Cove Rangers’ interest in the League Cup is all but over after they were beaten 3-2 at home by newly-promoted Kelty Hearts.
Alfredo Agyeman and Robbie McNab put the visitors two up in 23 minutes, before Fraser Fyvie pulled one back.
After missing a first-half penalty, Nathan Austin got his name on the scoresheet to add to a great night for the Fife side, before Robbie Leitch scored a late consolation for Cove.
A serious-looking injury to Mark Reynolds just before the end of the game put a further cloud on the night’s events for the Aberdeen side.
Cove boss Jim McIntyre made three changes from the 2-1 defeat to Livingston, with Kyle Gourlay, Mark Reynolds and Leighton McIntosh in for Stuart McKenzie, Scott Ross and Leitch.
The two sides had never previously met and it was the visitors who threatened after just 10 seconds, with Agyeman flashing the ball across the face of goal.
Cove, who were without Blair Yule and Jamie Masson through injury, had a penalty appeal waved away inside 10 minutes after Fyvie’s shot appeared to be blocked by the arm of Lewis Martin.
Agyeman had been a lively presence early doors and duly punished Cove, getting the better of Reynolds at the edge of the box before steering the ball past Gourlay.
It took seven minutes for Kelty to carve Cove open again, with Agyeman and Joe Cardle involved in the build-up as McNab calmly slotted the ball under the goalkeeper.
Cove were in desperate need of a lift. They had struggled to get to grips with Kelty and looked far from assured in possession.
But they were able to drag themselves back into the game just before the half-hour mark as McIntosh managed to dig out a cross and Fyvie looped a header back across goal beyond Darren Jamieson.
They had to rely on Gourlay to keep the deficit at one, though, after Iain Vigurs pulled back McNab in the Cove area as he was about to shoot.
Austin, who has had a prolific three seasons at Kelty, took the spot-kick – but Gourlay dived to his left to turn the ball round the post.
Cove started the second half marginally better, with Vigurs forcing a low stop out of Jamieson, but they were far from their fluid best.
Gerry McDonagh was again deployed as the lone striker and struggled to have an impact on the game, while Mitch Megginson, playing wide on the left as he did against Livingston, cut a frustrated figure as opportunities at goal were at a premium.
Their hopes of rescuing anything from the game were put to bed with 20 minutes to go, as a swift Kelty counter-attack allowed Cardle to play in Austin, who swept in with aplomb past Gourlay.
Cove brought on Rory McAllister and Leitch in an effort to turn the tide of the game and, despite the latter finishing well from the edge of the box with three minutes to go, there was to be no late turnaround.
There was some concern in stoppage-time as Reynolds, in throwing himself towards the ball to try rescue a late equaliser, was left in a heap on the turf and stayed down.
Group-leaders Caley Thistle are Cove’s final opponents in the competition on Saturday, ahead of their Championship opener on July 30.