Aberdeen 4 The Spartans 0 as Dons cruise into League Cup semi-finals and earn Thelin first Hampden outing

Leighton Clarkson's goal was the pick of the bunch on an impressive evening for the Dons
-Credit: (Image: SNS Group)


Aberdeen will be returning to Hampden this season after coasting into the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals with a 4-0 victory over The Spartans at Pittodrie.

Jimmy Thelin will get his first shot at reaching a domestic cup final in November after his side dominated the League Two outfit, with Pape Gueye scoring yet again and Kevin Nisbet, Leighton Clarkson and Ester Sokler getting in on the act.

The Dons will now eagerly await Sunday's semi-final draw, where they could face one of Motherwell, Rangers and Celtic or Falkirk, as they look to end their 10-year wait for domestic silverware.

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It's a win that also sees Aberdeen's incredible winning run extend even further to 11 games in-a-row, with Thelin's side flawless in the competition having won all six of their League Cup outings.

Aberdeen immediately took control of the tie and never looked like giving it up, with the relentless work to maintain possession giving Spartans no chance to get out of their own half.

Sivert Heltne Nilsen latched onto the first big chance of the game, but his strike was blocked by the Spartans defence, but it wouldn't be long before the resistance was broken.

Once again, Gueye tucked the ball home after Ante Palaversa's fierce strike from distance ricocheted around the box and landed for the striker to stroke in his sixth goal of the season with little over 10 minutes on the clock.

Nisbet, looking to get in on the act, missed a glorious chance to double the lead, with Jamie McGrath teeing up Jack MacKenzie for a cross, but the former Hibs man couldn't connect with the ball just yards out from goal.

McGrath fired wide moments after, and Aberdeen should have been well out of sight but Spartans hung on despite having minimal possession while being pulled apart all over the pitch.

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Nilsen produced an effort for Clarkson to tuck home, but his tame effort was easily dealt with by Blair Carswell.

A tackle on Jamie Dishington saw Nilsen awarded a deserved yellow card, but again the Dons came back looking for more goals and Clarkson's free-kick looked to be in the perfect position, but he could only curl it into the side netting.

Aberdeen were eager to put the game to bed, but Gueye could only miscue his shot before Nilsen blazed an effort over the bar towards the Red Shed.

Eventually came goal number two, with McGrath and MacKenzie once again teaming up as the latter's low cross fell perfectly for Nisbet and from three yards out, he simply couldn't miss.

The Reds were halfway to Hampden, but even after the restart they were determined to get the job well and truly done with Clarkson's header from a superb Slobodan Rubezic cross making it 3-0 after 47 minutes.

Aberdeen players celebrate after Pape Gueye's goal against Spartans
Aberdeen players celebrate after Pape Gueye's goal against Spartans -Credit:SNS Group

Dons captain Graeme Shinnie was given a warm welcome off the bench after returning from illness, replacing the outstanding Nilsen with just under an hour gone.

With a comfortable scoreline, the tempo dropped as the dark skies rolled in at Pittodrie, but that didn't stop the returning skipper from having a go at goal, only to be denied by a good save from Carswell.

The fourth goal came with a debate, as Clarkson worked the ball to MacKenzie who then nutmegged a Spartans player, before finding substitute Ester Sokler in the box.

He came sliding in and almost missed the ball but managed to knock it off Carswell and slowly it rolled into the net, but despite looking like an own goal it was given to the Slovenian.

Thelin's side were in cruise control, with young defender Jack Milne given a 15-minute cameo in place of Nicky Devlin.

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Dimitar Mitov had very little to do all evening, but when claiming a free-kick he suffered a nasty landing, prompting injury fears among the Red Army.

He was however able to continue as the Dons breathed a sigh of relief before MacKenzie came inches away from making it five when his low strike rolled just wide of the post.

Spartans burst into life in the 88th minute, with Brogan Walls forcing Mitov into a save as the Bulgarian tipped the ball over the bar.

But the damage was done and the League Two side's impressive run in the competition was over, as Thelin and his players celebrated.

Their trip to Hampden is in the calendar, and soon they will find out who they will be facing to earn a shot at domestic silverware.