Aberdeen 3 Celtic 3 – (aet, 5-6 on pens) – Joe Hart saves after hitting POST in shootout in six-goal Hampden epic

JOE HART’S pretty much seen it and done it in a fabulous 21-year career.

But you find it hard to believe Celtic’s soon-to-retire goalkeeper will ever have experienced a game as absolutely epic, nerve-shredding and thrilling as this.

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One moment the veteran No1 – he was 37 on Friday – missed a shoot-out kick to put the Hoops through to the final.

And the next he was saving one from Killian Phillips to finally seal a game that will go down in the history books as a proper classic.

Bojan Miovski, Nicolas Kuhn, James Forrest, Ester Sokler, Matt O’Riley and Angus MacDonald all scored during the 120 minutes of utterly gripping action.

Then in penalties we saw Adam Idah, Luis Palma, ORiley, Paolo Bernardo, Alistair Johnston and Tomoki Iwata net for Celtic plus Jamie McGrath, MacDonald, Sokler, Junior Hoilett and Jack Milne for the Dons.

Stunningly, Hart stepped up for a potentially decisive effort – only to see it come off the post.

That came moments after Ryan Duncan had done the same.

And when the dust had settled, it was the Hoops through after astonishing action.

Dons caretaker Peter Leven went for Dante Polvara to replace the suspended Graeme Shinnie as the Reds – unbeaten in four games – chased their first final since losing to the Celts in 2017.

Callum McGregor started for the Hoops for the first time in almost two months as Tomoki Iwata dropped out while a fit-again Liam Scales came in for Maik Nawrocki.

Inside two minutes Aberdeen rocked the Hoops with a brilliant goal – a sublime Leighton Clarkson pass stroked behind Cameron Carter-Vickers for Miovski to run into the box, lure out Hart and then beat him with an ice cool left foot finish.

A 24^th goal of the season from 48 games but only a second in 12 matches.

Yet, the Hoops had a golden chance just three minutes later to level – Kelle Roos producing a poor flap at a Kuhn cross and Yang heading over from just three yards.

Roos made a decent parry from an angled Kyogo Furuhashi shot.

What Celtic didn’t expect, or deserve at that stage, was a shocking gift of an equaliser courtesy of Dons skipper MacDonald.

Taking a pass from Polvara with plenty of time and space he dillied and dallied – and Furuhashi darted in to rob him and then hit a shot which a back-tracking Stefan Gartenmann did well to block.

Unfortunately for the defender the ball broke to Kuhn who had the simple task of tapping into an empty net from 12-yards.

McGregor fired over from 20-yards and then Alistair Johnston shot wide as mediocre Celtic tried to step up.

But Aberdeen then had a tremendous opportunity to regain the lead in the 41^st minute.

A poorly struck Clarkson free-kick somehow made its way to the far side of the Hoops penalty area and finding Gartenmann on his own.

The Dane hit a decent shot but Hart was out sharp to deliver a great save.

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But there was more drama just before the end of the normal 45.

A Polvara through ball down the channel found Miovski in a chase with Scales. The frontman opted for a quick flick to go across the Irishman but the Celt clearly hand-balled it away.

It was right on the corner of the box and Miovski screamed for a penalty.

Neither ref Don Robertson nor nearest assistant Graeme Stewart were interested – but within moments VAR man Greg Aitken intervened.

The verdict was no penalty and it was also announced it had been outside the box anyway.

It was met with jeers by the Dons fans – and sighs of relief in the Celtic end.

The challenge for Aberdeen was to maintain their level second half.

After a bang average re-start they got back to it.

McGregor, still searching for full match fitness, came off on the hour as did Yang who did well staying on for so long for such a meagre return.

And within seconds of coming on Forrest made his mark.

First he served warning with a shot in the box blocked – then, after accepting a pass, he strolled across the face of the penalty area before placing a right foot shot into the far corner for his 106^th goal for the club.

Yet, the hapless MacDonald had a chance to block it only for some reason to pull his leg away and partly deceive a diving Roos.

Forrest had another effort blocked and then forced a Roos save

But, suddenly, Aberdeen had a gilt-edged 80^th minute opportunity – sub Sokler flicking on for Miovski to burst clear to give them a two-on-one with only Johnston back for Celtic and sub Junior Hoilett in support.

The pass to Hoilett was fine, but the finish was woeful – hitting the side-netting.

Rejuvenated Aberdeen pushed hard and the immense Carter-Vickers cleared off the line from Hoilett with five minutes left.

Celtic, though, looked tired and they conceded a 90^th minute equaliser – Hoilett hanging a cross to the far post for Sokler to head home.

Yet, Celts sub Adam Idah squandered an amazing 97^th minute chance to win it before we headed into extra time.

The tie was on a real knife-edge – and O’Riley put the Hoops back ahead with a 106^th minute close range shot.

Idah had a goal disallowed for offside in the 110^th minute.

But, STILL the drama wasn’t over, not by a long shot.

Celtic survived a 112^th minute VAR check for a stonewall penalty after Carter-Vickers clearly hacked down Hoilett only because of a foul on Johnston in the build up by the Dons winger.

Then Idah missed a sitter before, breathtakingly, MacDonald made it 3-3 in the 120^th minute to force penalties for the first Scottish Cup shootout between the sides since the 1990 final.

This time, however, it was Celtic celebrating unforgettable glory.

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