Calderwood praises fab Dons March 19 2008
Aberdeen manager Jimmy Calderwood hailed a "fabulous team effort" after his side shocked Celtic 1-0 in their Scottish Cup quarter-final replay at Parkhead.
Darren Mackie's 69th-minute strike was enough to hand the Dons a semi-final clash with Queen of the South next month as they weathered heavy Hoops pressure to gain revenge for the injury-time goal which denied them a win at Pittodrie.
"It's a long way home but it will be very enjoyable," Calderwood told Sky Sports 1.
"It's fabulous. We've been getting a lot of flak but we've got some of our players back (from injury).
"Celtic were a bit unlucky with chances in the first half but we got the chance.
"It was a fabulous team effort."
Calderwood believes tonight's result proved Aberdeen are the match of any side in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League.
"On any given day I think we can match most teams and we matched them tonight," he added.
"We were lucky at times but we got the goal and hung in there. We got the breaks and it fell for us but we defended well."
Celtic boss Gordon Strachan was left to rue a string of missed chances and claimed his side enjoyed no luck as another trophy chance went begging.
"I think we are very unfortunate not to be in the cup semi-finals," Strachan said.
"The number of chances we made was far more than Aberdeen. We've done enough to win many a game and it just wasn't to be tonight.
"Fair enough, they blocked everything and chucked themselves at everything.
"We wish Aberdeen good luck in the semi-finals. Fortune favours the brave and they were brave in their defending."
Asked if the Hoops would be able to lift themselves for their pursuit of Rangers in the SPL, Strachan said: "We have to."
Man of the match, Dons defender Alan Maybury, revelled in his team's revenge for their heartbreak in the first match.
"It's massive for the club. It's been a bit up and down since I arrived in January," Maybury said.
"We were hugely disappointed last week and when we got the goal tonight they threw everything at us but we held on. We're delighted."