Aberdeen 6-0 East Fife: Maguire on fire for Dons

Published on Saturday 8 January 2011 13:44

Aberdeen 6 Maguire 14, 23, 42 Vernon 29, 81, Magennis 92 East Fife 0

• On his way: Chris Maguire opens the scoring for Aberdeen after 14 minutes. The home side were 4-0 up by half-time. Photograph:Alan Harvey/SNS Group

CAKEWALK cup ties have been rarer than catastrophes in such competitions recently for Aberdeen. But that was before Craig "seven-points-from-nine-in-the-league" Brown took charge at Pittodrie.

It is all going to be different under the canny Brown and equally canny Archie Knox, Aberdeen followers oh-so-desperately want to convince themselves.

As they kicked back and mentally got themselves into full hammock mode inside a mere 29 minutes of their first Scottish Cup outing since that disastrous reverse at Raith Rovers hands 11 months ago, it certainly was different yesterday.

By the half-hour mark Aberdeen were 3-0 up and so in command that the scoreline already had an any number feel to it. Before half-time that number was four, with three of these bagged by Chris Maguire. He drilled a shot at the near post to complete his triple and promptly produced a bow that wouldn't have looked out of place in the court of Queen Elizabeth 1. He could be forgiven such grandstanding since you just about have to go back to that era for the last time Aberdeen produced a 4-0 first half. In truth, their strikes came rather easily against a Second Division side who initially squandered a couple of great opportunities to capitalise on terrible defending from corners to bring a very different dynamic to the encounter.

Recently appointed Methil club manager John Roberston pointed to mitigating circumstances for the fact Brown's team were "all over us" in an entirely one-sided first period. "I think the fact we have had one game in seven weeks and Aberdeen have played three times in the past ten days showed," he said, a notion also forwarded by Brown who spoke of embarrassment that everything came up goals for his team in the first period. "Aberdeen were bright, passed the ball well and Chris Maguire deserved his hat-trick," Robertson offered magnanimously.

Robertson championed the abilities of Maguire as potentially good enough for a international call-up as early as next month's Carling Nations Cup. "Craig (Levein]'s not shy with Danny Wilson, Barry Bannan, Cammy Bell winning call-ups and the Carling Cup might be the perfect opportunity for a lad who's had a terrific record at under-21s," the East Fife manager said. "If only John Robertson was the manager I might have a chance," Maguire said ruefully when told of the championing of his cause, the player clearly miffed he wasn't given the nod for the San Marino game in November. A forthright sort, he only came over all woolly when the subject turned to the prospect of staying with Aberdeen, as he is entering the final six months of his present deal. "We will see what Aberdeen have to say when they sit down to talk to me," he said, Brown admitting they could not offer the sort of terms Championship clubs might well be able to. Maguire earned himself top billing across the afternoon with some clinical finishing. A sharp move in which Sone Aluko flicked the ball out to David MacNamee out on the right after 14 minutes, was ended when he plundered his first with aplomb following a near post run. It didn't automatically settle the home side. David Muir then had a headed chance that drifted narrowly wide before Dylan McGowan simply did not show enough conviction when presented with a sight of goal from close range. When Jamie Langfield smothered his weakly-hit effort, so it seemed to snuff out any hope for the visitors. Maguire then bundled in after Scott Vernon had rounded the keeper and pushed the ball across the face of goal, and then the Englishman buried an effort at the near post from a Ryan Jack cross.

In the second half Vernon had some ludicrous misses in the minutes after despatching a fierce drive into the corner on being teed-up by Josh Magennis. And, with a first goal for the club, it was left to Magennis to complete the scoring in time added on. "Knowing the recent history of Aberdeen in cup competitions, the win was particularly gratifying," Brown said in masterfully understated fashion. He didn't need to provide clever words when his team had produced the necessary actions.