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Aberdeen 3 - 2 Dundee

HT Score: Aberdeen 1 - 0 Dundee

SPL Under 21
Aberdeen scorers: Bird 45 (Pen), Bird 52, Tarditi 75.
Dundee scorers: Burley 54, Robertson (o.g.) 82

17/11/2003 | KO: 19:00

Dons win five goal thriller

Aberdeen held out in an exciting tussle at Pittodrie this evening to grab all three points from Dundee. A brace from Michael Bird and a third goal from substitute Stephen Tarditi saw the Dons home safely. A Bird penalty kick was all that seperated the sides at the interval, but the game opened up in the second period to warm the 280 crowd inside the stadium.

Dundee carved out the first chance in the 9th minute when Robertson released Walker. Kris Robertson in the Aberdeen goal had to look lively as he raced off his line to make a good block. A minute later Mackie drove down the right and delivered a good cross, which Foster should have done better with.

The chances were few and far between but a 30-yard drive from Souter scraped the post in the 17th minute and McGuire went close with a header after 26 minutes. In the 45th minute McDonald tripped Clark inside the box and Michael Bird calmly sent keeper Langfield the wrong way to give the Dons a deserved lead.

The second half started with a flurry of activity. Aberdeen extended their lead in the 52nd minute when Bird collected a Souter pass on the edge of the box and placed the ball beyond the reach of Langfield. Dundee hit back within a minute when Craig Burley fired a 25-yard shot beyond Robertson. Then in the 55th minute Bird was denied a hat trick when Langfield made a finger tip save after the striker found himself on the end of a Darren Mackie cross.

The visitors took inspiration from their goal and started to dominate the match with Walker going close in the 63rd minute. Robertson needed two attempts to gather the ball and a minute later a mistake by Chris Clark allowed Burley to break forward and hit the side netting. Mackie went close in the 73rd minute when his pace took him beyond the last defender before firing over the bar.

At this stage Tarditi and Buckley were introduced and Tarditi made an immediate impact when he grabbed a decisive third goal. Mackie steered a throw in into his path and the big lad turned well before firing the ball past the keeper from ten yards. Dundee simply refused to lie down and grabbed a second in the 82nd minute. Walker fired a Fotheringham free kick on to the post. Unfortunately the ball came back out and hit Robertson before rolling agonisingly over the line.

In a frantic finish Foster went close after receiving a pass from the impressive Tarditi and Dundee also had their chances but the Dons held out to claim all three points.

Weather: Dry
Aberdeen Teamsheet
Robertson, Payne (McCulloch 79), McQuilken, Souter (Buckley 73), McGuire, Jones, Mackie, Tiernan, Bird (Tarditi 73), Foster, Clark.

Unused Subs: Higgins, Hutton.
Dundee Teamsheet
Langfield, McInally, Cameron, Youngson, McDonald, Fotheringham, Robertson (Cook 86), Burley, McLean (Boylan 73), Carranza (Linn 64), Walker.
Attendance: 280
Venue: Pittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen
Referee: Stephen Finnie