A strong Aberdeen XI advanced to the quarter-finals of the Aberdeenshire Shield with a 5-0 win over Cove Rangers.
Bruce Anderson set up the opener for Michael Ruth and scored twice more for the Dons, who included Stephen Gleeson, coming back from a knee injury, and Dean Campbell in their starting line-up.
Ruth grabbed a second after the interval and Ethan Ross a superb fifth, to help set up a meeting with Inverurie Locos in the last eight on Wednesday next week.
Cove included first-team players John McCafferty, Alan Redford, Martin Scott, Jordon Brown and Jamie Redman in their starting 11.
It took 13 minutes for Aberdeen to go in front, with Anderson’s pass splitting the Cove defence and giving Ruth the opportunity to finish past McCafferty.
The home side’s response came in the form of Brown, who met Daniel Critchard’s near post cross with a header that went over the top.
Anderson doubled the Dons’ lead on 24 minutes with a
close-range finish that had Cove players appealing for offside, however referee Graham Beaton was unmoved.
Dons manager Derek McInnes and his assistant Tony Docherty watched on at the Balmoral Stadium as Anderson got his second three minutes into the second half, tapping in from an Ethan Ross cut-back.
Scott thought he had reduced the arrears when he tucked Redford’s pass beyond Sam Jackson but a late flag ruled the goal out.
Campbell ought to have made it four for the Dons but skied over from eight yards, while Ruth did similar from even closer after Anderson directed a corner into his path.
Ex-Queen’s Park man Ruth bagged the fourth with a close-range header from Lloyd Robertson’s cross, before Gleeson was withdrawn on the hour.
Ross’ goal was the pick of the bunch with 15 minutes to go, embarking on a solo run before finding the bottom corner from the edge of the box.