WITH 93 minutes on the clock in the Highland capital, Aberdeen were facing the harsh reality of playing bottom-six football in the Premier League for the first time since Jimmy Calderwood took charge at Pittodrie.
The Dons had been locked in a pulsating battle with Inverness that saw six goals shared and Russell Duncan dismissed during the half-time interval when two needless yellow cards added up to a red. But in the last play of the game, substitute Chr
is Maguire popped up to send Aberdeen into a showdown with Falkirk next Monday that may decide who finishes sixth in the table before the split.
Chances arrived frequently throughout this absorbing contest and the first fell to Don Cowie, whose shot drew a smart save from Derek Soutar.
But it was Aberdeen that drew first blood through the sprightly Sone Aluko. Lee Miller was the architect of the goal as he spun away from Duncan in the middle of the park and lofted a pass out to Aluko on the left-wing. The on-loan Birmingham City player then embarked on a menacing run, cutting inside a host of Inverness defenders, before placing a low shot past Michael Fraser in the home goal.
Aberdeen looked to build on their advantage with Richard Foster and Miller flashing shots off target as the Dons appeared far more purposeful. However, defensive deficiencies have cost Aberdeen dearly throughout the season and when Duncan lofted a hopeful free-kick into the away side's penalty area, Dave Bus inexplicably headed past his own keeper at the back post.
Inverness were inspired and soon had a good opportunity to move into the ascendancy. Fresh off scoring for Romania during a 3-0 victory over Russia during the week, Marius Niculae raced in behind Bus and smashed a shot which was blocked by the resolute Soutar. Despite squandering that chance, a second goal for Inverness did arrive and on this occasion it was all about fine attacking play from the hosts.
Playmaker Cowie set up Duncan to try his luck from 25 yards out and he accepted the invitation to lash a low shot past Soutar. At the time, Inverness only had 10 active players as McBain was lying injured on the turf having been fouled by Alan Maybury, who was then cautioned for his indiscretion. Duncan was also booked, as his celebrations were deemed over-exuberant by Dougie McDonald.
Aberdeen had been decidedly lacklustre before falling behind, but in spirited fashion they quickly moved up a gear and went into the interval on level terms when Foster's superb cross was powerfully headed in by Nicholson. The Dons were then given a huge boost when a combination of stupidity and over-zealousness saw Duncan removed from the contest by the referee. Numerically disadvantaged and playing against a team desperate to get into the top six of the league, Inverness were now firmly up against it.
The hosts survived a scare when an Aluko free-kick was brilliantly saved by Fraser and Miller's header on the rebound was cleared off his own goal-line by Grant Munro. But Miller was then presented with another headed opportunity, this time from Nicholson's accurate corner and the forward made no mistake at the front post to nod an effort high into the net.
A remarkable game continued to swing one way and the other though with Inverness manfully recovering from that set-back to make the score-line read 3-3 with just 59 minutes played. Cowie turned a wonderful pass into the path of McBain and he took a touch before knocking the ball past Soutar from close range.
Miller then missed an opportunity following good play by Aluko, but right at the death it was Aberdeen that grabbed a sensational winner when Maguire pounced on a save from Fraser to head into an unguarded net.
The drama did not stop there as Munro was shown a red card after the final whistle for dissent on a day that will live long in the memory of all those who witnessed a remarkable game of football.
The full article contains 698 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
