Aberdeen 1-1 Kilmarnock: Killie force Scottish Cup quarter-final replay

Image: Kris Boyd

Kilmarnock set up a William Hill Scottish Cup quarter-final replay with Aberdeen at Rugby Park after holding the Dons to a 1-1 draw in one of just two games in Scotland to beat the freeze.

Aberdeen opened the scoring at Pittodrie after just nine minutes as Graeme Shinnie struck, but Kris Boyd levelled from the penalty spot midway through the second half.

Killie goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald will not want to see the opener again.

After driving down the left, Shinnie played the ball back to Ryan Christie, who passed back to the Dons captain, and while it looked like he was simply trying to drill the ball across the face of goal, his shot slipped through MacDonald's arms and went in.

Killie looked at their most dangerous on the counter, and it was from a superb Stephen O'Donnell clearance to Eamonn Brophy that they had a claim for a penalty.

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It looked obvious as Shay Logan appeared to haul down the former Hamilton man, but referee Steven McLean was unmoved and indeed booked the striker for his vehement protests.

Just a minute from the interval, Aberdeen's on-loan Newcastle keeper Freddie Woodman was forced into a good save, diving to his left to turn a Boyd header round a post following a Jordan Jones corner.

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Jones took the second corner from the other side, again finding Boyd, who this time lashed a left-footed effort well over the crossbar.

Aberdeen were back on the attack 10 minutes into the second half, with Niall McGinn swinging a teasing free-kick to the near post from the left.

It was met powerfully by the head of Kari Arnason, the Iceland international denied only by a fine flying save from MacDonald.

But midway through the second half the scores were level, and Aberdeen were the architects of their own downfall.

Logan and Arnason could not decide who should deal with the run of Jones and in the end combined to pull down the winger. This time there was no doubt in the referee's mind, and a spot-kick was awarded.

Boyd, as is so often the case, kept his cool as he stepped up and sent the equaliser high to the goalkeeper's left.

In the final 10 minutes, Rooney hooked a shot wide of an upright as Aberdeen tried to find a late winner, but to no avail.

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