Looking back at the Joe Harper Aberdeen season hitman Sam Cosgrove is trying to emulate

Now on 17 goals, Aberdeen’s Sam Cosgrove has made clear he’s gunning for 30 by the end of the campaign.

To find the last Dons striker to reach that milestone over a season you have to go all the way back to Joe Harper in 1978/79, who hit 32 goals in 40 appearances.

It was a campaign under Alex Ferguson in which Aberdeen finished fourth in the top-flight, reached the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup and lost the League Cup final to Rangers. Harper wasn’t the only talented goalscorer in the team, with Steve Archibald and Drew Jarvie netting regularly, among others.

However, here are some of the legendary striker’s Pittodrie moments from back then Big Sam can look to for inspiration against St Mirren tomorrow:

27/09/78: Aberdeen 3 – Marek Dimitrov 0

Harper set up one for Drew Jarvie and then scored himself to tie up a 6-2 aggregate win over the Bulgarian club in the European Cup Winners Cup first round.

Aberdeen went out of the Cup Winners Cup to Fortuna Dusseldorf in the second round. Harper is pictured seeing his shot saved against the Germans.

7/10/78: Aberdeen 4 – Celtic 1

The Dons talisman stroked home a penalty to put Aberdeen 2-0 up as they “blasted” by eventual champions Celtic.

Harper holds his hands aloft after setting up Archibald for one of Aberdeen’s goals.

11/10/78: Aberdeen 7 – Hamilton 1

Ferguson’s Aberdeen progressed to the fourth round of the League Cup by hammering Accies 7-1 in third round second leg at Pittodrie (8-1 agg). Harper scored four in the rout.

21/02/79: Aberdeen 6 – Ayr United 2

The men in red knocked the Honest Men out of both cups, with the Scottish Cup victory coming in the fourth round in the Granite City. Substitute Harper notched the fourth in a 6-2 win, and Aberdeen would go on to beat eventual league champions Celtic again (via a replay) in the quarters.

Harper scored against Celtic in the Scottish Cup quarter-final as well.

26/03/79: Aberdeen 8 – Motherwell 0

Harper scored two as the Dons crushed the Steelmen with an iron fist on the Monday before their 2-1 League Cup final loss to Rangers at Hampden.

Ultimately, 1978/79 was Harper’s final season of regular Dons action as he fell out of favour under Ferguson.

All in all, the club record-scorer – King Joey to his subjects in the Red Army – reached at least the high twenties six times, with 42 goals in 1971/72 his highest tally. A remarkable Aberdeen career.