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Aberdeen’s inconsistency ‘drive me nuts’ says Derek McInnes, but boss admits delight at Scottish Cup semi-final place

Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes.
Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes.

Aberdeen’s quality in front of goal proved the difference as the Dons booked a return to Hampden with a comfortable win at St Mirren.

This Scottish Cup tie was far from pleasing on the eye – the incessant rain put paid to that – but the Dons were too strong, too experienced, and too clinical for St Mirren.

An early strike from Lewis Ferguson and a late penalty from substitute Sam Cosgrove earned the Dons their place in the last four of the competition.

The 1,500 Dons fans in attendance did not seem to care that it had been achieved by virtue of their side rolling their sleeves up rather than producing silky football.

Their manager, Derek McInnes, did not seem to mind either as he gave watching chairman Dave Cormack his first semi-final to look forward to. McInnes said: “We know the importance of the cups.

“We have done since day one here. We’ve been in umpteen semi-finals and finals. We’re a cup team and we showed the spirit we showed at Rugby Park to get the job done here.

“Sometimes you need brilliance like Fergie did and sometimes it is sheer tenacity and will.

“We did that too against a team I have a lot of respect for.

“Hopefully we can go into the semi-final with confidence. The inconsistency drives me nuts at times but hopefully having a semi-final to look forward to can drive us on in the league too. You rarely get to semi-finals and get an easy game but if we keep showing an improvement we’ll be a handful for any side too.”

Aberdeen arrived in Paisley having failed to score on their two previous visits to Saints.

The Dons needed just seven minutes to put that right on their third trip.

A neat turn from Matty Kennedy on the halfway line gave him space and he passed the ball to Ferguson who drove forward before beating Vaclav Hladky with a superb rising shot from the edge of the box which nestled in the top corner.

Lewis Ferguson sends the ball into the top corner to give Aberdeen the lead against St Mirren.

Like their earlier journeys to this venue this season the conditions were atrocious but it was Aberdeen who handled it better in the first half with Kennedy’s ability to run at the Saints defence and Main’s control and hold-up play giving the Dons an outlet every time they pushed forward. Saints, for their part, found the going much tougher with Jon Obika, their attacker, left to feed on scraps such was the paucity of service for him.

Neither goalkeeper was tested in the 38 minutes which followed Ferguson’s sublime opener but it was not for the want of trying. But clearly, to those inside the stadium and those watching at home, conditions were far from conducive to attacking, passing football.

The heavy conditions, coupled with the busy run of games, took its toll on Scott McKenna early in the second half as the central defender pulled up in distress after a hamstring tear and he left the field to be replaced by Mikey Devlin.

McKenna is likely to be a major doubt for Scotland’s upcoming Euro 2020 play-off against Israel on March 26.

Scott McKenna looks to have torn a hamstring.

Main thought he had doubled his side’s lead soon after when he headed home Kennedy’s cross but his effort was chalked off for offside.

The Buddies finally tested Joe Lewis on the hour mark when Jamie McGrath fired in a shot from 20 yards but the Dons goalkeeper was equal to the task, diving to his left to get two hands on the effort.

Saints, to their credit, tried to ask questions of the Dons defence in the closing stages but despite their best efforts they could not create a chance to force a replay.

With their desperation growing the Dons booked their place in the semi-final in stoppage time when substitute Sam Cosgrove intercepted a loose ball before driving into the box only to be tripped by Saints captain Sam Foley.

Referee Don Robertson pointed to the spot and Cosgrove stepped up to net his 23rd goal of the season to deservedly book a fifth Scottish Cup semi-final appearance in seven years for the Dons.