Cove Rangers 0 - 2 Aberdeen

An Aberdeen XI defeated Cove Rangers 2-0 on Tuesday night at the Balmoral Stadium in a competitive game that saw both sides have a host of chances in front of goal, with Shayden Morris and Kevin Nisbet netting for the Dons at the end of both halves.

Tuesday’s game was in honour of long serving midfielder Blair Yule, who has spent more than a decade at the club, playing his part in gaining promotion from the Highland League back in 2019, and going as high as the Championship with the club. Everyone at AFC extends their congratulations to Blair.

With Jimmy Thelin in the dugout for the trip across the city to the Balmoral Stadium, the Dons named a strong looking XI that blended regular first team faces like Morris and Angus MacDonald alongside Development side Dons that included Alfie Stewart and Cammy Wilson. There were spots on the bench for Nisbet and Ester Sokler, they were joined by a selection of U18 faces.

There was a host of familiar faces on the other side: Findlay Marshall and Adam Emslie, both on loan from the Dons and at Cove for the campaign, faced the unique situation of lining up against their parent club. Milosz Ochmanski and Ryan Harrington, both formerly of AFC, were in the XI, with more familiar faces on the bench at the Balmoral.

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The Dons flashed their attacking prowess after just a few minutes when they had looked to have breached the Cove defence – Besuijen racing through on goal thanks to Morris’s through ball, his lofted effort coming off the bar, with the linesman’s flag eventually raised anyway.

Aberdeen did have the ball in the back of the net after just eight minutes through Peter Ambrose, again The Dons denied by an offside call against the forward.

There was some cause for concern amongst the Aberdeen staff when James McGarry looked to have picked up what looked to have been a hamstring injury, thankfully the full-back able to continue after treatment.

Soon after Ambrose forced a strong save out of Demus in the host’s goal at a tight angle. From the corner the captain MacDonald rose highest, his arial attempt behind via a Cove block.

After a high energy Aberdeen start Cove did eventually settle into the game and limit the number of chances for a bit. There was an opportunity of their own from close range which wound up off target.

Emslie and Marshall combined nicely to win the hosts a corner. From the dead ball Harrington tried his luck from outside the box on the half-volley, his effort wayward. A flurry of Cove corners followed not long after but the wait for an opener continued.

There was time for one more chance before the end of the half, and this time Aberdeen made it count. Besuijen played a fantastic pass in the direction of Morris who took it down and charged towards goal, and after some nice passing around the edge of the box the winger was given far too much space, and he found the bottom corner with a well-placed effort to close out the 45.

Half-time, Cove Rangers 0-1 Aberdeen XI 1.

There was a triple change for the Dons at half-time, with Sokler Gueye and Lewis Carrol all introduced to the action, they replaced Blair McKenzie, Cammy Wilson and Besuijen.

Ante Palaversa, who looked good throughout the 90 played in Ester for his first chance, his lofted through ball was weighted to perfection for the forward to run on to but he was unable to get his effort on target.

On the hour Blair Yule did make way to the sound of a rapturous applause on his special night.

Not long after Palaversa tried his luck from range, his effort a good one that was matched in quality by the save of Demus, who got down low to deny the No.18.

Declan Glass breached the Aberdeen backline and dangerously cut the ball across goal, Carrol alert to stab it away to safety as the hosts looked for an equaliser. They came even closer just a minute later when Megginson met a cross on the volley which forced an excellent reaction save out of Ross Doohan.

Doohan was able to breathe a sigh of relief when Parker’s hopeful effort from range slipped up and out of his hands and onto the bar, with Cove continuing to look lively.

Fresh from his match winning exploits at Dingwall on Saturday, Nisbet replaced Ambrose up front for the last twenty minutes.

Parker wouldn’t have been able to believe his lack of luck not long after the introduction of Nisbet, when again he powered an effort towards goal that reverberated off the bar and behind for a goal-kick.

Darge was next to find the frame of the Aberdeen goal with an effort, he picked up a slack cross field pass and had a go, this time the shot coming off the bottom of the post.

A clever free-kick routine allowed Nisbet to race to the by-line and whip the ball back into the six-yard box, after a scramble that saw Sokler and Gueye try their luck the hosts survived.

Nisbet did get his goal with two minutes of the contest remaining, he got up high and flicked a header goal bound that managed to sneak over Demus. It was hard to tell whether the final touch came off the Dons No.9 or the Cove defender, but the forward was claiming it, and Aberdeen grabbed a second goal to round off a good nights work.