Aberdeen defeated Buckie Thistle 5-3 to reach the Morrison Motors (Turriff) Aberdeenshire Shield final.
The Jags opened the scoring through Josh Peters in the semi-final at Peterhead’s Balmoor Stadium before the Dons struck back with counters from Alfie Bavidge, Adam Emslie and Dylan Lobban.
Buckie pulled one back via Jack Murray, but a Murray own goal and Bavidge’s second sealed the Reds’ place in the final – where they will face Huntly or Banks o’ Dee – before Max Barry netted a consolation for the Breedon Highland League side.
The Dons have never won the Aberdeenshire Shield with their only previous final appearance being a loss to Turriff United in 2011.
First half goal flurry
Aberdeen fielded a youthful side but it included highly-rated strikers Aaron Reid and Bavidge, who are on loan at Peterhead and Kelty Hearts respectively.
Elgin City loanee Blair McKenzie also started with Finlay Murray, who has been loaned to Turriff United, and Lobban and Emslie – who are at Formartine United – also included.
Thistle were along familiar lines, but were without influential midfielder Andrew MacAskill due to a broken arm.
It was Buckie who posed the early threat with Peters and Adams both having efforts saved by goalkeeper Tom Ritchie.
The Jags then broke the deadlock in the 10th minute with Darryl McHardy receiving a throw-in from Ryan Fyffe on the left flank.
McHardy picked out Peters with his pass and the striker side-stepped a challenge before finishing low into the net from 14 yards.
But only four minutes later the Reds restored parity. Reid did well to slip strike partner Bavidge in on the right side of the area and he held off Ryan Fyffe before slotting into the right corner.
Buckie responded well to conceding with Barry displaying good footwork to tee up Peters and from a tight angle he cracked a shot against the right post.
The Jags continued to create chances with Adams having a shot tipped over by Ritchie before Peters headed a Jack MacIver cross over from six yards.
But in the 37th minute the Dons took the lead with Emslie weaving inside from the right flank and finishing into the bottom right corner from the edge of the box.
Three minutes later it was 3-1 when Lobban’s free-kick from 20 yards took a deflection off the wall and looped past goalkeeper Stuart Knight into the top right corner.
Jags try to fight back
With Aberdeen two up it was imperative for Buckie that they got the next goal and that’s exactly what they did on the hour mark.
Murray stepped forward from centre-back and fired a superb left-footed shot into the bottom right corner from 25 yards.
However, in the 69th minute the Dons restored their two-goal cushion. From a drop ball on the right the Reds played it into the box, Knight came off his line attempting to gather, but the ball bounced off Murray – who was under pressure from Reid – and into the net.
Seven minutes from time Aberdeen sealed victory when Alfie Stewart played Bavidge in and he rounded Knight before finishing. In stoppage time Barry finished from eight yards to make it 5-3.