Aberdeen 0 - 4 Celtic: Hoops hit four after Dons see red

Published on Sunday 17 April 2011 15:43

Celtic booked a place in the Scottish Cup final in some style as Aberdeen paid the price for Andrew Considine's early red card at Hampden Park on Sunday.

• The Aberdeen players react as Andrew Considine is shown red

Jamie Langfield saved Anthony Stokes' penalty after Considine had been sent off for bringing down Gary Hooper but the Aberdeen goalkeeper was beaten by Charlie Mulgrew's free-kick delivery just after the break.

Joe Ledley, Kris Commons, from the spot, and Shaun Maloney took Celtic's goal tally for the season against Aberdeen to 21 as Neil Lennon's men set up a May 21 final against Motherwell.

Celtic's top two goalscorers, Anthony Stokes and Gary Hooper, were restored to the starting line-up for the Scottish Cup semi-final against Aberdeen.

The pair sat out the midweek victory on a poor pitch at St Johnstone but they replaced Georgios Samaras and Daryl Murphy on a much-improved Hampden surface.

Steven Smith passed a fitness test to take his place in an unchanged Aberdeen line-up with club captain Paul Hartley failing to shake off a knee injury in time to make the squad.

Thomas Rogne also came back for Celtic, replacing Glenn Loovens in central defence with Daniel Majstorovic reappearing on the bench following a toe injury.

Stokes and Hooper had scored 10 goals between them in Celtic's four previous wins over the Dons this season, which included the Co-operative Insurance Cup semi-final.

Celtic scored all their goals in that 4-1 victory before half-time and they almost got off to the perfect start when an excellent cross from Kris Commons found Stokes six yards out but the Irishman headed wide.

Aberdeen were looking lively in attack with Sone Aluko causing problems and Josh Magennis saw a low shot spilled by Fraser Forster before Celtic cleared the danger.

Stokes had another good chance when he ran in between Aberdeen central defenders Zander Diamond and Andrew Considine to reach Mark Wilson's ball from the halfway line, but Jamie Langfield came out to block with his feet.

Vernon headed over from a difficult chance after Aluko's cross before the game turned in the 18th minute when Considine was sent off for bringing down Hooper inside the box following Scott Brown's through ball.

Considine looked incredulous at Willie Collum's decision but television replays showed he had clipped Hooper's foot.

However, Langfield dived to his right to save the low effort from Stokes and Diamond slid in to clear the rebound.

Derek Young moved inside to centre-back and Ryan Jack switched to right-back with Vernon dropping back into midfield.

Stokes again saw a low shot blocked by Langfield but Aberdeen had a good chance when Rob Milsom crossed to Chris Maguire, who could only head straight at Forster from 14 yards.

Good defending from Smith prevented Stokes testing Langfield on two occasions and Joe Ledley headed over as the Dons survived until half-time.

A one-two with Stokes and a burst of pace got Hooper beyond the Dons back four immediately after the restart, but Langfield again came off his line to block as the striker tried to clip the ball over him.

But Langfield was finally beaten in the 49th minute. Celtic won a free-kick 45 yards out on the right touchline after Milsom was harshly booked for a late challenge on Beram Kayal and Charlie Mulgrew's strike evaded everyone to nestle in the far corner.

Stokes, who had come close to getting a head to Mulgrew's delivery, then saw a shot blocked by Smith before Maguire thought he had equalised when he flicked the ball beyond Forster after a long ball.

However, he was correctly ruled offside from Magennis' header on and Celtic went straight up the park and doubled their lead in the 57th minute when Joe Ledley ran on to a low cross from Stokes and swept the ball into the corner from 14 yards.

The game went further away from the Dons when Derek Young needlessly conceded a penalty when he slid in on Stokes next to the byline.

Commons quickly grabbed the ball before sending Langfield the wrong way from the spot.

The winger soon missed a great chance when he skied the ball over from eight yards following a square pass from Stokes as Celtic, with Shaun Maloney and Paddy McCourt on, looked for more goals.

Maloney had the simplest task to net in the 84th minute when he tapped home Mark Wilson's driven cutback from two yards after Brown had opened up the Dons defence.