KILMARNOCK 1 ABERDEEN 1(Aberdeen win 3-1 on penalties after extra-time)Stephen Robinson isn’t out of the woods as a result of having a Premier Sports Cup semi-final date to look forward to on the green expanse of Hampden Park. Far from it.His Aberdeen side, as proven over a number of games now, looks short on quality and cohesion going forward. He desperately needs to get things clicking in attack and get people other than Kevin Nisbet scoring.However, one thing the Dons boss most definitely can take from this most unlikely win by way of penalty-kicks at Rugby Park is that these players he has assembled will fight for him all the way to the wire.If nothing else, it is something to cling onto in difficult times.Having gone ahead through Nisbet on 52 minutes against the run of play, it looked as if the visitors had imploded when centre-back Dan Happe stupidly got himself sent-off for a second bookable offence and home substitute Tyreece John-Jules dragged Killie level from the resultant free-kick. Marius Muller hails the Dons supporters after his spot-kick heroicsWhat happened next wasn’t on anyone’s coupon. Aberdeen rallied fantastically well and, after pushing hard in the closing moments of the 90, asked all sorts of questions from Neil McCann’s side and his keeper Max Stryjek over the course of extra-time.It shouldn’t have gone to a shoot-out, really. The Reds should have buried a home side that lost their way when they had numerical advantage and all the momentum.Even so, German goalkeeper Marius Muller proved the hero when saving three penalties from John-Jules, Mark O’Hara and Aaron Tshibola – the less said about the standard of those spot-kicks the better – and helping the Dons over the line.Hugill scored the opening kick for the home side before the roof caved in. And after Nesta Guinness-Walker had fluffed his lines, Alexander Briedl, sub Ayoub Mouloua with an outrageous Panenka and Jack Milne grabbed the glory for the visitors.Milne’s spot-kick brought some unfortunate scenes amid the joy, though. A number of supporters invaded the pitch after the winning effort with some making a deliberate attempt to goad those in the home ultras section.The authorities are sure to get involved and must throw the book at Aberdeen following their reaction to trouble at an Old Firm Scottish Cup quarter-final last term.Mind you, it is easy to understand the overriding exultation among a travelling support that hadn’t seen their side win away from home against a Premiership outfit since Dens Park last December.Motherwell and Hibernian will be difficult hosts on league business over the next couple of fixtures. Lose those and Robinson, booked during the second half of this tie, will be right back under the cosh.He’ll be happy he got out of Ayrshire unscathed last night, though. Future battles can wait. Fresh plans to try to bring a little more danger into the mix will be essential, though.The visitors started on the front foot and carved out an excellent chance within the first four minutes, a firm Nisbet header from a Connor Ronan cross forcing Killie goalkeeper Max Stryjek to make an excellent one-handed save high to his right. Kevin Nisbet celebrates after giving Aberdeen the lead at Rugby ParkFrom that point onwards, though, McCann’s men enjoyed the better of the game for the rest of the first half and most definitely the better of the chances. Aberdeen simply went into their shells and found themselves on the backfoot far too often thanks to moves breaking down in silly places.Djenairo Daniels was a little unlucky when seeing a backheeled effort from an Aaron Tshibola cross slip just wide of the far post and Erik Ring then forced a fine low save from Marius Muller after cutting inside from the left and releasing a powerful low drive.Muller had to look sharp ten minutes before the break when parrying a rasper of a shot from Tom Lowery wide for a corner and there were some vociferous claims for a penalty-kick a little later.Tshibola played a forward pass into the area and Joe Hugill went down when trying to get round the outside of Dan Happe to latch onto it.Happe did put his left hand on Hugill when endeavouring to deal with the danger, but there really didn’t look to be enough in the incident for referee Don Robertson to point to the spot.The Dons desperately needed something after the interval to change the overall flow of the game and it duly came seven minutes in.Stuart Armstrong played a simple pass out wide to Ronan and he picked out Nisbet once again. With Cathal McCarthy appearing to misjudge the flight of the ball, the one-time Scotland striker sent a lovely looping header past Stryjek for his ninth goal in the competition.There was some initial confusion over whether or not he could celebrate amid claims for offside and a push. Even when he had saluted the punters behind the goal, the Dons had to wait for a check by VAR Chris Graham before they could set off the smoke bombs for the second time in the evening.Nothing comes easy for Aberdeen right now, though. And they don’t half leave themselves behind the eight-ball.Just six minutes after Nisbet’s opener, Happe pulled the rug from under his own team’s feet. Already on a booking for fouling Tshibola in the first half, he jumped into a stupid challenge on the onrushing Hugill maybe 35 yards from goal and left man-in-the-middle Robertson with little option other than to flash a second yellow and send him packing.To make matters worse, Killie then levelled from the resultant free-kick. Greg Kiltie sent a dangerous ball with a dangerous trajectory into the area and John-Jules, thrown on at the interval for Daniels, glanced a super header to Muller’s left from a central position and into the far corner.Aberdeen felt they should have had a spot-kick with ten minutes of the regulation 90 to play when Nesta Guinness-Walker went down under pressure from Jonathan Meier after challenging for a corner-kick. Tyreece John-Jules celebrates after equalising for KilmarnockVAR Graham did check, but no award was given and the game moved into extra-time after Michael Schjonning-Larsen and John-Jules had stung the palms of Muller at the other end of the park in time added-on.That Aberdeen fought hard with those ten men to the death is true. Indeed, they came so close to going ahead in the 111th minute when Lewis Mayo headed just wide when connecting with an Alexander Briedl corner and saw Stryjek deny substitute Toyosi Olusanya a little later.Fellow sub Findlay Marshall also passed up a late chance and, in an incredible finale, Stryjek made a fantastic double save from Guinness-Walker and Olusanya in the wake of Milne having two shots blocked inside the area.It was enough to swing things in their favour. And even though they approached the shoot-out with Nisbet having been taken off for Mouloua with ten minutes of extra-time to go, Robinson lives to fight another day.