Stirling Albion 0 - 5 Aberdeen

It was a case of same again for Jim Goodwin's starting XI after last week's 2-0 win over Dumbarton. However, new signing Luis Lopes made his first Aberdeen appearance on the bench.

There was one change for Darren Young's Stirling Albion after winning the bonus point in a 5-4 penalty shootout win against Raith Rovers on Saturday. Ross McGeachie replaced the suspended Jordan McGregor in their side.

Aberdeen opened confidently and were ahead on 10 minutes, a neat interchange between Vicente Besuijen and Ross McCrorie in midfield allowing Besuijen to advance into the box. Coming in from the right, he was offered the opportunity to drill in a low shot and needed no second invitation, rifling the ball through Currie and in at the near post.

The Dons certainly enjoyed the lion's share of possession thereafter but to their credit, Albion were well organised at the back and made it difficult for them to get a clear look at goal. They had threatening moments of their own too, Kelle Roos not able to reach a back post corner, Carrick able to manufacture a shot on goal from close in on 22 minutes, Jonny Hayes there on the post to hack the ball clear. A narrow escape for Aberdeen.

The Dons were well clear though on 24 minutes with a lovely goal from back to front. Jayden Richardson to McCrorie, into Mason Hancock on halfway, back to Scales just inside his own half. His slide rule pass was perfectly into the run of Hayes and he found every bit as precise a pass into the run of Christian Ramirez, darting in at the back post to find a lovely finish for 2-0.

Thirty-two minutes and it was 3-0 for Aberdeen. Matty Kennedy went on a driving run into Albion territory only to be hauled down from behind. With a free-kick 25 yards out, Kennedy picked himself up and despatched the ball over the wall and into the postage stamp top corner, symptomatic of the reborn Kennedy this term.

McCrorie made it 4-0 on 41 minutes with another nicely worked goal. Ylber Ramadani collected the ball from a Ramirez lay-off in midfield and produced a pass the equal of Scales', again into the path of Hayes who drew the goalkeeper before putting the ball on a plate for McCrorie to turn in.

And then there were five on 43 minutes, Hayes causing more havoc to get to the by-line. He pulled the ball back for Ramirez who missed his kick but the ball found Besuijen who took a touch and then rammed a shot into the roof of the net.

HALF-TIME: STIRLING ALBION 0 ABERDEEN 5

There was a debut for Lopes at the break, replacing Ramirez in the Aberdeen front line as Aberdeen fans got a first look at the new signing.

McCrorie was first to try his luck in the 55th minute, coming onto a ball 25 yards out and clipping a first time shot just wide of goal as Aberdeen tried to recapture that first half intensity.

Besuijen should have had his hat-trick on 57 minutes, Hayes' feet far too educated for the Albion defence to deal with as he created room to find Besuijen. From a dozen yards out, his shot hit the inside of the post and bounced to safety.

Leitch replaced Carrick for the hosts on 59 and four minutes later there was a raft of Dons changes. Hancock, Hayes, Kennedy and Besuijen made way for Jack Milne, Ryan Duncan, Marley Watkins and Dante Polvara.

Lopes looked certain to score on 67 minutes, collecting a pass from Scales, now at left-back. Lopes got the ball stuck behind him but somehow manufactured an overhead kick that was clawed away to safety. He wasn't finished yet, darting onto the rebound and driving at goal, the ball deflected against the post by a Cummins block.

He was in again on 71 minutes again courtesy of Scales, playing the ball into inside-left. With the outside of the right boot he took a first time flick at goal Currie across well to save.

The home side made their next changes on 74, Moore, Denholm and Thomson replaced by Greenhorn, Burns and Cooper.

McCrorie had his head in his hands on 79, missing a sitter at the back post after Duncan had dropped a free-kick onto his head at the back post, the ball going over the bar.

Clark got the first yellow card of the night on 83, scything down Lopes on the edge of the box. Dunsmore was then replaced by Harrower with five minutes to go. Cummins came closest for Albion on 88, getting up to win a header at a free-kick, his header looping up for an easy save for Roos as the game petered out to the finish.