Aberdeen 0-0 Kilmarnock: Dons winless in five as visitors earn replay
- Published
Aberdeen top scorer Sam Cosgrove was unable to break the deadlock as the home side go almost 550 minutes without a goal
Aberdeen have now gone five games without scoring after being held by top-flight rivals Kilmarnock in the last 16 of the Scottish Cup.
In a scrappy game marred by high winds, midfielder Lewis Ferguson came closest for the home side, who have won just once this year.
Eamonn Brophy threatened for the visitors but Joe Lewis was largely untested in the Aberdeen goal.
The sides will replay at Rugby Park on 19 February.
And the draw for the quarter-finals takes place on Sunday after Clyde's tie with Celtic.
Wind the only real winner
Kilmarnock were without two of their key men - Chris Burke and Stuart Findlay - but were the first to threaten. Alan Power set up Brophy down the left, and he fired a dangerous low shot just wide.
Aberdeen, too, were recast from their midweek defeat by St Johnstone, with Shay Logan, Mikey Devlin, Funso Ojo, Dean Campbell and Niall McGinn all restored to the starting 11. And the latter came close early on when he curled a free-kick just past Laurentiu Branescu's left-hand post.
Derek McInnes' side enjoyed plenty of possession, but as has been the case so often of late, they lacked the guile and cutting edge needed to find a way through a resolute and well-organised opponent.
In truth, it was a very disappointing opening 45 minutes where the howling wind was the only real winner at a bitterly cold Pittodrie.
The referee waved away an early penalty claim from Aberdeen, awarding a free-kick on the edge of the area when the hosts believed Niko Hamalainen brought Matty Kennedy down inside the box.
McInnes' men made a lively start to the second half, with Ferguson bursting in to the box from the left, and Branescu producing a brave save to block his goal-bound shot and keep the scoreline at 0-0.
McInnes introduced Curtis Main on the hour, in a bid to beef things up at the top end of the pitch, but it was Kilmarnock who were next to threaten, a long-range shot stinging the palms of Lewis.
Aberdeen continued to enjoy the bulk of the possession, but chances were scarce. With 10 minutes to go, McGinn's free-kick caught in the wind but Branescu was alert to the danger, then Main spun and fired a powerful shot just over.
And that was that. Not a very memorable afternoon at Pittodrie, and the sides will do it all again at Rugby Park.
'We've tried everything' - reaction
Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes: "It's my job to try and help my players be better in the final third. It's not something I've come across too much. When you're not scoring you open yourself up to criticism so I understand it.
"We've tried a front two, we've tried everything really, we're trying to get as many players forward in support of Sam Cosgrove. We'll keep trying going into Tuesday."
'If it was Old Firm, the whole world would know' - McInnes rails against penalty calls
Kilmarnock manager Alex Dyer: "I know both teams probably didn't want a replay but we're happy with the result. It was tough, the wind was strong, but the boys dealt with the weather.
"It's three games [unbeaten], three tough games, three good results. We're happy and it's working out well at the moment - the boys are working for each other."
'We had to deal with the weather and a good side' - Dyer