Aberdeen 8 - 1 St. Mirren

Aberdeen started to control the match after this and Solberg and Tiernan went close before the Dons took a deserved lead in the 22nd minute. A great passing move started by Clark was finished off by the same player after assistance from Young and Solberg. The Dons could have increased their lead two minutes later when Derek Young forced Robertson into a fingertip save at his left hand post. The resultant corner saw ex Don Ricky Gillies clear the ball off the goal line as the home side turned the screw. The pressure paid off in the 25th minute when Clark collected the ball on the edge of the box and fired a sweet volley beyond the keeper.

The Dons went further ahead on the half hour mark when Guntveit hit an inch perfect cross-field pass to Clark. He in turn cut it back into the path of Derek Young and the striker made no mistake in burying the ball in the back of the net. Young picked up the first yellow card of the match in 38 minutes and a minute later the Dons added a fourth goal. This was probably the pick of the bunch as Bett turned a Saints defender on the half way line and ran towards goal before hitting a well placed shot beyond the keeper. Derek Young could have made it five on the stroke of half time with a powerful header, but Robertson did well to turn the ball wide.

Aberdeen were in no mood to take their foot off of the gas and two minutes after the restart Bett scored his second and Aberdeen?s fifth. Once more it was a brilliant solo effort by Bett as he collected the ball on the halfway line, beat two defenders and coolly slotted the ball past Robertson. Four minutes later a deflected Clark shot looked to be netbound, but Robertson somehow scurried back and cleared the ball from the line. The inevitable was only delayed by two minutes as Young netted the sixth after good interplay with Bett.

St. Mirren earned a consolation in the 55th minute when McGarry headed home a corner at the near post. Derek Young grabbed his hat trick in the 58th minute after Bett flicked on a Guntveit cross. A minute later Esson made a fine finger tip save from a Yardley drive. Michie entered the fray in the 62nd minute, replacing Derek Young, and within two minutes he made it 8-1 as he converted a Bett cross. A series of substitutions then took place and the game lost a bit of impetus.

Michie should have put the Dons into double figures, but sent the ball wide of the target twice within the space of a minute with only Robertson to beat. The Dons had clearly taken their foot off the accelerator and settled for the 8-1 win.