Around 400 supporters braved the haar which enveloped Allan Park last night to honour recently retired Cove Rangers forward Martin Johnston in a 10-goal testimonial thriller.
But any Dons supporters hoping to get a look at Derek McInnes playing for Aberdeen were left disappointed. Although the Reds manager was in attendance, he remained in the stand.
Cove shocked the young Dons side in the seventh minute when Ryan Stott gathered the ball wide on the left and his 25-yard grounder flew past the diving Craig Burns for the opener. Aberdeen equalised in the 22nd minute. Cove failed to clear a corner kick the ball landed at the feet of Scott McKenna and he drilled the ball wide of McKenzie from 10 yards.
But Aberdeen joy was shortlived as three minutes later Cove were back in front with a carbon-copy of their opener, but this time it was a stunning 30-yarder from Connor Scully which zoomed low past the helpless Burns.
On the half-hour mark only a coat of paint denied Aberdeen the equaliser, Kalvin Orsi’s drive from just inside the box crashing off the inside of the post and along the line before being hacked clear.
Five minutes from the break Aberdeen did get back on level terms with a clinical six-yard finish from Cem Felek.
Just after the interval Declan McManus went close for Aberdeen with a 15-yard effort but the ball sailed a foot wide of the upright.
On the hour Cove brought on former Aberdeen, Peterhead and Cove midfielder Stevie Tosh and Kevin Tindal, who left Cove’s managerial post last month, in central defence, but it was fellow substitute Jamie Lennox who should have made it 3-2 for the home side a minute later but his 12-yard effort ballooned over the top.
Aberdeen took the lead in the 65th minute when a McManus header was handled in the box by Eric Watson and McManus himself made an immaculate job of the resultant spot kick.
However, 60 seconds later Cove were back on level terms when Lennox ran on to a long ball from Tindal and finished with aplomb.
There were more goals to come. Firstly, Orsi curled a beauty high past Cove substitute goalkeeper Craig Reid before Cove went right up the park and equalised, Scully capitalising on indecision in the visitors’ defence to stab the ball home from close range in the gathering gloom.
Aberdeen notched what looked like an 81st minute winner when Reid punched a corner kick out to Marcus Campanile on the edge of the box and the substitute’s low drive flew into the Cove net but five minutes later Cove levelled when substitute Calum Porteous hooked the ball home from six yards.
In the final minute Aberdeen’s Scott Wright hit the crossbar and seconds later a Felek 15-yard drive rebounded off the base of the upright but Cove held out for a deserved draw.