An injury-time winner by Scott Vernon was enough to ensure SPL side Aberdeen made it safely into the League Cup quarter-finals although it was hard lines on Dunfermline.
The substitute’s goal two minutes into added time separated the teams at East End Park in a riveting rain-lashed cup tie, but the First Division hosts gave as good as they got throughout and were unlucky not to take it to extra time.
Home boss Jim Jefferies wasn’t too downbeat but felt Aberdeen got the borderline decisions all night.
”It was a massive step up for us tonight and I thought the boys were absolutely magnificent,” he said. ”We felt a bit aggrieved with a few decisions that didn’t go our way and we hit the woodwork twice, but credit to Aberdeen for playing to the end and getting the winner.
”But we didn’t do ourselves any harm tonight and it could have gone for us on another night.”
The Pars, who went into the game hoping to make it six wins a row in all competitions, made just one change from the starting 11 that thumped Livingston as the returning Josh Falkingham replaced Craig Dargo.
The visitors made five changes from the team that drew 3-3 with Motherwell. Issac Osbourne, Clark Robertson, Chris Clark, Cameron Smith, Niall McGinn came into the starting line-up.
It was a lively opening and both sides carved out great chances in the opening four minutes.
Callum Morris did brilliantly to block Niall McGinn’s close-range effort after a long ball upfield.
Play raged to the other end and Andy Geggan’s pass was dummied by Andy Barrowman at the edge of the box to reach Stephen Husband, although his shot was well saved by Jamie Langfield.
The Pars looked right up for the game and felt hard done by in the 13th minute when play was pulled back for offside as Joe Cardle found himself clear through.
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Ten minutes later, Ryan Wallace dragged a shot across goal and wide of the post, before Wallace narrowly failed to get on the end of a superb ball over the top by Cardle a short time later.
On 37 minutes, the Pars were given a clear sight on goal when Gavin Rae brought down Cardle at the edge of the box.
Rae was booked, but Wallace’s free-kick was blocked by the wall.
The Dons had their own opportunity before half-time when Cameron Smith sent McGinn through on goal, but the striker fired wide.
But there was still time in the first half for yet another chance, as Andy Barrowman saw his shot come back off Langfield’s post.
The weather was even worse at the start of the second period, so it was even tougher for both teams to play free-flowing football.
Nevertheless, six minutes after the restart, Josh Magennis got down the right to whip a ball into the danger area but Jonny Hayes’ touch was too heavy to trouble Paul Gallacher, and Jordan McMillan sent a curling right-foot shot inches wide of Langfield’s post seconds later from 20 yards.
In 65 minutes, Cardle had the home fans on their feet when his right-foot shot was tipped on to the crossbar by Langfield, before Clark Robertson was booked for the visitors a minute later.
There was a stramash in the Dons penalty area with 19 minutes remaining as Cardle’s corner caused problems, but none of the Pars players could score.
Sub Russell Anderson fired wide from an Issac Osbourne corner in the 75th minute and fellow sub Scott Vernon saw an attempt off target three minutes later as the Dons pressed, but Wallace also had a shot off target in the 79th minute for the home side.
Vernon was inches away from Andrew Considine’s ball across goal at the back post as extra time seemed inevitable, but Vernon won it late on for the Dons by bundling home McGinn’s cross from close range.