Glasgow / PNN / by Roddy Keenan -

Palestine striker Oday Dabbagh has become the first Palestinian to win a Scottish Cup, scoring in a dramatic penalty shoot-out against Glasgow Celtic to help Aberdeen lift the trophy for the first time in 35 years.

And in doing so, Oday and his Dons team-mates etched their names into the history books.

With the game ending 1-1 after extra-time, the tie was decided on penalties, with the Aberdeen players holding their nerve to win 4-3 and send their supporters into tumultuous scenes of joy in the Hampden Park stands.

The victory was especially sweet for Aberdeen as, having lost 6-0, 5-1 and 5-1 in their three previous encounters this season against Celtic, the Dons were given very little chance of overcoming the Glasgow giants. Moreover, with Celtic having already won the Scottish Premier League Championship and the Scottish League Cup, it was expected they would roll over Aberdeen to claim a historic treble.

However, the men in red had other ideas, producing one of their best performances of the season. And when goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov saved Celtic’s fifth and final penalty, the cup was heading back to Aberdeen for the first time since 1990.

Throughout their victorious cup campaign, Dabbagh played a crucial role. In the quarter final, he scored twice in a 4-1 victory over Queens Park, whilst in the semi-final against Hearts, it was Oday who came on as a substitute to grab a dramatic 118th minute winner in extra-time that took Aberdeen to the final.

And in the final itself, he was one of those that stepped forward during the penalty shoot-out to slam home one of the four penalties that took the cup back to Pittodrie.

For their part, despite defeat, it has been another excellent season for Celtic. Aside from winning the double, they had a strong UEFA Champion’s League campaign, reaching the knockout stages for the first time since 2013, before narrowly going out to Bayern Munich.

However, for Aberdeen, a rollercoaster season has ended in unbridled joy, as was witnessed, not only in the stands of Hampden Park on cup final day, but in the streets of Aberdeen where tens of thousands of Dons supporters turned out to welcome their heroes' home.

And for Oday Dabbagh, his pivotal role in Aberdeen’s historic success has ensured that the boy from the Old City of Jerusalem has achieved footballing immortality in the Granite City of Aberdeen.