Highlights: Aberdeen 2-0 Motherwell

At a glance

  • Motherwell's Priestman sent off after three minutes for slip to wipe out Cameron, with Nisbet scoring from resulting free-kick

  • Aberdeen's Geiger shown red after review on dangerous studs-up challenge

  • Motherwell down to nine as Gordon trips Olusanya, with Shinnie rattling in decisive strike midway through second half

  • Cup holders Aberdeen go to Dunfermline in quarter-finals

Scott Mullen
BBC Sport Scotland at Pittodrie

Holders Aberdeen triumphed over Motherwell in a tumultuous and chaotic encounter, which heralded three red cards, to set up a Scottish Cup quarter-final away to Dunfermline Athletic.

Both teams were on the receiving end of dismissals at Pittodrie, with the first of the visitors' two coming after just three minutes in a nightmare start for Jens Berthel Askou's men.

Oscar Priestman's slip cleaned out Lyall Cameron as he was through on goal, allowing Kevin Nisbet to find the bottom corner from the resulting free-kick.

Motherwell, with six changes, toiled for fluency and tossed away possession uncharacteristically until a video assistant referee (VAR) intervention hurled them a lifeline.

Dennis Geiger's high and wild tackle to the groin of Lukas Fadinger eventually resulted in a red and numerical parity, and this sparked some fire from Motherwell on a bitterly cold night.

However, a swashbuckling finish to the half for Motherwell was quickly quelled as Liam Gordon was sent off moments after the restart.

The centre-half pondered on the ball near the halfway line, before being dispossessed by Toyosi Olusanya.

The former St Mirren man was still in the centre circle when he hit the deck but, after a trip to the monitor, referee John Beaton ruled that Gordon's trip had denied a goal-scoring opportunity.

And matters would get worse for Motherwell, who have been formidable in the league, as Graeme Shinnie was allowed to pick his spot from the edge of the box with a fine strike.

Analysis: Red cards and a red revival?

Fewer than 10,000 souls watched this one in the flesh. Such is the malaise around Aberdeen at the moment.

Peter Leven's team were beaten in the Scottish Premiership dress rehearsal of this one on Sunday, but they rarely looked in danger of their Scottish Cup defence coming unstuck after Priestman's early exit.

Motherwell were pulled from here to there and put under pressure until the numbers were level, but even then home goalkeeper Per Kristian Bratveit was relatively untroubled.

Cameron was instrumental in the first half. Leven will be looking for a similar impact in the games to come in their ambitious top-six push and a cup defence.

For Motherwell, the big question will be why so many changes?

While Stephen Welsh was cup tied, big names of this season's Fir Park juggernaut were benched. Calum Ward, Elliot Watt, Callum Slattery, Ibrahim Said and Emmanuel Longelo.

One of the players brought in, Gordon, got sent off, while the first red card - and therefore the opener - came from a stray Matty Connelly pass which put them under pressure. To be fair to the goalkeeper, he helped keep his team in it more than once.

There is still so much to play for this season for Motherwell. European football being the biggest thing.

But given this is arguably the best Motherwell team in living memory, another shot at silverware, and something tangible to show for their efforts, has slipped away.

What they said

Aberdeen interim manager Peter Leven: "Delighted to get through, but we need to be better.

"But again, that comes from us being sloppy, not controlling the game, taking that man advantage, making that second ball game at times and not working hard enough to get on the ball.

"We did a chat before the game, and we want to get to the final again, we want to win the trophy.

"It's a huge win."

Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou: "Very, very disappointed with us not getting anything from this game and not progressing in this cup.

"We really, really wanted to do that.

"Then we get Liam Gordon sent off in a decision that is a mystery to me and will remain a mystery to me because there are two players covering behind him who will, without a shadow of a doubt, get in his way or at least make sure it's never a very obvious goal chance that gets getting."

What next?

Aberdeen host Dundee in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday (15:00 GMT), while Motherwell go to Paisley and take on St Mirren in the day's late kick off (19:30)

Player of the match

L. Cameron
7.44
25 L. Cameron
7.44
15 K. Nisbet
7.13
4 G. Shinnie
6.76
2 N. Devlin
6.53
26 T. McIntyre
6.40
3 M. Frame
6.36
22 J. Milne
6.22
99 P. Kristian Bråtveit
6.15
18 A. Palaversa
5.54
20 T. Olusanya
5.52
11 N. Milanović
5.41
81 T. Keskinen
5.24
8 D. Geiger
4.94
6 S. Heltne Nilsen
4.93
27 M. Lazetić
4.82
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