Aberdeen 4 - 4 Rangers

Aberdeen and Rangers, who are both still pushing at the top end of the table, shared the points in a highly entertaining match at Cormack Park despite the atrocious conditions.

Fraser Mackie gave the Dons the lead, before a quick-fire Alfie Stewart double ensured a 3-1 lead at the interval, but two Rangers goals levelled the contest. Cammy Wilson won and converted a penalty to put his side back ahead, however it wasn’t enough to see out the win.

The Dons were aided by the return of Brendan Hamilton and captain Stewart for the visit of Rangers, U16 players Cooper Masson and Dylan Ross making way.

The two teams are to become well acquainted with each other as the season begins to hurtle towards its final period: Rangers will return to Cormack Park next Friday for another league fixture, before both will meet at Hampden on the 1st of May to play for the right to be crowned Scottish Youth Cup Champions. If the two games to come are anything like today’s offering, there is entertainment a-plenty in store.

Rangers dominated the opening five minutes as the rain continued to batter Cormack Park, but it was the Dons we were resolute and picked their moment to attack, with devastating precision.
Aberdeen countered at an incredible pace, Cammy Wilson set up Fraser Mackie with a deft first-time acrobatic touch that left Fraser with a glorious opportunity to open the scoring, which he did with no hesitation. 1-0 Aberdeen. His 19th goal of the season.

There was concern for the Dons when Stewart went down and stayed down for a period, but thankfully he was able to continue. As it would transpire, the captain had a lot still to contribute for his side.

Rangers were back in their groove, but the Dons were continuing to defend well until Curtis capitalised on some slack defensive play and hauled his side level.

Rangers chances were ramping up, Kai Watson did well to recover and stop Eadie in his tracks as he charged towards goal. Vitols was next to step up and contribute a big moment, he made himself big to bravely deny Stevens as he towered in on goal.

Despite the Rangers pressure, it was Aberdeen who went in at the break with a healthy lead after defensive mix ups allowed the Dons to claim an important couple of goals.

As Rangers tried to play out from the back, a short pass was intercepted by the alert Stewart and he prodded home.

Just five minutes later Stewart got his second, again a poor pass when attempting to play out from the back in difficult conditions was pounced upon, and with a rebound after his initial effort came off the post, Alfie was able to convert.

HT. Aberdeen 3 Rangers 1.

A lively first half was matched in drama and goalmouth action by its successor, with chances aplenty at both ends.

The chances started by coming thick and fast for the Dons, Ellis Clark was able to feed in Hamilton who dragged a shot from a dangerous area wide of the goal. Fletcher Boyd was next to cause problems for the ‘Gers defence, he flashed a dangerous ball across the face of goal which was turned behind for a corner.

Halliwell also made a couple of good saves from Hamilton, Wilson and Boyd.

It did not take long for Rangers to start creating chances of their own, a free kick from a dangerous area was narrowly wide of the mark as they looked for a goal that would breathe life into their hopes of a comeback.

That goal did come just before the hour mark, the substitute Gentles pulled one back for his side.

The introduction of the ‘Gers sub seemed a wise one, after squandering a good chance just prior he made no mistakes with a fine effort from the edge of the box, firing across goal and along the slick wet surface to leave Vitols with no chance, and suddenly the two teams found themselves level going into the final 25 minutes.

The counter-attacking prowess of Aberdeen continued to be on display, the Dons broke at pace but again Hamilton’s shot was saved.

With twenty minutes to go, Aberdeen reclaimed their lead. Wilson curled an effort towards goal which bounced off the bar and towards Mackie whose shot was well saved by Halliwell but he could not hold on, and Wilson was alert, he followed in on his team-mates effort and was able to get a foot on the ball before being taken down by the keeper to win a big penalty for his side. It was the Dons number seven who took it, and he showed excellent composure at a pivotal moment to side foot the ball into the back of the net, sending the keeper the other way in the process. Aberdeen 4, Rangers 3.

A foul on Joseph Teasdale just outside the box presented itself as an excellent chance for either Stewart or Hamilton to test Halliwell with a dead ball, but Stewart’s effort hurtled over the bar, and the chance went abegging.

That was to be Teasdale’s last involvement of the tie, Masson introduced in his place.

There were chances at both ends as Aberdeen looked for the goal that could potentially provide a cushion for the Dons and Rangers looked for a leveller as the game headed into the final ten minutes. Curtis had a good shot palmed back into the box but Watson, who had defended well throughout produced an excellent, goal-saving tackle to prevent what looked to have been a potential tap-in late in the game.

There was to be one last twist in a tale that had already featured highs and lows aplenty. Despite very strong appeals for a handball, Curtis broke through the Dons defence with five minutes to go and was able to execute the finish that would haul his Rangers side level again. The referee was well positioned and deemed the Rangers man had used his chest and not his arm to control the ball. Aberdeen can consider themselves very unfortunate with the decision to allow the goal.

There was to be no ‘that was the chance’ moments for either sides in the dying embers of a hotly contested clash, the closest the Dons coming to a dramatic winner was via a wide free-kick, but Stewart’s attempted cross didn’t have enough on it, and both teams in the end were forced to share the spoils come the end of a entertaining battle in the rain. Both teams deserve credit for some of the football played.

Next up for Scott Anderson’s side, a trip to Lennoxtown on Friday to take on Celtic as the league games continue to come thick and fast.