Scottish Cup, Round 6, Pittodrie Stadium, 8/3/14.

So, the dream lasted 53 minutes. It was good while it lasted.

Actually the dream was still on till the final whistle – but only of salvaging a draw.

A large contingent of Sons supporters travelled up to Pittodrie – for long stretches making more noise than the home fans, at least from the area where the away contingent was closeted. Several old favourites were trotted out along with the usual “Dumbarton,” clap, clap, clap, and “Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh. You’re shite, aaaaaah,” including, “We forgot that you were here,” “What a shitey home support,” “You only sing when you’re winning.” Special kudos to Aberdeen keeper Jamie Langfield for responding to the chant, “Jamie Langfield, you’re a wanker, you’re a wanker,” with a grin and thumbs up.

Aberdeen were undoubtedly the more accomplised team, they achieved more subtle angles and passes than we are used to but we matched them for just about the whole game. That their defenders had their arms around our two strikers every time the ball came up to them says a lot (one particular instance in the penalty box comes to mind.) So does the fact that the Aberdeen man of the match was centre half Russell Anderson. They looked vulnerable to the ball over the top (until Colin Rhyming Slang was substituted – he’d pulled up after an aerial challenge in their box and lasted only a few more minutes.) We resorted to that direct ball a little too often after they scored but our normal passing game was not as fluid as I’d hoped, Aberdeen not allowing us the space we’re used to. Aberdeen played with much more assurance after the goal but they still couldn’t produce the killer pass, tribute to our defence.

The goal was preventable, Scott Linton showed admirable confidence in trying to shepherd the ball out for a goal kick but he should have hoofed it. I just knew when the corner was awarded that the goal would come from it. And the corner could have been defended better.

(Poor Scotty’s day got worse when he got injured in a challenge and had to come off. Looked like a hamstring pull. We’ll miss his long throws.)

It wasn’t even our strongest team. Chris Turner was still out and loanee Mike Miller hasn’t started at centre half before.

Aberdeen got the benefit of 50/50 decisions from the referee – as you might expect for the “bigger” club.

One curiosity. The pitch was being watered, by pop-up sprinkler, before the game and at half time. Is this usual practice at Pittodrie or were they trying to make the pitch heavy because we’re a part time team?

Special mention to Andy Graham. He looked as if he was injured with about 25 minutes to go but kept on running and chasing and tackling even though he looked totally knackered.

It shows how far we’ve come in the past five years that the overriding emotion after we’ve lost 1-0 away to the second best team in the country is disappointment rather than relief.

I just hope that the efforts of this game and the injuries sustained don’t cost us in the league.

For those of you who know me see if you can spot me in this photo from the Dumbarton FC website.

For those of you who don’t, I’m somewhere above the D of the Dumbarton in the banner.

Aberdeen away.

Not the easiest draw we could have got. In fact Aberdeen are the highest placed side left in the Cup so it couldn’t really be harder.

It’s a long trip, but Cup quarter finals don’t come around very often.

Scottish Cup Round 5, Recreation Park, 8/2/14.

We dominated the first half of this and only had one hairy moment when Stephen Grindlay made a good stop and Paul McGinn didn’t look favourite for the rebound but still managed to scoop it away. The goal was well worked, Scott Agnew did brilliantly to bring the ball down and then hooked it across goal for Colin Rhyming Slang to volley in from close range. Then Chris Kane won himself a penalty – almost a carbon copy of the incident in the recent league game but this one was more definite. Unfortunately his shot was a carbon copy of the previous one and the keeper saved it (while injuring himself in the process.)

The second half was a bit more even but we were really troubled only twice – another great stop from Stephen Grindlay and an absolutely magnificent goal line clearance from Andy Graham after it looked a certain goal. Scott Linton hit the bar with a belter but the game was pretty scruffy and scrappy in the latter stages.

So a Cup quarter-final to look forward to. When was the last time we had one of those? Was it 1979? I don’t remember one since.

Alloa apparently.

Can we not get away from them at all?

