Aberdeen's Cup Victory: Nisbet and Ntelo Shine

Kevin Nisbet dragged Aberdeen out of their Dundee hangover and into the Premier Sports Cup quarter-finals, with debutant Mitchy Ntelo crashing through the door beside him.

Four days after a flat 2-0 league defeat to the same opponents, the Dons returned with edge, aggression and goals, turning a meek Premiership showing into a statement cup performance.

Nisbet leads the response

Aberdeen’s captain set the tone. His first goal was all about persistence and penalty-box instinct. Chris Cadden and Toyosi Olusanya both saw efforts blocked in a frantic scramble, but when the ball broke loose again, Nisbet was there, sharpest in the six-yard box to ram it home.

Dundee, who had controlled that league meeting, never found the same grip. Their night darkened further when captain Simon Murray crumpled to the turf in the first half, landing awkwardly and immediately clutching his left knee. At 34, he knows his body well; the stretcher told its own story as he was taken off to a subdued silence.

Before that, both sides had traded chances. Afeez Aremu twice forced Owen Goodman into action, while Olusanya, clean through, was denied by the Dundee goalkeeper again. At the other end, Murray had his own big moment, racing clear, but his touch deserted him and Marius Muller smothered. The Aberdeen keeper later stood firm to block from Joe Bevan.

Ntelo announces himself

The restart brought a different Aberdeen. They came out with purpose and never eased off.

Ntelo, on his debut, produced the kind of finish that instantly wins over a new support. Collecting the ball with his back to goal, he spun sharply and whipped a superb shot beyond Goodman. One touch to set, one to finish. Clinical. The tie swung decisively.

The pressure kept building. Dundee’s back line sagged, and the third goal felt inevitable.

It arrived with a neat piece of movement and understanding. Tony Yogane drilled in a low cross, Ntelo cleverly stepped over it, and Nisbet arrived right on cue to guide the ball home. A captain’s double, and the kind of ruthless edge Aberdeen had sorely lacked in the league defeat.

Substitute Stuart Armstrong almost added gloss late on, his effort crashing against the post as Dundee clung on to avoid further damage.

Dundee left counting the cost

Tony Docherty’s side did not fold completely. Ryan Finnigan forced Muller into a save, and Ethan Hamilton lifted a decent opening over the bar as the Dark Blues searched for a consolation that never came. But the real concern will be Murray’s injury and what it means for the weeks ahead.

Aberdeen, by contrast, walk away with something more than a quarter-final place. They found a response, a cutting edge, and two forwards – Nisbet and Ntelo – who suddenly look capable of changing the temperature of their season.