Peterhead are through to the third round of the SPFL Trust Trophy after coming from behind to beat Aberdeen B 5-3 at North Lodge Park.
After taking some time to find their feet in the game, the young Dons went 1-0 up through a composed Alfie Stewart goal in the 18th minute.
The Blue Toon levelled things only five minutes into the second half, with Scott Ross heading home at the back post from a free-kick sent in by Joe McKee.
Alfie Bavidge scored from the spot to restore Aberdeen’s lead in the 56th minute.
But things were level again when Andy McCarthy found the bottom corner from close-range for Peterhead with 62 minutes on the clock.
Findlay Marshall made it 3-2 to Aberdeen in the 72nd minute, before Blue Toon player/co-manager Jordon Brown scored a quickfire brace – in the 82nd and 83rd minute – to give his side a 4-3 lead.
Kieran Shanks added a fifth for Peterhead in the 86th minute to wrap up the scoring in Pitmedden.
Williams busy on injury return for Dons’ young team
Rhys Williams, who signed for Aberdeen on loan from English giants Liverpool, started the cup clash – having been unable to play in the first-team’s Premiership clashes against Livingston and Celtic due to a back problem.
It didn’t take long for towering defender to be called upon, as he cleared a long ball forward to prevent it landing in the path of former Dons youngster Shanks.
There was little in the way of chances in the opening 10 minutes, with Peterhead’s Jordon Armstrong’s blazed effort over the bar the most notable chance.
Williams and Shanks continued to battle, with the former covering for Blair McKenzie who was caught out of position, before halting the striker as he looked to burst down the right flank.
The Dons went 1-0 up when Marshall played through Stewart with a perfectly weighted pass into the box, and he calmly slotted it beyond Blue Toon keeper Blessing Oluyemi – another ex-Aberdeen youngster.
It could’ve been 2-0 when Adam Emslie hit a snap-shot across the face of goal, but it was redirected off target by the head of Peterhead skipper Jason Brown.
The Blue Toon had offered little in the way of a response after going behind until Jordon Brown went close with a header from a free-kick that was well held by Aberdeen goalkeeper Tom Ritchie.
At the other end, Emslie – who played for the Dons despite being on loan at Breedon Highland League side Formartine United – went close again as he flashed a shot wide of the post after some nice build-up play from the young Dons.
Ritchie, who spent time on loan at the Blue Toon last term, was called into action and made a good diving stop when McKee hit a free-kick from 25 yards out goalwards.
It was then so close to being 2-0 Aberdeen, but former Dons goalkeeper Oluyemi tipped McKenzie’s header onto the bar to keep the score at 1-0 going into the break.
In the second half, Jack Milne was shown an early yellow card for a last-ditch challenge on a Peterhead player.
McKee took the resulting set-piece, sending in a dangerous looking ball – and Milne made up for conceding the foul as he rose highest and cleared it with a powerful header.
But the Peterhead leveller did come from a McKee free-kick as the midfielder sent another good delivery into the box, and defender Ross headed home at the back post to make it 1-1 in the 50th minute.
Mere minutes afterwards, Robert Ward hit the post for Peterhead, before he young Dons were awarded a penalty at the other end after Oluyemi brought down Bavidge in the box.
The forward stepped up for the spot-kick and restored Aberdeen’s lead, despite the Peterhead keeper getting a touch on the ball.
The Blue Toon were the back level in the game through McCarthy’s equaliser, as he slotted the ball beyond Ritchie after some nice link-up play with Shanks and Jordon Brown, who teed up the goalscorer.
Bavidge looked to get the Dons’ third as he burst forward into the Peterhead box, but his effort was denied by a last-ditch block from David Wilson.
Aberdeen defender Williams was clearly not scared to get stuck in despite his recent injury problems as he found himself in the referee’s book after a reckless challenge on Shanks.
A mistake from Oluyemi would gift the young Dons a corner – and it was from the set-piece that Marshall headed home to make it 3-2, as he linked up with the opening goalscorer Stewart, who whipped in a dangerous ball.
However, Jordon Brown then netted from inside the box to make it 3-3, before scoring his second of the evening with a superb curling effort from just inside the area to give Peterhead the lead for the first time in the match.
Former Dons youngster Shanks added the Blue Toon’s fifth, as he headed home a Jordan Armstrong cross sent in from the left flank.
Peterhead will find out their SPFL Trust Trophy third round opponents when the draw takes place on Thursday afternoon.
Conversation