Despite being snowed under with Uni assignments, I made it to Hampden along with around 2,500 other Athletic supporters for the semi final replay with Hibernian. The National Stadium, both inside and out, resembled a ghost town as only 8,500 turned up but the stayaways missed an absolutely enthralling evening of Scottish Cup football, with Jim McIntyre netting the glory goal to set up a final date with Celtic and send the Pars back into Europe.
The Pars support, bunched together in the BT Scotland Stand were in full voice as the match kicked off with Stephen Kenny making three changes to his side. Out went the suspended Scott Wilson and the cup tied Tam McManus and Stephen Glass and in came Adam Hammill, Phil McGuire and Darren Young.
The game started at a frenetic pace with both sides eager to go on the attack and prove a point to those fans who had elected to watch the game from their armchair. Abdessalam Benjelloun shot straight at Dorus De Vries before the Pars came into it and took a grip of the game.
Hammill, who caused the Hibs defence problems throughout the night, jinxed his way past Whitakker before firing a low effort from 25 yards which McNeill managed to turn wide for a corner.
Easter Road keepers have been suseptible to criticism this season but John Collins had McNeill to thank after 20 minutes. A dangerous Scott Muirhead corner was headed down by Jim McIntyre, which was palmed away by the Scotland under 21 keeper but as the ball fell to McGuire, the Pars defender could only knee the ball goalward and Lewis Stevenson was able to hack the ball off the line.
The men from Edinburgh however came within inches of taking the lead five minutes later. A fantastic run from Scott Brown saw the sought after midfielder skip past three Pars challenges and clip the ball over the advancing De Vries, but Greg Shields appeared from nowhere to somehow hook the ball off the line. A very lucky escape for the Athletic.
The first half had been a really cracking spectacle, and how it remained 0-0 was a mystery. And the second period started in the same vein, with Pars applying early pressure on the Hibs goal before Gary Mason was booked for a late tackle which ultimately ruled him out of the final.
Nerves were becoming fraught in the Pars end as Hibs began to take control. Numerous balls into the box were anxiously swept away by Sol Bamba and McGuire, while Jones and Fletcher sent headers narrowly wide and over.
Hibs continued to press and a Brown shot on the turn squirmed under De Vries' body but Jamie McCunnie was able to clear off the line. And when a Hibs shout for a penalty after a Bamba challenge on Dean Shiels was turned down by referee Thomson, you began to sense it could be the Pars night. And it was.
With six minutes left, and having ridden out a massive Hibee storm, Hammill tormented Chris Hogg down the right, cut inside and was abruptly brought down in the box and Thomson awarded the Pars a penalty. Pandemonium quickly turned to nerves- I sank to my knees and prayed- as Jim McIntyre stepped up to hit the penalty.
McIntyre, just as he'd done for Kilmarnock in a semi final replay 10 years earlier, stepped up and scored the glory goal to take the Pars through by cheekily chipping the ball into the middle of the net. Cue scenes of unbridled ecstasy in the Pars end of Hampden.
The final minutes seemed to take an age and manager Kenny threw on his subs to pass the time. One of them, Burchill, robbed Whittaker on halfway and ran one on one with McNeill but the keeper again denied the Pars with a fine save.
The referee eventually blew for time and the Pars had completed a remarkable journey to the final and the scenes of celebration at full time were incredible. But, as Stephen Kenny says, we are going back to Hampden to win the cup and not just to enjoy being there and reaching Europe.
Match Stats
Dunfermline: De Vries, Shields, McGuire, Bamba, Muirhead, Young (Burchill 77), Mason, McCunnie, Hammill (Ross 88), O'Brien (Owen Morrison 70), McIntyre. Subs Not Used: McKenzie, Daquin.
Goal: McIntyre (88 pen).
Hibernian: McNeil, Whittaker, Hogg, Jones, Murphy, Scott Brown, Beuzelin (Chisholm 74), Stevenson, Sproule (Shiels 67), Benjelloun, Gray (Fletcher 46). Subs Not Used: Simon Brown, McCann.
Walking Down the Halbeath Road MoM: Greg Shields
Attendance: 8,536
Referee: C Thomson
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