Stirling Albion 1-2 Aberdeen: Dons into League Cup quarter-finals
- Published
Miovski gave Aberdeen a first-half lead at Forthbank
Aberdeen became the first club to secure a place in the Viaplay Cup quarter-finals thanks to a narrow win over League One club Stirling Albion.
Bojan Miovski put the visitors ahead in the first half and when Leighton Clarkson added a second it looked as if the Dons would cruise through.
But Greig Spence pulled one back for Albion and Darren Young's impressive side pushed for an equaliser.
However the Dons' defence stood firm to earn a place in the last eight.
The visitors started brightly and came close to opening the scoring after just five minutes.
Luis 'Duk' Lopes rose high above the Albion defence but goalkeeper Blair Currie touched the striker's header on to the crossbar.
The Dons had the benefit of a strong wind behind them in the opening period and Lopes and his fellow forward Miovski caused the hosts problems throughout.
Miovski was next to test the home keeper when his header from a Jack MacKenzie cross required Currie to grasp the ball underneath his bar.
The breakthrough finally came for Aberdeen just before the half-hour mark, when Nicky Devlin made strides down the right and cut the ball back into the path of Miovski.
The striker had his back to goal but turned and fired low to the keeper's left side and into the net.
Albion had a great chance to draw level five minutes before the break when Dale Carrick found himself clean through on goal but he was denied by a terrific stop from visiting goalkeeper Kelle Roos.
The home side began the second half well but it was the visitors who doubled their advantage after an hour.
Clarkson, signed on a permanent basis from Liverpool this summer, hammered home after Currie parried a Graeme Shinnie effort from the edge of the 18-yard box.
With 16 minutes left, former Aberdeen captain Young's side pulled one back when substitute Spence nodded home as the visiting defence was caught napping at a free-kick to set up a grandstand finish.
The home fans pleaded for a penalty when Ross Davidson was taken out by Shayden Morris as he fired over from close range but Aberdeen escaped punishment and eased into the last eight.
Spence (right) capitalised on a sleeping Aberdeen defence to give his side hope of a late fightback