ABERDEEN just about navigated a tricky tie against in-form Stirling Albion to reach the last eight of the Viaplay Cup.
It was Bojan Miovski who settled the visitors' nerves with the opener, before a scorching strike from Leighton Clarkson looked to have settled the matter entirely.
Substitute Greig Spence hit back though with 15 minutes left to set up a grandstand finish, but the top-flight outfit held on.
Here are the talking points from an unseasonably autumnal Forthbank…
Albion earn Barry Robson's full respect
You might think, on the face of it, that the third best side in the country last season may look upon a visit to a team from the third tier as a chance to rest some legs, but there was no hint of Aberdeen taking it easy.
Darren Young’s side are no soft touches, starting their League One campaign in much the same way they finished their rampant League Two winning season last term. They have only lost one league game this calendar year in fact, a dead rubber when the title was already sewn up.
There was also the small matter of the 4-0 hounding they dished out to Premiership side St Johnstone in the group stages of this tournament at McDiarmid Park to ensure that the threat they posed was uppermost in the mind of Aberdeen manager Robson.
And also, well, Darvel and all that. With the greatest of respect to Darvel, though, it would be doing Young’s side a disservice to compare the magnitude of a win for them here with the shock of the Dons losing to a sixth-tier side, but Robson was clearly keen to avoid such a blot on his own cup record when you saw the strength of his starting XI.
He went with his big guns, and ultimately, it paid off. He clearly couldn't have got away with anything less.
Ease of opener will annoy Young
Given how Young prides his side on Stirling’s defensive organisation, and the two clean sheets from two matches they have managed so far this term, the goal that allowed Aberdeen to ease any jangling nerves midway through the first half will likely have got his goat.
Nicky Devlin stormed down the Aberdeen right and got to the byline all too easily, where he got his head up to pick out Miovski in the area. Even the striker seemed startled by the amount of time he had, subsequently taking three touches before swivelling and finishing low past Currie.
The frustration was just as evident among the Albion players as it was in the dugout, with the men in red clearly set up to be organised at the back first and foremost, Young’s back four becoming a back six at times when the visitors were in possession.
All of those bodies in the area though seemed to somehow miss Aberdeen’s main marksman ambling about around the penalty spot, and they paid a heavy price.
There was little they could have done about Aberdeen’s second mind, as Currie palmed Graeme Shinnie’s long-ranger to what seemed a safe enough area on the right of his box. Clarkson had other ideas, catching a rasping half-volley plum and sending the ball in off the underside of the crossbar, making the strike look all the sweeter.
Shayden Morris like a new man
It isn’t being harsh on the winger to say that his first season at Aberdeen hardly went to plan following his arrival from Fleetwood Town last summer. A serious hamstring injury sidelined him for four months, and he was limited to just 15 appearances. Only one of those was from the start.
To say expectations were low for the 21-year-old this term is rather understating it, but he has far surpassed even the most optimistic Dons fans’ hopes in just three starts so far this term.
On this evidence, he very much fits that clichéd mould of being ‘like a new signing’, and what a bonus his rebirth over the summer must be for Robson.
He was at it here from the get-go, terrorising Albion left-back Cammy Clark with a mixture of direct running, lightning speed and formidable strength. After one twist and turn too many, the full back had clearly had enough, taking his opportunity to hack down his tormentor right on the edge of the area.
Slobodan Rubezic still a little rough round the edges
The big defender that the Dons brought in from Novi Pazar is quite the specimen, standing at six foot four, and the duels between himself and shiny-headed Albion striker Carrick rather resembled Uncle Fester buzzing around Lurch at times.
And there were one or two scary moments for the Serbian, usually when his concentration seemed to wander and he took the challenge of Carrick a little lightly.
His physical advantages are one thing, but Carrick was able to cause him issues with his cunning, none more so than when he nicked the ball off him at the start of the second half and was only halted on his path towards goal by the desperate arm of Rubezic wrapping round him like the tentacle of a Kraken.
Rubezic has all the attributes on the surface to be a centre-half of real presence, but it is between the ears that he perhaps still needs a bit of work.
Plenty of positives for Albion
Covering matches on big nights at relatively small venues such as Forthbank affords the reporter an opportunity to descend from the press box on high (essentially, as there wasn’t one) to mingle with the punters.
It was in this spirit that I promised one amiable chap in the home end that I would resist the urge to label his side as ‘plucky’ in defeat, so I will uphold that vow. But there is no doubt that there were plenty of positives for those fans to take from their side’s showing into their quest for back-to-back promotions.
Yes, limiting Aberdeen’s threat was the primary concern, but they attempted to spring forward when they could, Jack Leitch in particular getting up in support of Carrick when the opportunity presented itself.
Indeed, a golden opportunity did fall their way as Aberdeen were caught two against one at the back just before the interval, but Carrick was denied an equaliser by a decent save from Kelle Roos.
They would get their goal though as Aberdeen failed to deal with a simple ball into the box, Spence nodding home just three minutes after climbing off the bench.
It wasn't enough in the end, but it is easy to see why so many observors fancy Albion to storm into The Championship before too long.
