Aberdeen boss Barry Robson’s decision to field a full-strength starting XI paid off as the Reds edged out lower league Stirling Albion 2-1 away to reach the quarter-finals of the Viaplay Cup.
The Dons were 2-0 up through goals either side of half-time from Bojan Miovski and Leighton Clarkson.
However, League One Stirling Albion made it a nervous finish for the Reds by netting through Greig Spence in the 75th minute.
It was a deserved goal for the minnows, who pushed Aberdeen hard – and were left incensed when they were denied a penalty after the Dons’ Shayden Morris appeared to bring down Ross Davidson.
There is a sense that had Robson gambled by playing a weakened team it could have backfired against a fired-up, in-form Stirling side.
A full-strength Aberdeen side, cheered on by an 1,800-strong travelling support, were pushed hard but came through the cup tie.
It was Aberdeen’s first competitive win of the new season as they ready to play a Europa League play-off first leg clash with BK Hacken in Sweden on Thursday night.
Hacken overwhelmed FK Zalgiris of Lithuania 5-0 in Gothenburg to triumph 8-1 on aggregate.
Full respect given to League One club
Despite the looming Euro tie, boss Robson took absolutely no chances against the League One outfit by naming the same starting XI who lost 3-1 to Celtic on Sunday.
You don’t have to look far back for painful reminders of the damaging consequences of fielding a weakened team against lower-league opposition in cup competition.
In August 2021, then-Dons manager Stephen Glass made seven changes from the team that beat Breidablik in Europe for a League Cup tie at Championship Raith Rovers.
Glass rested the players for a UEFA Conference League play-off just days later against Qarabag in Azerbaijan.
It backfired dramatically as Raith triumphed 2-1 and the Dons lost to Qarabag.
The most devastating warning of fielding a weakened team came in January when the Dons suffered a humiliating 1-0 Scottish Cup exit to sixth tier Darvel.
Graeme Shinnie was an unused substitute and star striker Bojan Miovski was on the bench.
It was a bad, and costly, call by another since-axed boss, Jim Goodwin.
Lessons have clearly been learned at Aberdeen.
Robson gave this tie, and Stirling Albion, the full respect they deserved.
Fielding an unchanged starting XI was the right call as Stirling Albion were well organised, up for the battle and looked dangerous on the counter-attack.
Managed by former Aberdeen captain Darren Young, the Binos had suffered just one defeat in their last 26 games in all competitions prior to facing the Dons.
Aberdeen beat Stirling Albion 5-0 in this tournament last season – from the opening minutes it was clear this was going to be a far harder test for Robson’s side.
MacDonald returns from knee injury
Aberdeen centre-back Angus MacDonald returned from a knee injury and was introduced off the bench in the 61st minute for Slobodan Rubezic.
MacDonald had missed all four pre-season friendlies and the two Premiership matches due to a knee injury.
Aberdeen created the first opportunity in the fifth minute when Duk met a Leighton Clarkson header five yards out.
Striker Duk’s powerful header was punched on to the crossbar by keeper Blair Currie.
Aberdeen again threatened in the 13th minute, when Jack MacKenzie’s cross from the left picked out Nicky Devlin’s unchecked run at the back-post.
Devlin’s 12-yard header was straight at keeper Currie, who saved comfortably.
Bojan Miovski fires Aberdeen ahead
The Dons grabbed a deserved opener in the 29th minute when Devlin found Bojan Miovski 12 yards out with a pass from the right.
Striker Miovski took a superb touch to open up space and then turned and fired low beyond Currie.
It was the second successive game North Macedonian international Miovski has scored, after he netted in the 3-1 loss to Celtic.
In the 35th minute, Dante Polvara picked out the impressive Shayden Morris’ run into the box and his drive was blocked at the near post by keeper Currie.
Stirling Albion came close in the 39th minute when Kieran Moore’s through-ball played Dale Carrick in on goal.
Keeper Kelle Roos raced to close Carrick down and produced a vital block to stop the striker’s powerful 12-yard drive.
In the 49th minute, Stirling Albion again threatened when an in-swinging corner from Jack Leitch caused problems.
It found Jordan McGregor three yards, but but his snatched shot sliced over the bar.
Superb Clarkson strike makes it 2-0
Aberdeen doubled their advantage with a sensational strike by Clarkson in the 61st minute.
A Graeme Shinnie shot was saved and the loose ball fell to Clarkson, who thundered a superb 15 yard drive in off the underside of the bar.
In the 71th minute, a looping header from Duk hit the crossbar.
Nervous ending for Aberdeen
Stirling Albion hit back in the 75th minute when a free-kick from Ross Davidson was headed back across goal by Paul McLean.
Substitute Spence punished poor defending by heading home from close range.
Stirling Albion deserved that goal and it made it a nervy nervous ending to the game for the Reds.
ABERDEEN (3-5-2): Roos 6, Devlin 7, Rubezic 6 (MacDonald 61), MacKenzie 6, Morris 7. Clarkson 7, Polvara 6 (Barron 61), Shinnie 7, Duncan 7, Duk 7 (Sokler 80), Miovski 7.
Subs not used: Doohan, Hayes, Besuijen, Stewart, Milne, Dadia.
STIRLING ALBION (4-1-4-1): Currie 7; Cummins 7, McGregor 7, McLean 7, Clark 7; Banner 6 (Dunsmore 70), Moore 6 (Spence 70), Davidson 7, Leitch 7 (Cooper 88), Milne 6, Carrick 6 (Thomson 70).
Subs not used: Weir, Wyles, Simpson, Kagni-Soukpe, Meechan
Referee: David Munro
Man-of-the-match: Shayden Morris (Aberdeen). A constant attacking threat in the right wing-back role and also worked tirelessly defensively.
Attendance: 2,943
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