Had we been poor and found ourselves flukily in front, I wouldn't have minded. However, we dominated the second half, created plenty of chances and should have taken three or four of them. The problem was, we took one - and you just knew what was going to happen in stoppage time.
It was a much more attacking performance than we are used to, perhaps because it was a cup game and a draw was no use for either side. Perhaps our strikers were so shocked at being given such great chances - and they were great chances - that they passed them up.
You now have to wonder about the ramifications this will have on our season. The players would have been dreaming of Hampden and to have that taken away is cruel - but it's not the first time it's happened in the last few years and probably won't be the last.
Kenny McLean was the best Saints player against Rangers last week so, of course, he'd keep his place, right? Wrong. Bizarrely he was dropped to the bench. So too was Michael Higdon, which wasn't quite as surprising as his work rate against Rangers was shocking. In for the pair came Craig Dargo and Darren McGregor as we switched to a 3-5-2, a week after Jure Travner and David van Zanten proved they could play in back four. The much hated Paul Hartley was in the Aberdeen side, as were star strikers Chris Maguire and Scott Vernon and former Saint David MacNamee.
Due to this morning's snow, we had a trip down nostalgia as a yellow ball was used from the start. I'd been hoping for an orange one so was left disappointed on that score. Regardless of the colour, Travner got nowhere near it after nine minutes and seemed to push Maguire over inside the box. I'd have been screaming for a penalty at the other end but fortunately it wasn't given, to the annoyance of Maguire and the large travelling support. There was more bad news for them when they had to withdraw MacNamee a few minutes later as the former Saint had been dealt with harshly but fairly by old mate Hugh Murray.
His replacement, Rory McArdle, almost unintentionally put Aberdeen in front when he duffed a cross and it almost snuck under Paul Gallacher's cross bar. Saints first real chance - if it can even be called a chance - came when Paul McGowan whipped in a free-kick that McGregor headed back across goal, but the rather short Dargo could only let the ball bounce off the top of his head and away to safety. When Aberdeen managed to work a set-piece to their own number nine it was rather more threatening as Vernon was unmarked at the back post, but fortunately his header was deflected behind.
From that corner we had another lucky escape as it was only cleared as far as Robert Milsom, whose strong shot was blocked by Nicola Vujadinovic - one of his own defenders! When that danger was finally cleared Saints mounted their own attack but, as per usual, it was too slow in deliberate. Eventually, Jim Goodwin got a bit bored and had a go that wasn't actually that far away.
Murray seemed to be playing in a wider position than usual, which meant he was trying to cross on his left foot. This almost worked 10 minutes before the break when he delivered a tasty looking ball that everyone missed before van Zanten gathered it and delivered a shot that almost turned into a good cross. The game was definitely livening up as Aberdeen quickly attacked before Vernon sent a header well off target.
That was about it for excitement in the first half and the start of the second wasn't a great deal better until Josh Magennis stung the palms of Gallacher after his shot took a hefty deflection off McGregor. We then lost the services of Potter through a head knock but inexplicably we played on for many minutes, allowing Aberdeen a great chance to go in front when Magennis slipped the ball through to Milsom who shot narrowly wide from the edge of the box. As Travner almost scored an own goal when trying to put a cross behind, Potter was finally replaced - with Higdon! A rather attacking change, although it seemed Danny Lennon wanted to replace Goodwin.
Aberdeen then made a like for like change with Nick Blackman replacing Vernon before Lee Mair was booked for a blatant foul on Maguire. There was a lucky escape from the free-kick as it was only cleared to Hartley, who rattled a shot into the stand. We then had further proof that Lennon had lost his mind when he replaced Goodwin with McLean. Making early changes and attacking - what's happened to him?!?
It very nearly paid instant dividends as Higdon brilliantly played the ball through to McLean, who looked odds on to score but seemed a bit too casual and allowed Jamie Langfield to make the block before Higdon's goalbound effort from the rebound was also kept out. Aberdeen weren't done either as Blackman shot wide.
Then came two chances that should have seen us in front. The first was unlucky, Higdon falling on the ball before composing himself to send a low, curling shot just wide of the post. Seconds later he then got up to meet Thomson's perfect cross but rattled the bar before Langfield recovered to smother the ball as it was about to trickle over the line with a bit of help from Higdon. Sone Aluko, on for Stevie Smith in Aberdeen's final change, then shot wide after cutting in from the right.
With both teams going for it in a bid to avoid a replay, something had to give - and with less than 15 minutes left it did. The superb McLean - showing beyond doubt he should have started - brilliantly flicked the ball on to Dargo. He then had plenty of time to play in a cross, but when it got to Higdon the narrow was far too tight for a shot. Fortunately, he realised this - although what he did may well have been a shot - and volleyed the ball across to McGowan, who had the simplest of tasks to tap in from a couple of yards.
Usually when we go in front, we sit back - not this time. McLean had a shot saved by Langfield after meeting Thomson's cross before he sent both Higdon and Dargo through on-on-one with the keeper, but both times they messed up and Langfield plucked the ball from their feet. Aaron Mooy's usual late run out came in the 87th minute this time as he replaced the knackered Dargo.
When four minutes of injury time were signalled, you just knew we'd screw it up - and it proved to be third time lucky for the Dons. First, Blackman strode forward but shot over. Then Travner was booked for a foul on Aluko but while it was cleared, McGowan then fouled Maguire and was also booked. As soon as Hartley was standing over it you knew we were in trouble. Sure enough, he delivered it, Andrew Considine headed it, the ball bounced off Murray and McArdle forced the ball home from about a yard. It really is unbelievable how often this keeps happening to us - it's not even the first time it's happened on a snowy day against Aberdeen!
The replay will be at Pittodrie on Wednesday, but given our record there I don't hold out much hope - which is unbelievably annoying considering this game should have been out of sight before Aberdeen scored.
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