Aberdeen’s proud, record-breaking unbeaten run was brutally ended by a humiliating 6-0 loss to Celtic in the League Cup semi-final at Hampden.
After all the euphoria of the recent 16 game run without defeat, including 15 wins, the Reds and boss Jimmy Thelin came crashing back down to earth at Hampden.
Aberdeen’s unbeaten streak was always going to end at some point.
But it is the manner in which it ended that will have been so painful for the 13,000 strong Dons support.
N0-one will have seen this coming.
To the Red Army’s credit they backed the team throughout, trying to lift the Dons out of an ever deepening hole at the national stadium.
For the first time in decades supporters travelled to the national stadium with real hope that they could overcome Celtic and really shake up Scottish football.
A brutal 11 minute spell when Celtic netted through Cameron Carter-Vickers, Kyogo Furuhashi and Daizen Maeda ruthlessly obliterated Aberdeen’s dream of ending the club’s 10-year trophy drought.
Further pain was piled on after the break by two more goals from Maeda double and a goal by Nicolas Kuhn.
From the offset the spark, verve, vigour and creative edge that had driven Aberdeen’s sensational start to the season was absent.
Aberdeen looked flat, leggy, devoid of ideas in attack and nervous in defence.
The Reds were miles away from the vibrant team that had delivered a much needed breath of fresh air into Scottish football.
Heavy defeat must not define season
As chastening as this defeat is it must not define the Dons’ season.
That it took 16 games, after 15 wins, for that phenomenal run of form to finally halt is testament to the dramatic resurgence under Thelin.
How Aberdeen react to this result will be key as 90 minutes, regardless of how painful and concerning, must not erode the positive work under Thelin.
It should be treated as a painful learning experience. One that Thelin and the Dons analyse in the coming days to ensure it never happens again.
Ultimately it is up to Aberdeen whether this heavy loss is a bump in the road on the way to success – or a block to future success.
It must be the former.
Lessons must be learned from defeat
When the dust settles on a nightmare 90 minutes at the national stadium Aberdeen are still undefeated in the Premiership.
They are still level on points with Celtic at the top-of-the-table.
In just four months Thelin has brought belief to the fans, the players and the club.
That cannot be destroyed by one bad performance.
Celtic have now won the previous 10 Hampden clashes against the Dons.
The last time Aberdeen beat Celtic at Hampden was a 1-0 League Cup semi-final win in September 1992, when Eoin Jess netted the winner.
Kick-off delayed by pyro smoke
Aberdeen boss Thelin named an unchanged starting XI from the side that won 2-1 against Rangers at a capacity Pittodrie on Wednesday.
Scotland international striker Kevin Nisbet was ruled out having lost his fitness battle to be fit for the Hampden clash.
On a season-long loan from Championship Millwall, the striker had missed the previous two matches with a calf injury.
Kick-off was held up as referee Kevin Clancy waited for the smoke to clear from the pyrotechnics illegally let off in the stands.
The players were left limbering up and kicking balls around on the pitch in a bid to remain fresh as kick-off was delayed by 14 minutes.
In an edgy opening spell where Celtic dominated possession Slobodan Rubezic was booked after just 15 minutes for a clumsy challenge on Kyogo Furuhashi.
The centre-back walked a disciplinary tight-rope for the rest of the semi.
Horrific 11 minute spell for Aberdeen
Aberdeen then endured an horrific 11 minute spell that obliterated any hope of ending the club’s decade long trophy drought.
The first blow arrived in the 29th minute when centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers met Arne Engels’ corner to head in from six yards.
Carter-Vickers ghosted in between Gavin Molloy and Jack MacKenzie as poor defending at a set-piece was ruthlessly punished.
The Dons were reeling and hit with another setback just three minutes later.
Rubezic lost possession near the centre-circle and Daizen Maeda powered upfield as Jack MacKenzie hunted him down at pace.
Maeda stopped his run in front of advancing keeper Dimitar Mitov which also wrong-footed MacKenzie.
He then slid a pass into the path of onrushing Kyogo Furuhashi who slammed home an eight yard shot off the underside of the bar.
The third and knock-out blow landed in the 39th minute when Nicolas Kuhn’s through-ball ripped open the Aberdeen defence.
It picked Maeda’s diagonal run who then clinically shot beyond Mitov from eight yards.
The Dons had not lost a match in 90 minutes since losing 1-0 to Dundee at Dens Park in March last season.
When the third goal hit the back of the net it was clear that run was ending.
Celtic pile on the agony for Dons
Faced with a Hampden nightmare boss Thelin made a double substitution at half-time.
Shayden Morris, so effective off the bench in recent wins, was introduced along with Ante Palaversa.
Duk and Topi Keskinen were taken off.
Thelin made a half-time change at Parkhead last month when two goals down and masterminded a comeback to draw 2-2.
Any hope of a miraculous rival sparked by the double substitution were quickly snuffed out.
In the 49th minute Kuhn was allowed to break into the box and get a shot off which was saved by Mitov.
The loose ball fell to Maeda who shot into the empty net from six yards.
Celtic made it 5-0 in the 59th minute when Arne Engels broke into the box and played a pass into Kuhn.
Attacker Kuhn curled a superb 15 yard shot into the top far corner.
It was 6-0 in the 86th minute as Alistair Johnston crossed low across the face of goal and Maeda shot home from close range.
Conversation