Aberdeen have secured a place in the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals after defeating Kilmarnock 3-1 on penalties at Rugby Park.
The quarter-final finished 1-1 before Aberdeen goalkeeper Marius Müller saved three penalties in the shootout. Jack Milne converted the decisive kick to send Stephen Robinson’s side to Hampden.
Aberdeen achieved the result despite playing much of the second half with 10 men following Daniel Happe’s dismissal.
Two goals and a red card in six minutes
After a goalless first half, Kevin Nisbet gave Aberdeen the lead in the 52nd minute.
The match changed five minutes later when Happe was shown a red card, leaving the visitors to defend their advantage with 10 players.
Kilmarnock responded almost immediately. Tyreece John-Jules scored in the 58th minute, just one minute after the dismissal, to bring the home side level.
Kilmarnock attempted to use their numerical advantage to take control of the contest, but Aberdeen remained organised and prevented them from finding a winning goal.
The match eventually moved to penalties with the teams still level at 1-1.
The result and key match events were confirmed by Aberdeen’s official match centre.
Müller delivers in the shootout
Müller became the central figure in the penalty shootout, saving three of Kilmarnock’s attempts.
Aberdeen converted enough of their kicks to establish a decisive advantage before defender Milne stepped forward and scored the penalty that completed the 3-1 shootout victory.
The Press and Journal described Müller as Aberdeen’s shootout hero and confirmed that Milne scored the winning kick.
The victory provided a timely lift for Robinson and his players following a difficult opening to their league campaign.
Aberdeen had entered the weekend in 10th place in the Scottish Premiership, with four points from their opening five matches. They had also been held to a goalless draw by Kilmarnock at Pittodrie one week earlier.
The cup meeting produced a more decisive outcome, even though Aberdeen were forced to withstand sustained pressure after being reduced to 10 men.
Robinson secures another Hampden appearance
Before the match, Robinson described the quarter-final as an important opportunity to return to Hampden.
He had made two visits to Scotland’s national stadium in recent months before taking charge at Pittodrie. Victory at Rugby Park has now given him another appearance there, this time as Aberdeen manager.
Robinson will also take encouragement from the resilience his team displayed after Happe’s dismissal. Aberdeen conceded almost immediately but recovered their defensive shape and remained in the contest until the shootout.
For Kilmarnock, the defeat represents a major missed opportunity. The home side had more than half an hour to take advantage of the extra player but could not find a second goal.
The Scottish Professional Football League confirmed Aberdeen’s progress alongside Hibernian, who defeated Ross County 3-0 in another quarter-final.
Aberdeen will discover their semi-final opponent after the remaining ties and draw are completed. The semi-finals will be played at Hampden Park, placing Robinson and his team one victory away from the final.
