IT'S a goal that will be forever etched into the memories of Dunfermline fans who were witness to it two decades ago.
Picking the ball up on the right-hand side of the Pittodrie pitch, Barry Nicholson skipped past his first opponent. Nutmegged the second. Jinked inside the third. Then calmly slotted into the bottom corner of the net.
He described it as being "probably the best goal I've ever scored in my career", and it led to comparisons from ecstatic supporters with Archie Gemmill's iconic individual goal for Scotland, against the Netherlands, at the 1978 World Cup finals.
That came in a 3-2 win for his side. As did Nicholson's, which sent the Pars into their first Scottish Cup final for 36 years, after a semi-final replay with Inverness Caledonian Thistle, back in 2004.
This week, Nicholson, who is currently assistant to one-time Athletic coach, Callum Davidson, at Queen's Park, took a trip down memory lane with Press Sport ahead of tomorrow (Friday) evening's 'Celebrating 20 years of the PST - The Road to Hampden 2004' event' at the Carnegie Hall.
"I think the only time I thought I was going to go myself and score was after the nutmeg," he reflected.
"Apart from that, once I skipped inside the first tackle, I think it was just 'get myself close to the box and drive in'. Then, once I made the nutmeg on the Caley Thistle player, I was a bit like, right, I'm going myself here, and then chopped inside, and managed to finish it.
READ MORE: Former Pars stars recall iconic team's 'togetherness' ahead of cup final event
"One thing I did work on was side-foot, calm finishing a lot. I wasn't one that would blast the ball home or anything like that - I would try and place it home all the time.
"Once I'd skipped past the first one, I was thinking right, nutmeg, and then that was me, I was going. I was never passing. I'm sure Craw (Stevie Crawford) was inside me screaming for it, but there was no way I was going to pass it once I was in the box!
"I had a really good relationship with Craw. He was one of the ones who I was quite close with. We struck a really, really good understanding on the pitch from my first couple of training sessions with Stevie. He was somebody that improved my game, and I'd like to think I probably helped him as well.
"He's somebody else I'm looking forward to seeing. I'm really looking forward to catching up with him as well because it's been too long since I've seen Craw as well.
"Big Scotty Wilson then gives away a penalty into injury time that had us hanging on at the end. We won't let him forget about that as well!
"He had us hanging on at the end, which obviously made the goal more important, but it was a brilliant night. I remember the bus journey back down to Dunfermline that night was brilliant."
Crawford, who alongside Nicholson is one of a number of players who will take the acclaim of fans on the stage, said that that goal was arguably the stick-out moment from the road to Hampden - but that it didn't come as a surprise to him.
"For as much as you're not going to to score a goal like that every season or whatever, the wee man was capable of it," he said.
"The composure to cut inside, then the nutmeg, then the wee jink, to then pass it into the bottom corner. A lot of boys would've lashed at it.
"In a way, for as good as goal as it was, I wasn't shocked because he had the composure. I had the pleasure of playing with him - his weight of pass, his vision, balls round the corner, his delivery, he had a goal in him - so I would say, for everybody, probably that would be their standout moment.
"I will say it's sort of a half assist, because I was screaming for it across the six yard box, but I wasn't going to deny the wee man that, and he finished it really, really well, just in at the near post."
'A brilliant run'
Before the glory night against the Highlanders, Dunfermline had negotiated ties in three previous rounds - one of which saw an abandonment and the match rearranged.
They opened their campaign with a 3-1 home success over Dundee United, which saw Crawford net a brace, and Craig Brewster score against the team he won the cup for in 1994.
Clyde, who were one division below the Premier League Pars, at Broadwood were next up.
Noel Hunt and Nicholson helped establish a 2-1 lead but, on another memorable day during the run to Hampden, snowfall caused the match to be abandoned.
They won the rearranged game 3-0, thanks to Nicholson's double and a goal from Lee Bullen, before Partick Thistle were brushed aside by the same scoreline in the last eight.
