FURTHER confirmation of the 80s revival sweeping Scottish football arrived yesterday when Jackie McNamara became the first Dundee United manager to lead the club to back-to-back finals since Jim McLean.
He did so by prising the fingers of their New Firm rivals Aberdeen from the League Cup trophy they have had in their trophy cabinet since beating Inverness Caledonian Thistle on penalties at Celtic Park last March.
Just as he had been in last year's Scottish Cup semi-final, the match-winner was Nadir Ciftci, but for all the flamboyant celebrations which greeted his 84th minute winner, the Turk's second booking of the competition means he will be suspended for the final, against either Celtic or Rangers, back at the national stadium on Sunday, March 15. Whether transfer targets Stuart Armstrong and Gary Mackay-Steven will still be around to make a contribution also remains to be seen.
A crowd in excess of 20,000 decamped from Aberdeen to watch their side, outnumbering their Dundonian rivals 3 to 1, but the only ratio which mattered at the end of the day was the scoreline.
Both of these sides have undergone significant modifications since their cup exploits of last term. Seven of the team which started for the Dons last March retained their place, while only six of United's starters from last May's Scottish Cup final disappointment got the nod. Donervon Daniels, newly arrived on-loan from West Brom, made his debut in place of the injured Ash Taylor for the Dons, while Calum Butcher was preferred to John Rankin in United's midfield. New signing Ryan McGowan also debuted, with young Charlie Telfer's central role shunting Stuart Armstrong wide left.
The Hampden pitch, freshly relaid after the Commonwealth Games, has been in use by Queen's Park since January, but the recent cold snap has left it soft and liable to cut up. Thankfully these two teams were determined to play football in defiance of the conditions.
The first half was a game of nearlys and almosts, with numerous dangerous breaks floundering with one errant touch or bobble from the surface. The match was only four minutes old when the first glaring chance was created. Ciftci curled over a quick free-kick, Mackay-Steven danced around Scott Brown, but he couldn't direct his finish on goal.
Brown wasn't the only goalkeeper going walkabout. Radoslaw Cierzniak wandered out and got nowhere near David Goodwillie, but playing against his former team, the striker couldn't get his finish away. For all their best efforts, the only other chance of note came when Armstrong rattled the top of the bar with a deflected curling strike.
Temperatures plunged at half time, but the game caught fire. A long throw from Andrew Considine was met at the near post by the hulking figure of Daniels, and his glancing header dropped in at the opposite corner. It was quite a moment for the 21-year-old from Montserrat.
Considering you had to look back to October 2012 for the last time the Dons had conceded a goal from open play, there was a tendency to feel that might be that. Jaroslaw Fojut hacked a Goodwillie header off the line as United teetered on the brink, but the introduction of Ryan Dow turned this game on its head, just as his manager had predicted. His bursts from midfield gave United impetus and when he won one corner down the right, Mackay-Steven's corner was met powerfully by Callum Morris.
It was anybody's game now, real harum scarum stuff, with controversy aplenty. Aberdeen reacted well to the setback, and had the ball in the net only for referee Stevie McLean to deem that Adam Rooney had unfairly created the room to pick his spot with a fine header from a Niall McGinn corner. This was something of a mystery as there was no appeal from United's players and their goal continued to lead a charmed life. First Cierzniak tipped over from Ryan Jack, then Goodwillie's header bounced in the six-yard box and reared up over the bar.
At the other end, Dow continued to torment. When a Mark Reynolds headed back-pass stuck in the cloying turf, the 23-year-old nicked in to prod the ball beyond Cierzniak, the Pole cleaning him out for his trouble. The back-tracking Reynolds saved the day with a last-gasp clearance.
We were spared extra time. Paul Paton returned the ball after a corner had been half-cleared, his lofted centre finding Ciftci loitering in a suspiciously offside position. The Turk feathered a header towards the bottom corner and Brown was unable to keep it out. He made the most of it, perhaps cognisant of the fact he won't be back here in March, courtesy of his 66th minute booking for a trip on Jonny Hayes and a previous caution against Hibs.
Dundee United (4-2-3-1) Cierzniak; McGowan, Morris, Fojut, Dillon; Butcher, Paton; Mackay-Steven, Telfer (Dow 59) , Armstrong; Ciftci (Anier 90).
Subs not used: Townsend, Rankin, Erskine, Connolly, Szromnik
Aberdeen (4-2-3-1): Brown, Logan, Daniels, Reynolds, Considine; Jack, Hayes; Goodwillie, Pawlett (Smith 85), McGinn; Rooney.
Subs not used: Flood, Robson, Robertson, Masson, Wright, Langfield
Booked: Dundee United: Ciftci 66. Aberdeen: Jack 82, Pawlett 83
Attendance: 29,608
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