Jens Berthel Askou has hardly put a foot wrong since taking over at Motherwell. He made a proper Horlicks of this one, though, and the very real opportunity to mark a magical campaign with silverware has gone.
There’s switching things up to bring a bit of freshness to a side, and there’s going so far that you start to look as if you’re treating the Scottish Cup like a secondary interest. That’s where the Dane went last night at Pittodrie. Totally over the top – then headfirst into the soup in front of a 900-strong showing of expectant away supporters who deserved more.
Askou made six alterations to the team who saw off Aberdeen on league duty at Fir Park last weekend. Sure, Stephen Welsh’s absence was forced on him due to the on-loan Celtic defender being cup-tied. However, dropping established performers in goalie Calum Ward, Emmanuel Longelo, Elliot Watt and Callum Slattery along with Ibrahim Said was jaw-dropping.
Within two minutes, replacement keeper Matty Connelly set the tone for a miserable night for the Lanarkshire outfit when giving the ball away so cheaply, leading to Oscar Priestman being red-carded and Kevin Nisbet putting Aberdeen in front with the resultant free-kick.
Connelly played in the last round against Ross County, to be fair, but this was a huge game to chuck the 22-year-old into – especially behind a makeshift defence. He made some decent saves as the game went on, but that can’t compensate for putting his team in trouble from the off.
Although Askou gradually brought his big hitters off the bench, Motherwell didn’t function as they should. Even when home midfielder Dennis Geiger got himself sent off for a silly foul on Lukas Fadinger on 24 minutes to make it ten against ten, they couldn’t take advantage.
Aberdeen skipper Graeme Shinnie celebrates an important win for the cup holders
Oscar Priestman was first to go for Motherwell after bringing down Lyall Cameron
Motherwell’s Liam Gordon was also sent off as the Fir Park side were reduced to nine men
Liam Gordon reduced them to nine men at the start of the second 45 – losing the ball then bringing down sub Toyosi Olusanya as he raced through on goal. Dons captain Graeme Shinnie tapped the last nail into their coffin, making it 2-0 on 64 minutes and setting up a last-eight visit to Dunfermline for the cup-holders.
Askou has been such a revelation that it would have been great to see Motherwell compete for a trophy this year. He certainly acted last night like he still sees the Premiership as a live option. It isn’t.
His team’s nightmare started when Connelly passed the ball straight to Geiger under no pressure and put his entire team into panic stations.
The German shifted the ball on to Nisbet and he quickly fed the onrushing Lyall Cameron. Priestman had no choice but to make the tackle on the edge of the box. He slipped and brought the Aberdeen midfielder crashing.
A perfect example of denying a goalscoring opportunity, it came as no surprise when referee John Beaton awarded the free-kick and flashed a red card.
Nisbet’s dead-ball was well struck and would certainly have asked serious questions of Connelly. The slight deflection off Gordon’s thigh gave him no chance.
From there, it was a rearguard action for the visitors. Worse still, the interplay that’s taken them so far this season failed to emerge when they were a man down and in need of using the ball more cleverly.
Cameron forced a decent save from Connelly before the quarter-hour mark, then capitalised on a Motherwell mix-up 30 yards from goal, his low curling effort saved again by the keeper.
Kevin Nisbet fired home the first goal for Aberdeen from a free-kick in the fifth minute
Dons caretaker boss Peter Leven celebrates with Shinnie, who scored the Dons’ second
Motherwell boss Askou had high hopes for his team in the Scottish Cup before Tuesday’s defeat
Striker Kevin Nisbet runs away to celebrate getting Aberdeen off the mark
That’s when Geiger offered them a lifeline with a high tackle. Initially given a yellow by Beaton for catching Fadinger in the groin, VAR Chris Graham invited the man in the middle to have another look on the pitchside monitor.
Geiger deserved to go and Motherwell reacted by creating their first proper opportunity just before the half-hour, Eli Just’s effort from 22 yards deflected wide.
For all the visitors were showing some faint signs of their usual selves, another save from Connelly stopped Nisbet making it 2-0 just before the break.
It was a surprise that it took so long for Askou to react to Priestman’s dismissal and bolster midfield. Slattery came on for Tom Sparrow at the interval, but that plan soon unravelled as Gordon was sent packing.
The defender dilly-dallied on the ball at the halfway line, allowing Olusanya, on at the break for Nicolas Milanovic, to get a touch and set sail for goal. Gordon went to ground and brought the striker down.
The question was whether or not Motherwell had a covering defender. After initially showing Gordon a yellow, Beaton was sent to the screen once again and concluded that no-one would have stopped Olusanya racing into the area. It was the right call. Gordon was red-carded for denying a goalscoring opportunity and the visitors were back behind the eight-ball.
Askou brought on Watt and Longelo, but Shinnie ended the game as a contest on 64 minutes, taking a ball from Olusanya 22 yards out and beating Connelly to his left with a bouncing shot.