Dundee 1 - 4 Aberdeen

An excellent second half performance by Aberdeen swept Dundee's foreign legion away. Hero for the day was Hicham Zerouali who grabbed a sensational hat trick. The game ended on a sour note when Derek Young left the field on a stretcher. There were eight bookings in what was an ill tempered match.

Aberdeen kicked off and won the first corner within seconds, which Dundee cleared easily. The opening spell was littered with misplaced passes and the only shot on goal was a weak Carranza effort in the 5th minute. The Dons then pressurised Dundee, winning successive corners, which ended with a poor finish from Thornley. Bisconti was booked in the 15th minute for bringing down Caballero in the middle of the park. At this stage Aberdeen were struggling with their passing game and Dundee were growing in confidence.

As the game continued to be untidy, Khizanishvili became the second booking in the 22nd minute for a crude challenge on Darren Mackie. The Dons took the lead in the 25th minute when Langfield was unable to hold a Thornley strike. Zerouali was first to react and pounced to slip the ball beyond the keeper. Khizanishvili who was booked earlier, was living dangerously as he brought down Zerouali twice in the space of five minutes. Cabellero pulled one back in the 31st minute when Zerouali lost possession in the Dundee half. The ball was worked forward and the striker chipped the ball over Esson and into the net.

Dundee should have taken the lead 3 minutes later when Carranza broke on the right. There was a real goalmouth scramble before the ball was bundle past the post by Milne. Aberdeen felt aggrieved in the 36th minute when Bisconti was clearly pushed while attempting to break. Underhill compounded the sense of injustice with a rather soft award 25 yards from goal just a minute later. Fortunately the Dundee effort went wide.

With four minutes to go in the first half, Esson was forced into a great block from a fierce Caballero drive. As the ball came back out, McNaughton was quick to react and cleared the danger. McGuire was booked on the stroke of half time for kicking the ball away after another controversial decision.

Dundee started strongly and created the first chance of the second period when Caballero set up Romano. Fortunately the Dons defence reacted quickly and blocked his effort. Two minutes later Esson made a brilliant save from a Milne shot and just as Dundee looked like they were taking command, Aberdeen broke up field and took the lead. Bisconti released Zerouali on the left and the Moroccan ran in on goal and beat Langfield. He then celebrated by splashing in a puddle behind the goal. Derek Young replaced Winters five minutes later and in the 56th minute Young got on the end of a Thornley cross, but no one was able to latch on to his cut back. Two minutes later McNaughton cleared a Romano header from the goal line.

The game had improved tenfold from the first half and the Dons went close again in the 61st minute. Bisconti picked up the ball wide left and his cross was drilled goal wards by Darren Young. Langfield had to scramble across his goal line to parry the ball. Derek Young tried to turn the loose ball into the net, but Langfield recovered to save. Langfield was called into action again three minutes later when he tipped over a Thornley shot. He was helpless in the 68th minute though when Zerouali completed his hat trick. The Moroccan was released on the right by Darren Young and strode confidently forward before firing the ball past the keeper.

Zerouali was given a standing ovation when Dadi replaced him in the 69th minute. Esson had to look lively in the 73rd minute as he scurried back to tip a looping header over his cross bar. The Dons sealed the points in the 80th minute when Mackie ran on to a long Thornley pass, rounded the keeper and tapped the ball into the empty net to complete a comprehensive victory.