Aberdeen’s youngsters came from two goals down to record an incredible 3-2 victory over Celtic on the night they lifted their Club Academy Scotland Elite Under-18s league trophy.
Scott Anderson’s team sealed the title on Friday with another come-from-behind victory at Rangers – claiming not just the league crown, but also a place in next season’s Uefa Youth League alongside Continental giants.
And Aberdeen’s main stadium belonged to the young Dons on Monday night with more than 1,000 fans in the Main Stand for the season-closing visit of the Hoops.
Until 85 minutes, it looked like the match itself would be a starter to forget before the main course of the silverware being presented.
But Findlay Marshall’s close-range strike lit a late fire under the Reds, with two fantastic stoppage-time goals from substitute Joseph Teasdale – especially his 98th-minute lobbed winner from out on the left – sealing a remarkable victory.
After the jubliant scenes at the full-time and following the trophy lift, Dons goalkeeper Rodrigo Vitols said: “We’ve been like this throughout the season – we’re a good group of lads an push each other on all the time. It showed here.
“Going 2-0 down, most teams would probably think: ‘That’s it, we’ll just wait for the trophy lift’. But that’s not us. We look to push until the last whistle.”
Vitols ran the length of the pitch to celebrate Teasdale’s sublime winner, comparing it to Liam Scales’ strike for the first-team against Rangers in their win at Pittodrie last season, saying: “It was bringing back Liam Scales flashbacks. It was one of those where you are in awe, and can’t believe it!
“I was debating whether to run up the pitch, but I’m glad I did, because I might never get a moment like that again.
“It (the league trophy) really does (mean a lot). With the first-team struggling this season, we’ve been the spark for the club, where it’s tradition not just to play well, but playing to win everything.”
Celtic give Aberdeen guard of honour
As the teams emerged for kick-off, Aberdeen being led by skipper Alfie Stewart, the Dons fans were witness to the now-rare treat of a Celtic side giving a guard of honour to league champions wearing red.
Aberdeen started quickly and, within a minute, Fletcher Boyd – having scored the equaliser in the title-clinching 2-1 win at Rangers before netting on his first-team debut at Hibs on Sunday – saw a low cross-goal effort from the right ricochet over off keeper Aiden Rice’s outstretched boot.
The Hoops broke the deadlock from the penalty spot on 21 minutes after Dons centre-half Timothy Akindileni mistimed a sliding tackle, with Rhys Dargie firing into the bottom right corner as Vitols dived the other way.
On 31 minutes, Celtic went 2-0 ahead when Kyle Ure’s drive from 20 yards took a big deflection off of Stewart and rolled in as Vitols tried in vain to recover.
Despite Alfie Bavidge almost finding himself with a close-range opening as half-time approached, Aberdeen went into the second half looking to loosen the visitors’ firm grip on proceedings.
When Bavidge flicked a header wide from a free-kick on 84 minutes – a third second-half headed chance to go begging for the Dons – it felt like it wasn’t going to be their night.
But, less than a minute later, the ball dropped kindly for Marshall in the Celtic box and he blasted the ball into the net to halve the deficit to 2-1.
The narrowed scoreline brought a noticeable edge to proceedings and challenges were flying in, with Bavidge’s poked effort with a minute left, amid a penalty box rammy, somehow diverted on to the right post.
Aberdeen pushed for the leveller, and on 93 minutes it came, when sub Teasdale burst into the box, lifting the ball past the final defender, before volleying emphatically across goal into the bottom left corner.
And there was better to come.
With 98 minutes on the clock, Teasdale shot from miles out on the left flank, catching out Celtic keeper Rice and finding the far corner.
It was a fitting end to a campaign where Aberdeen not only won the league, but reached the Scottish Youth Cup final at Hampden – losing narrowly to Rangers.
Looking to next season, Vitols added: “The aim next season is to do it all over again. We got unlucky in the cup final, and we’re a good enough team to win the double.
“For me, I want to go higher and play some men’s football on loan hopefully.”
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