on the right. Otoo benefited and took the ball to the by-line before pulling the ball back to Wotherspoon on the edge of the area, only for him to sweep his effort over the bar.

As we looked towards the break, the Dons finally broke the deadlock.

Jensen won a free-kick near the corner flag and Palaversa curled a lovely ball to the edge of the six yard box, from where Gueye thumped a header into the roof of the net. There was barely time to restart things.

HALF-TIME: ABERDEEN 1 DUNFERMLINE ATHLETIC 0

Aberdeen opened the second half quickly, Gueye working away down the right, finding Jeppe Okkels, whose fine pass into the box gave Keskinen a shooting chance, but the ball was blocked away to safety.

No matter, the second came soon enough, in the 50th minute. Okkels and Keskinen exchanged passes on the left before Keskinen drove a low cross through the box. Nisbet failed to connect, but the ball still reached Jensen further on and he drove his shot back across goal and in.

The Pars replaced Hamilton and Chalmers with Yeboah and Ngwenya on 55 minutes. And the visitors threatened three minutes later, a free-kick reaching Stevens, whose ferocious shot was blocked behind by MacKenzie. Shayden Morris came on for Okkels after 61 minutes.

Dunfermline were not out of it though and on 65, Doohan had to make two sharp saves from fierce shots from Kane and Stevens after good work from Yeboah, both efforts from a dozen yards out well dealt with by the goalkeeper. A minute later, McCann slashed over from 20 yards after chasing a long ball forward.

Kane and Stevens made way for Ritchie-Hosler and O’Halloran after 67 minutes. Aberdeen responded by bringing on Dorrington and Shinnie for Knoester and Heltne Nilsen.

The game should have been dead and buried after 74 minutes. Gueye made a clever interception in midfield, slipped the ball past a defender and chased into the box. He drew the goalkeeper and then played in Nisbet, who took a good touch before his chipped finish beat the keeper but thumped against the post and back into play.

Yeboah threatened again on 77 minutes, beating Dorrington and running across the face of goal. He went down under challenge from MacKenzie and a penalty was given, but VAR ruled that the offence was just outside the box instead, on the right of the D. Otoo bent his effort around the wall, Doohan pushing it away at full stretch to his right.

Tobers went down injured after stretching awkwardly to clear, but he resumed after treatment in the 83rd minute.

The pace of Morris finally broke Dunfermline’s resistance on 85, winning the ball and sprinting away down the right before threading the ball through the six-yard box for Nisbet to tap into the empty net from three yards.

Gueye and Palaversa were replaced by Fletcher Boyd and Leighton Clarkson on 88, Wotherspoon making way for Hampson at the same time. Yeboah made another darting run in the 95th minute, Tobers collecting a yellow card as he hauled him down on the edge of the area. McCann’s free-kick flew into the crowd as Aberdeen advanced into the last eight of the Scottish Cup.

2 minutes added at end 1st half.
6 minutes added at end 2nd half.