Queen of the South 0 - 3 Aberdeen

Three goals, three points and a clean sheet got Jimmy Thelin’s reign as Aberdeen boss off to the perfect start as they moved to the top of their Premier Sports Cup group with a convincing win in Dumfries.

There were first team debuts for Dimitar Mitov, Gavin Molloy and Sivert Heltne Nilsen as Aberdeen kicked off their season with a group game on Queen of the South’s artificial pitch in the Premier Sports Cup. Fellow new boy Peter Ambrose started on the bench.

It took just five minutes and six seconds to get the first goal of the season for the Dons. Shayden Morris was the architect, sprinting away down the right hand side, getting to the by-line and firing in a lovely cross for Ester Sokler to come onto around ten yards out, the centre-forward heading the ball down and through Stewart for 1-0.

The hosts responded well a couple of minutes later, Dickenson drilling a dangerous ball through the six-yard box that nobody could finish, before Cochrane shot wide from 20 yards.

Morris was on his way again in the 16th minute, cutting inside from the right before he was seemingly hauled down from behind by Dickenson inside the box. The referee concluded there was no penalty and there was no VAR to check his decision.

Leighton Clarkson was close to a second on 19. He collected a loose clearance on the edge of the box, playing a sharp first time ball into Sokler who then turned it back into Clarkson’s path but he steered his effort just wide of goal.

A lovely solo goal from Graeme Shinnie had his side 2-0 up on 22 minutes. He initially won the ball in midfield and after the Dons progressed the ball into the box, the captain was there to pick up a loose ball on the edge of the box, back to goal. A neat little backheel got him on the turn and into the clear as the defenders were sent for a bag of chips, and from there, he advanced a couple of paces before drilling the ball across the goalkeeper and into the far corner.

It was 3-0 in the 36th minute, another clinically constructed goal from Aberdeen. Jamie McGrath accelerated away from Cochrane on the left before playing a perfectly weighted pass to Clarkson, running towards the left edge of the six yard box. His first time pull-back picked out Sokler around the penalty spot and he clipped his finish past Stewart with the minimum of fuss.

HALF-TIME: QUEEN OF THE SOUTH 0 ABERDEEN 3

There was a chance for the home team to pull a goal  back on 48 minutes after Mitov’s ball out from the back was intercepted 25 yards out, Luissint being fed through only to pull his shot wide of the target from a dozen yards out.

Aberdeen were quickly back up the other end as Sokler was onto a back pass in the 51st minute, Stewart doing well to dart off his line and spread himself to block the goalbound shot.

It should have been four four minutes later, Jack MacKenzie measuring a low cross through the six yard area, Nicky Devlin coming in to meet it at the back post but putting his shot behind from a tight angle.

Cochrane was the first name entered into the referee’s notebook on 56 minutes for a late challenge on MacKenzie. The home side replaced Luissint with Craik four minutes later.

Stewart was in sharp action on 61 after a crossfield ball from Clarkson set McGrath in on goal. He didn’t quite connect with his shot as he would have wanted and the home goalkeeper was able to get down to his left to save.

A triple change came for Aberdeen on 66 minutes, James McGarry, Ryan Duncan and Peter Ambrose replacing MacKenzie, Morris and Sokler. The hosts responded with two more substitutions of their own, McKechnie and Walker coming on with Doherty and Kennedy making way.

Ambrose had his first effort at goal after 78 minutes as he pounced on a ball ricocheting through the box, only for his shot to deflect off a defender and spin onto the roof of the net. Jack Milne and Fletcher Boyd came on for their first appearances of the season two minutes later, Devlin and Clarkson getting a few minutes off.

Milne, Duncan and Boyd combined well in a swift move down the right from a Mitov throw out in the 82nd minute, Boyd pulling the ball back for Ambrose who scooped his shot wide of the target. Lyon was booked six minutes later for pulling back Shinnie before Ross then replaced McIntosh for the home team.

Douglas was yellow carded when he rugby tackled Ambrose as he looked to be racing clear for goal in the 91st minute. Slobodan Rubezic followed him into the book for a foul seconds later, the last meaningful action of the fixture.

1 minute added at end of 1st half.
2 minutes added at end 2nd half.