Peterhead 1 - 4 Aberdeen

HT Score: Peterhead 1 - 2 Aberdeen

Friendly

Peterhead scorers: Diamond o.g. (34)
Aberdeen scorers: Crawford 24, Dempsey 28, Mackie 71, Mackie 80.

06/07/2006 | KO: 19:45

Dons start with a win at Peterhead.

New signing Karim Touzani made a nervous start to his debut allowing Michie to break in the fifth minute. Fortunately Zander Diamond got back well to cover and clear the danger. Aberdeen won their first corner kick two minutes later but the opportunity was wasted. Stewart set up Crawford in the 11th minute but McCafferty easily gathered the weak finish then in the 20th minute Chris Maguire collected a poor clearance by the Peterhead keeper but the youngster blasted his effort over the bar.

Peterhead almost took the lead from a corner kick when Langfield failed to deal with the cross and Foster was forced to clear. At the other end Stewart was stretching for a cross and couldn't steer the ball on target. The deadlock was broken in the 24th minute following clever play between Foster and Stewart. Foster went through one-on-one with the keeper and rolled the ball into the path of Crawford who was left with a simple tap in. Peterhead almost levelled immediately when Sharp was released, but his lob went well wide of the target.

The Dons doubled their advantage after 28 minutes when Stewart and Foster combined to good effect again with Foster providing a telling cross that was headed home by Gary Dempsey. It should have been 3-0 a minute later when once again Foster and Stewart were involved. Foster played the ball wide to Stewart and Nicholson blasted his cross high over the bar. The Dons were to rue this miss in the 34th minute as Peterhead pulled one back after slack defending saw Diamond stick his leg out under pressure and steer a cross past Langfield. Maguire had a chance to add a third four minutes before the interval following a goalmouth scramble but the Blue Toon defence stood firm and blocked the effort.

The Dons started the second half brightly, but following a series of corners Peterhead came more into the game. A series of substitutions on the hour mark saw Mackie replace Stewart and Anderson replaced Dempsey with Touzani moving into midfield. The changes disrupted the flow of the game for a while, but it was a home substitute who almost made his mark in the 63rd minute. Bavidge was released with an inteligent through ball and should have levelled the game but pulled his shot wide of the target.

The Dons made the game safe in the 71st minute when Darren Mackie latched on to a long ball, ran in on goal and calmly beat the keeper. There were loud shouts from the home defence for an offside flag that never came, but Mackie finished well. Considine and Winter were then introduced for Hart and Nicholson. Mackie almost added a second four minutes later but was denied by a fine save from McCafferty.

The striker was not to be denied as he added a second goal ten minutes from time. Good build up play from Maguire and Winter set up the striker and despite McCafferty blocking his first effort he coolly slotted the rebound home. Superior fitness was beginning to tell but the home defence stood firm and would have rightly felt aggrieved to concede again. In the final minute Mackie was upended on the edge of the box and Winter blasted the free kick wide.