I suppose it’s over two months away yet but we’re scheduled to play them twice before then.

Scottish Cup Round 4, Shielfield Park, 30/11/13

Well, that’s my Shielfield duck broken. The only other time I’d been there was in a late September, we’d just been relegated to the bottom division – then designated 2 (out of three) – the season before, had started poorly but Berwick were worse and had not yet won. It blew a howling gale and they beat us 1-0.

I had previously seen us beat Berwick away though, but not at Shielfield. There was some dispute over the terms Berwick had for using the ground so they were temporarily playing home games at Cliftonhill. We won that easily and also promotion that season as I recall.

Anyway, to the game. I picked up Eric Brown on the way down in order for him to experience his first taste of Scottish football. He lives in Dunbar now (or close to it.)

The first half produced only one chance but three goals.

For the third game in a row now I’ve seen us lose a goal to a belting strike. This was an exquisitely struck and placed free-kick but Jamie Ewings’s positioning seemed off from before the ball was hit. He was too far over to get to a well-taken shot and every team nowadays has a player that can do those.

We hadn’t managed to create anything either when a cross was handled by a defender in the box. Brian Prunty hit the penalty low and hard enough to beat Berwick’s tall keeper. Shortly before half-time came the chance and beautifully worked it was too, Mitch Megginson despatching the end of a fine move.

Berwick had been trying to knock us off our stride and first half it worked. We had lots of possession but couldn’t get space in their half. Second half we were on top again and another great passing move (Eric was impressed) was finished off by Scott Linton for what I think is his first for the club.

Berwick had two more efforts on goal, one that was scuffed and one bender from way out that Jamie Ewings got a good hand on. They looked spent and devoid of ideas after our third went in, resorting to the long range stuff.

Kevin Smith hit the post with a header, I actually saw Colin Nish – on as sub for Brian Prunty – get the ball in the net but there was a hand ball in there somewhere, he later got a header on target but also on the keeper and Jordan Kirkpatrick forced a fine save very late on.

Comfortable enough in the end, I suppose.

Now. When was the last time we were in the last 16 of the Cup? Heady days.

On the face of it this looks like a good chance to progress to the next round but we’ll have to wait till Saturday to find out exactly who the obstacle will be. It’s a long trip either way.

I was going to say it’s unusual twice in a row to get someone we haven’t met recently in a cup but then I remembered we played Berwick in the Challenge Cup two years ago. That didn’t turn out well. But it was the Challenge Cup.

Scottish Cup, Round 3, The Rock, 2/11/13

I believe this is the first Scottish Cup match we’ve won for five years! Sounds like we dominated it.

I must admit, though, I’d have preferred a win last, compared to this, week.

I suppose we may get some money out of it if we get an away draw against a club with a biggish support.

I see Jordan Kirkpatrick scored twice. Goals from midfield are always welcome.

I spotted the sentence below on the BBC’s page about the Scottish Cup 3^rd round draw (my emphasis):-

“Two Lowland Football League teams who came close to knocking shocking senior teams on their own patch on Saturday have been given away ties.”

It seems the BBC thinks Queen’s Park and Stirling Albion are shocking.

Who am I to argue?

So, Cowdenbeath at home.

Once again we don’t get an easy one. In cups – especially the Scottish – we have a tendency to draw teams above us. (I know Cowden are below us at the moment but they’re in the same Division. We could have hoped for a Div below at least – even if that’s a banana skin.)

At least it wasn’t Hamilton again. That’s another thing that seems to happen often; getting drawn against the same teams as before – more often in the League or Challenge Cups though.

And it’s at home. But our home form has stuttered recently.

We’ll be sick of the sight of Cowdenbaeth at season’s end.

Scottish Cup, Round 4, The Rock, 17/12/12

Yes, a football game did break out yesterday, but it was much too far for me to travel on a night in the middle of December.

And it was busines as usual.

Three goals lost – with the added piquancy of a sending off against – and we are dumped out of the Cup. No new manager bounce.

At least we can now concentrate on the league, eh?