Never mind the history. There is no time like the present. Aberdeen last night became the third Scottish team to go into the draw for the European competitions to be held today.

Their victory will bring hackneyed references to days of yore but this was a triumph that deserves its own moment under the spotlight, not least for a Jamie Smith goal that was simply a thing of beauty, wonderful to behold.

It was the opening blast in a match that quickly became a rout. Smith was the little general. Playing along the front line, he scored two goals, missed a sitter and was threatening when Mikael Antonsson scored his own goal. This was a return from injury that in its effectiveness merits at least a mention in Lancet. The rattling of your windows at 9.15 last night was caused by the applause that greeted his substitution. It was the most raucous farewell to a hero. He deserved it.

His first goal, after just two minutes of the second half, was a sublime volley that curled away from a bewildered Jesper Christiansen. His second was an alert run and adept finish after Lee Miller put him clear. He was in attendance when Miller, in surely his best performance in an Aberdeen shirt, rampaged down the wing and crossed with such viciousness that a hapless Antonsson could only divert the ball put the ball into the net.

Smith then missed a great chance after being put clear by Michael Hart. He was sitting comfortably on the bench, adrenalin running and ears ringing with the reverberation of praise, when substitute Chris Maguire sprinted down the wing to cross for another replacement, Richard Foster, to finish with certainty.

These were the exclamation marks on a night when a young side came of age. They gained in confidence in the second half, particularly as the goals went in, but they consistently showed courage and effort throughout. It was a night of unalloyed joy made all the merrier because of its unexpectedness. This is a good Copenhagen side. Aberdeen reduced them to a rabble.

The sheer vim and vigour of the performance was personified in the performances of Zander Diamond, Michael Hart, Barry Nicholson, and Miller. The rest were merely wonderful. Smith was, though, the star on a crisp, clear north east night.

He revelled in his leading role under the floodlights.

Aberdeen only paused to take breath only after they had taken a clear lead, seemingly struggling to appreciate the magnitude of what they achieved. This caused some anxious moments but they soon regained their focus. They were quick to the tackle and brave and resolute in the air.

The first half was not slow to reveal the major themes that would dominate the match. Aberdeen were anxious to move the ball forward with pace if not precision. Copenhagen were focused on breaking sharply, particularly down the right with Jesper Gronkjaer.

These strategies did not bring an immediate, tangible reward but provided enough to rouse a sell-out crowd of 22,000. Aberdeen's ploy was to push the ball from open play between the full-backs and the central defenders. Smith was the target and the former Celtic player did enough to unsettle if not confound the Copenhagen defence. He saved his killing thrusts for later in the match. He contented himself in the first period by insinuating himself into tight spaces and trying to bring his colleagues into play.

He was a performer in the first half, an assassin in the second.

Aberdeen had more early success with the long ball to the head of Miller or, at setpieces, Diamond. This tactic took advantage of the missing Brede Hangeland who seemed to grow at an alarming rate in the press previews. The 6ft 5in centre back was ultimately described as standing eye to eye with Nelson on his column.

The defender was, however, missed. Miller gave Antonsson a most uncomfortable time in the air, though the best chance fell to the forward's feet inside 10 minutes. However, Miller shot haplessly wide.

He was not discouraged, though, and drew a foul from Michael Gravgaard that was punished with a yellow card. Aberdeen, though, could not make Copenhagen suffer on the scoresheet. Knockdowns from Miler and Diamond fell feet from team-mates or were miscontrolled.

Sone Aluko, who had an enterprising and busy first half, simply could not get the ball to sit properly at his feet after Diamond glanced on a throw-in. Copenhagen, too, had a setpiece threat, mostly through the throw-ins of William Kvist. These resembled mortars both in their accuracy and their ability to unnerve an Aberdeen defence that was both defiant and fallible.

The best chances of the first half for the visitors fell to Gronkjaer but he proved oddly profligate. Within five minutes, he was careless with a header from a corner. Twenty minutes later he shot wide from a good position and he finished the half by blasting into the side netting as Aberdeen fans held their breath. Indeed, the nearest Copenhagen came to a a goal occurred after just a minute when Rasmus Wurtz, who was later booked for a careless foul, shaped his body to curl the ball just over the crossbar. Jamie Langfield, whose handling throughout was impeccable, could only watch the ball sail just over with the fascination of a boy eyeing his favourite kite.

Later in the night, Christiansen in the Copenhagen goal had a similar view of a flighted ball. It was, however, viewed with horror. It was the first of what was to be a night of picking the ball out of the net for the former Rangers goalkeeper.

History was made last night. But let us first enjoy the triumph of Christmas present.