Leigh Griffiths strikes late as Hibs beat Aberdeen to reach final

Scottish Cup 2011-12
Aberdeen 1

Fallon 59

Hibernian 2

O'Connor 3,
Griffiths 85

Ewan Murray at Hampden Park
guardian.co.uk, Saturday 14 April 2012 14.50 BST
Article history

Hibernian's Leigh Griffiths scores against Aberdeen
Hibernian's Leigh Griffiths scores the winning goal against Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden Park. Photograph: David Moir/Reuters

Hibernian have afforded themselves yet another chance to end an extraordinary wait. The fact Hibs have not claimed the Scottish Cup since 1902 is the stuff of comedy. Put in context, the Boer War was raging the last time Leith was afforded a victory parade relating to this competition.

Far superior Hibs teams to the present one have failed in bids to end the drought, meaning there is no logic whatsoever to the fact Pat Fenlon's men – haunted by the threat of relegation all season – will return to Hampden Park on 19 May. Then, they will face either Celtic or Heart of Midlothian. Interest in the second Scottish Cup last-four encounter, played on Sunday, has intensified now with the prospect of an Edinburgh derby cup final.

Fenlon was asked how long he had been at Hibernian before their Scottish Cup toils were pointed out to him. "About three seconds," was the swift reply. "It's not something which plays on my mind, which is good.

"I know everyone else at the club has it ingrained, but, from my point of view, I have been here five months and it's not bad getting to a final at the first chance. We are going to have to play a lot better than we did today if we want to win it." What about a final n opponent preference? "I don't care," Fenlon insisted. "We're there and that's the main thing."

Hibs' manager will not be present at Hampden when Celtic take on Hearts, Fenlon instead heading home to Dublin to visit his family.

Leigh Griffiths proved to be the match winner for Hibs, five minutes from time, and thereby afforded Fenlon a relaxed weekend break in Ireland. The scale of the celebrations may have suggested Hibs had lifted silverware already, when in reality it resonated in historical failures.

Aberdeen can only rue the fact that, but for a brief spell in the second half, they were second best here. Having proved strikingly abject in the opening period, Aberdeen were roused by a wonderful Rory Fallon equaliser. That goal, however, failed to kick-start the Pittodrie side in the manner befitting a game of this significance.

Garry O'Connor sent Hibs in front within three minutes. The former Scotland striker offered a fine, flicked finish at the near post from Pa Kujabi's low cross.

Hibs continued on the front foot with Griffiths twice flashing shots wide of the Aberdeen goal. It was no surprise that the Aberdeen support made their unrest clear at half-time; their team had been chronically off the pace and lacking any form of goal threat.

The interval introduction of Fraser Fyvie briefly roused Aberdeen. Andrew Considine headed their first chance of note straight at the Hibs goalkeeper, Graham Stack, after 51 minutes, with the restoration of parity arriving in more spectacular fashion. Fallon latched on to a Matthew Doherty clearance, taking the ball on his chest before arcing a volley over Stack from 30 yards out. It was goal-of-the-season material, if totally out of place with Aberdeen's lack of attacking exploits until that juncture.

Hibs lost Stack to injury with 17 minutes to play, the custodian replaced by Mark Brown. It was Griffiths who proved the key figure, though. Five minutes after clipping the outside of a post with a shot, the striker raced on to an O'Connor pass. Griffiths split the Aberdeen central defence before sliding a shot past Jason Brown.

"We have a dressing room full of despair and despondency, but we only have ourselves to blame," admitted Aberdeen's manager Craig Brown.

"We will never have a better opportunity to make a final and we failed to take it. Too many of the lads played the occasion rather than the game. I've had a lot of highs and lows in my career, but this is a particularly low moment. It is a major disappointment to come here and let the fans down like that."

Taken from the Guardian/Observer