Half Time 1-1
Aberdeen seemed determined to be the dominant side and Jess beat three defenders and skipped the ball to Wright, whose cross gave Paatelainen a chance which he could not quite take. Wright was becoming increasingly prominent with his surging forays on the right. Shearer and Jess were the recipients of a couple of Wright's crosses but they failed to take advantage. In a breakaway an outstanding sliding tackle by Smith halted McAllister as he bore down on goal. The Dons took the lead in 56 minutes when Richardson took a pass from David Winnie and crossed to Paatelainen who guided a low shot into the net from 10 yards. The ever-lively McAllister tried a swift response but his shot was confidently saved by Snelders. The Dons then claimed a penalty when McLaughlin pushed Shearer in the back. The home side made two substitutions within a few minutes of each other - Paul Mason replacing Grant and Scott Booth coming on for Shearer. Booth was immediately involved and was unlucky to see a neat, calculated shot drop just over the bar. He was luckier in the 79th minute when Mason crossed for Paatelainen to head powerfully towards goal and Booth flicked the ball into the net from 6 yards. The Dons were now well on top and Richardson's 18 yard shot sped narrowly wide. Paatelainen then smashed a first time shot from 15 yards against the base of the post.Source: Match Programme, 4th May 1996