Dunfermline dumped holders Aberdeen out of the Scottish Cup with a stunning 3-0 win at KDM Group East End Park.
Midfielder Matty Todd drove Neil Lennon’s Championship side ahead after 14 minutes before 20-year-old striker Olly Thomas doubled the lead in the 22nd minute with his first Pars goal since signing on-loan from Bristol City.
Around 4,000 Aberdeen fans had travelled to Fife and they booed their side up the tunnel at half-time with some leaving on the hour when Thomas fired in a clinching third on the break.
Dunfermline’s Matthew Todd celebrates their upset of Aberdeen
The Granite City side were consigned to a bottom-half finish in the William Hill Premiership on Wednesday night with a 2-1 home defeat to Celtic and their meek cup exit confirmed a miserable season as they continue to plough on with Peter Leven as interim manager, two months after boss Jimmy Thelin departed the club.
Dunfermline, who ousted Premiership outfit Hibernian earlier in the competition, go into the hat for the last-four draw along with top-flight side Falkirk, with two more matches on Sunday.
In the only quarter-final tie not to have VAR in operation, it was the Dons who came closest first, a flowing move ending with midfielder Stuart Armstrong’s shot blocked by Pars goalkeeper Aston Oxborough.
When Todd got his opportunity from a searching cross from Robbie Fraser which landed at his feet via a poor Mitchell Frame clearance, he took a touch and fired the ball high past Dons keeper Dimitar Mitov at his near post.
The shell-shocked visitors were punished again when Fraser sent Thomas racing clear and although his shot was blocked by Mitov the ball rebounded back off the Pars attacker and into the net, sparking more scenes of celebration among the home supporters.
Dunfermline manager Neil Lennon celebrates his side’s 3-0 victory over Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup
Boos began to ring out from the Aberdeen fans and only a fine block from Tom McIntyre prevented Alfons Amade driving in a third from a Thomas cutback.
Leven made a triple substitution for the start of the second half with Sivert Nilsen, Toyosi Olusanya and Gavin Molloy on for Frame, Nicolas Milanovic and Lyall Cameron.
The Dons immediately forced the pace and penned Dunfermline in but in a classic breakaway, Pars striker Chris Kane sent Thomas through and his shot flew past Mitov and in off the far post.
Aberdeen looked shot.
Mitov had to move smartly to push a drive from Charlie Gilmour wide before Kane headed the corner past the far post.
Dunfermline, organised and composed, continued to pose a threat on the counter – Mitov made a decent save from Andy Tod – as the Aberdeen stands continued to empty while the final whistle brought the Fife side a deserved ovation from the home supporters.
