Heart of Midlothian 1-2 Aberdeen (a.e.t)
Scottish Gas Men’s Scottish Cup Semi-Final
Saturday 19th April 2025
Hampden Park, Glasgow 

Scorers

Heart of Midlothian 1 (Lawrence Shankland 28’)

Aberdeen 2 (Craig Gordon OG 18’, Oday Dabbagh 118’)

Team News

Lawrence Shankland returned to the starting lineup for Hearts after starting the previous two matches as a substitute. James Wilson and Cammy Devlin also returned, replacing Blair Spittal, Sander Kartum and Musa Drammeh.

Aberdeen made one change from their 2-2 draw with Rangers, with Dimitar Mitov returning between the sticks, replacing Ross Doohan. Jamie McGrath returned to the squad following a lengthy period on the sidelines.  

As It Happened

It was a fiery start to the encounter, with both sets of supporters making their voices heard in the early exchanges. Hearts almost took the lead in the third minute when Dimitar Mitov spilled a James Penrice cross. The ball fell to Jorge Grant though the midfielder couldn’t direct his shot on target.

Hearts began the better of the two sides and again played a dangerous ball across the face of goal. Lawrence Shankland was picked out in space, fired the ball into the area though Elton Kabangu was unable to divert his effort goalwards.

Despite Hearts’ fast start, it was Aberdeen who took the lead on 17 minutes through a Craig Gordon own goal. Leighton Clarkson’s in-swinging corner was met by the head of Pape Habib Gueye whose effort smacked the crossbar before rebounding off the outstretched leg of Gordon into the back of the net.

The Dons came close to doubling their lead when Topi Keskinen was picked out on the edge of the box from a Habib Gueye flick on. Keskinen worked the space well onto his left side though eventually fired wide of target.

Moments later and Shayden Morris found himself in behind the Hearts defence before rounding Gordon. Morris was forced wide though he looked to find Habib Gueye at the back post before Cammy Devlin made a vital intervention to clear the danger.

Hearts, having started positively then responded perfectly with the equalising goal, courtesy of captain Lawrence Shankland. James Penrice’s ball from the left evaded everyone at the back post before falling to Shankland who chested it down excellently before firing home on the half volley.

Hearts appeared to be in the ascendency again after scoring the equaliser though it all changed right on the stroke of half time when the Edinburgh side were reduced to ten men. Topi Keskinen pipped Michael Steinwender to the ball before being wiped out by the defender, with match referee John Beaton immediately producing a straight red card for the denial of a goalscoring opportunity.

That proved to be the last action of note in the first 45, with the scores level at one apiece heading into the break.

Aberdeen now with a man advantage had the first real chance of the second half come their way on 53 minutes. Ante Palaversa’s ball in was met by Habib Gueye whose glancing header fell inches wide of the post.

Hearts remained a threat on their flurries forwards with Jamie McCart squandering a good chance from a James Penrice corner a few minutes later. The big central defender rose highest to meet the cross though he got his header all wrong, sending it high over the top of Mitov’s crossbar.

Habib Gueye had another headed opportunity after being picked out by a Graeme Shinnie cross on 71 minutes, though the striker failed to time his header as he would have liked, steering the ball comfortably off target at the back post.

Aberdeen began to gain control of the match and very nearly took the lead when Leighton Clarkson’s deflected effort left Craig Gordon rooted to the spot, though the ball eventually fell narrowly wide of the post, keeping the scores level.

The Dons continued to probe and should have at least worked the goalkeeper in the 84th minute when Morris was picked out at the back post, though his teammate Oday Dabbagh appeared to put him off as he failed to get any purchase on the header.

Hearts maintained a strong threat on the counterattack despite being a man down. James Penrice was inches away from picking out the far corner with a curling left footed effort from the edge of the box though fortunately for a rooted Mitov, his effort fell just past the post.

Three minutes of stoppage time were added at the end of the second half, a half in which Aberdeen failed to make the most of their man advantage. The returning Jamie McGrath came closest to finding a winner when he cut in on his right foot before firing over the crossbar. That proved to be the last action of any note as the referee’s whistle sounded the end of the 90 minutes, meaning the game would be heading for extra time with the tie locked at one apiece.

Neither side managed to find a second goal in the first period of extra time. Aberdeen looked the more likely however, with their best chance coming on 105 minutes when Dabbagh was picked out from a Shinnie reverse pass, though Craig Gordon got down well to his left to prevent the Dons from taking the lead.

Aberdeen should have taken the lead on 109 minutes. The ball was worked out to Graeme Shinnie on the left who whipped in a dangerous ball towards the back post that eventually fell to Alexander Jensen, who wasn’t expecting it, with his effort on the volley sailing wide.

Moments later and Jeppe Okkels forced a sharp save from Gordon, then McCart did well to block Dabbagh’s rebound on the line. Hearts were then reduced to nine men after Cammy Devlin was shown a second yellow in the aftermath for a challenge on Dante Polvara.

The Aberdeen fans were sent into raptures in the dying embers when Dabbagh poked home to make it 2-1. Jamie McGrath’s cross into the box was flicked goalward by Polvara before Gordon saved, though Dabbagh was alive to finish off the rebound.

The final whistle sounded a few minutes later, with Oday Dabbagh’s late goal proving the difference as Aberdeen progressed to the final of the 2025 Scottish Gas Men’s Scottish Cup.

Match Report by Mitchell Feggans

Teams

Heart of Midlothian: Gordon, Baningime (Spittal 120’), Grant (Kartum 87’), Shankland (Drammeh Jaiteh 113’), Devlin, Steinwender, Kabangu (Kent 46’), Wilson (Halkett 46’), Penrice, McCart, Forrester (Kingsley 78’)

Unused Substitutes: Fulton, Forrest

Aberdeen: Mitov, Shinnie, Knoester, Nisbet, Clarkson, Habib Gueye (Dabbagh 81’), Palaversa (McGrath 69’), Morris (Polvara 90’), Dorrington (Milne 108’), Jensen (Boyd 117’), Keskinen (Okkels 81’)

Unused Substitutes: Doohan, Devlin