• Scottish League Cup final

Rooney ends 19-year trophy wait for Aberdeen

Aberdeen players lift the Scottish League Cup after a penalty shootout victory over Inverness © PA Photos

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Adam Rooney was the hero for Aberdeen as they ended a 19-year trophy drought by winning a penalty shootout against Inverness Caledonian Thistle to lift the Scottish League Cup at Celtic Park.

The game ended goalless after 90 minutes and extra time, and after Inverness missed their first two penalties of the shootout, it fell to Rooney to seal victory against his former club.

Aberdeen had not won a trophy since their 1995 League Cup win and Sunday's triumph at Parkhead is just their fourth piece of silverware since Alex Ferguson left them for Manchester United in 1986. By contrast, that glorious era under Ferguson had brought 10 trophies in seven years - including a European Cup Winners Cup and European Super Cup in 1983.

Inverness were seeking their first ever major trophy in Scottish football and at the same venue where they famously defeated Celtic in 1999 to coin the headline 'Super Caley go ballistic, Celtic are atrocious'. Hampden Park - the traditional venue for Scottish football finals - is currently undergoing renovations ahead of hosting athletics at this year's Commonwealth Games.

The match itself was a scrappy affair, with Aberdeen coming closest in each half. First a volley from Russell Anderson battered off a post and was cleared off the line, then with three minutes remaining of the 90, Niall McGinn skipped inside a challenge to leave himself one-on-one with Inverness goalkeeper Dean Brill only to scoop a terrible effort high and wide.

In the shootout, Aberdeen goalkeeper Jamie Langfield saved Billy McKay's opening effort then Greg Tansey blasted Inverness' second penalty way over the bar. With Barry Robson, Nicky Low and Scott Vernon all making no mistake for Aberdeen, it was left to Rooney to put the icing on a cake long in the making for the Dons' supporters.

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