Richie Byrne gave Dunfermline the lead before Nicholson added a second, with Brewster wrapping up the victory from Crawford's cross.
"It was a brilliant run," Nicholson said.
"Even in the first game in it, against Dundee United at home, wouldn't have been an easy tie. If I remember right, we played really, really well. I think Craw got a couple, and Brew, got the goals.
"Clyde was after that, with the snow. Unbelievable. That was the coldest I think I've ever been on a football pitch! It was freezing!
"I actually scored in both games - I think I scored on the day of the first game, then it got abandoned, and then I scored two in the next game at Clyde.
"That was good, and then Partick, I scored in that one as well, and then the semi as well, so I had a good run myself, but there were some really good ties.
"At that stage of the season, I just felt the group were confident of going into any game and beating anybody. The disappointing thing for probably the group was the semi-final at Hampden, the first one, against Inverness, where we just didn't play well at all."
Paul Ritchie, who then scored the opening goal in the replay, gave First Division Inverness the lead, but Brewster's header midway through the second period restored parity and earned a replay in Aberdeen.
"I'm sure we went away for a couple of days with the team, up to St Andrews or something, played some golf, did a bit of training up there, came down, and then it was such a disappointment that first game," Nicholson recalled.
"Although we didn't deserve to lose the game, we probably didn't do enough to win the game, so a draw was probably a fair result.
"Then the replay had to be up at Pittodrie, which ended up a brilliant night.
"To be part of the history of the club, was a brilliant, brilliant achievement, and even getting back into Europe for the club was special as well.
"We knew by beating Inverness in that semi-final was going to get the club back into Europe, just with the Old Firm finishing in the top two as well, so it was a really special night."
Looking back on their route to the final, Crawford reflected: "In the build-up to the final, we beat a good Dundee United team in the early rounds.
"We then go to Clyde, away from home, that game we all speak about when the snow comes down, we found ourselves ahead. We missed a few players in that tie as well - Brew didn't start the first game, I think a couple of us missed out in the second game, so all the young ones came in, with the good experienced ones - and we managed to get through the Clyde tie.
"I look back and I don't know why I missed the Clyde game, the second game, because I didn't miss a lot of games through injury.
"I can remember watching it midweek, from one of the boxes, and there was quite a few of the young ones, like Billy Mehmet. I think myself and Brew were out, and later in the run, probably Scott Thomson and Scott Wilson, big players, were missing for us.
"We go away to Partick Thistle and I thought it was one of the best performances in the cup run. We play Inverness in the semi-final and I think, in all honesty, hot day, both teams fancied their chances.
"We were poor in the first half against Inverness. Brew scores a really good header and gets us back into the game. We could've went on to win that, but I don't think it would've been fair on the day.
"Then, up at Pittodrie, I felt that we were the better side. Even though the score suggested 3-2, I think it flattered Inverness a little bit.
"I thought we were really good on the night, again, after going an early goal down to a great Davie Bingham pass through to Paul Ritchie, who stuck it away well, but we gathered ourselves. We responded in the right way and showed what we were about that night and it was a far better performance than what we had put on at Hampden.
"It wasn't down to individuals that got us there (to the final). You look at every tie and there was qualities. As I say, the Inverness Hampden game, we weren't great, but we didn't lose the game. It gave us the opportunity to then go and correct it.
"In years gone by, we might've lost that game at Hampden, so there was a bit of everything in there. I think that was the special thing, along with the wee man's goal."
Hosted by Rob Maclean, who was the BBC's lead football commentator back in 2004, the event kicks off at 7.45pm and will feature archive footage from every round.
Those in attendance will also have the first chance to buy a specially produced replica shirt from the final, of which there are a limited run, before any that remain go on general sale.
Tickets can be bought at the Carnegie Hall box office, or online, at https://www.onfife.com/event/celebrating-20-years-of-the-pst-the-road-to-hampden-2004-cb41/.
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