Spot The Difference

Last updated : 22 January 2008 By Stand Free Ed

ABERDEEN face Falkirk tonight for the third time in 17 days for a place in the last 16 of the Scottish Cup, with the teams seemingly inseparable.

There is a point and a goal between the clubs in the Scottish Premierleage and the teams have shared the spoils in 0-0, 1-1 and 2-2 draws so far this season.

While bookmaker Paddy Power has the 3-3 draw at odds of 50-1, it would still seem that some sort of draw is the obvious outcome in tonight's game as well. Which tonight would mean penalty kicks at Pittodrie for the first time since 1999.

That year, Aberdeen played - guess who? - Falkirk, in the first year of the CIS Insurance Cup en route to the final.

The Dons, who brought current squad members Michael Hart and Derek Young on as substitutes in the game, won 5-3 on penalties after a dire 1-1 draw.

The Dons went on to reach the final, only to be beaten 2-0 by Celtic.

In 1997, Hibs stuck all five of their spot kicks past Michael Watt as they knocked the Dons out of the Scottish Cup.

The game finished 5-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw at Easter Road and a scoreless 120 minutes at Pittodrie. Current player Derek Young's brother Darren played one of his first games for the club in that fixture. This is not a good omen.

Way back in 1986 is the next most recent example of a shootout at Pittodrie, and again the Dons ended up on the losing side.

On that occasion, Celtic knocked the Dons out of the Skol Cup 4-2 on pens after a pulsating 1-1 draw, with Willie Miller heartbreakingly missing the penalty in front of 23,500 supporters to put the Hoops through.

Of course the last time Aberdeen faced penalties in a knockout competition was at Firhill in the catastrophic defeat to amateur side Queen's Park in the second round of the CIS Cup in 2006.

But the last time the Dons lifted the Scottish Cup was after beating Celtic in that memorable 9-8 shootout in 1990 - if it is not that memorable for you, see CaddyCarhandle's review of that season by clicking here.

Overall, Aberdeen's record in penalty shootouts is fairly woeful, barring that incredible exception.

So it is unfortunate that the signs are that tonight's tie will go to penalties - with another being that...well...there have already been so many penalties at Pittodrie this season.

The Dons have been awarded a scarcely believable eight pens this season, with seven of them at our home ground.

All seven Pittodrie pens have been scored - two against St Mirren, three against Inverness and one each against Falkirk and Kilmarnock - but worryingly our last spot kick, against Dundee Utd at Tannadice, was blasted over the bar by contract rebel Barry Nicholson.

Fortunately Aberdeen's record against Falkirk at Pittodrie is exemplary - we haven't been beaten by them on our patch for around half a century.

But with Karim Touzani, Lee Mair, Richie Byrne, Michael Hart and Ricky Foster all injured, and new signing Stuart Duff ineligible, the Dons resources will be put to the test against one of the form teams in Scotland.

But Dons boss Jimmy Calderwood said: "I'm sure the home advantage will help us. The incentive of a home tie against lower league opposition in the next round is a huge carrot, and all in all it has all the makings of a good, old fashioned cup tie."