Buckie Thistle 3 - 2 Aberdeen

It was a very young Aberdeen side that travelled north this evening with only one of the development players available for selection.

The first chance of the game went Buckie's way in the third minute as Max Barry played in Marcus Goodall who cut the ball back across goal to Joshua Peters, but the pass was diverted away by Blair McKenzie.

It was Aberdeen who hit the net first as in the seventh minute Adam Emslie picked the ball up on the right-hand side and swung a ball into the box which was met and headed into the top right corner by Liam Harvey to make it 1-0. A great finish from Liam.

Aberdeen came back at Thistle straight after the kick off and in the eighth minute the ball was collected by Kevin Hanratty who drove at goal. But his low driven effort went just left of the goal.

Aberdeen were putting the pressure on Thistle and in the fifteenth minute Alfie Bavidge picked the ball up on the halfway line and drove down the right-hand side, a nice one two between Bavidge and Hanratty allowed him to swing a ball in that is met by the head of Harvey, but the header went just wide.

The home side then equalised in the twenty first minute as Andrew MacAskill collected the ball 25 yards out and was able to have a shot at goal which he fired into the top corner to make it 1-1.

Buckie looked to capitalise on their equaliser and a shift in momentum. In the thirty fourth minute, some nice footwork from Joe McCabe allowed him to beat two of the Dons defenders and slip through Peters but his shot was very well tipped by Blessing Oluyemi away for a corner.

However, it was Aberdeen who gained the lead again on the stroke of half time after Adam Emslie collected the ball up on the right flank and drove at goal, he saw the opportunity to strike at goal and did so with a venomous effort to make it 2-1 to the Dons at the interval. A superb strike from Adam.

Going into the break the Dons were a goal to the good but knew they would need a uniform second half to keep Buckie at bay.

HT. Buckie Thistle 1 Aberdeen 2

The Highland League outfit came out of the blocks quick in the second half as in the forty eighth minute a well worked ball into the box allowed former Dons youngster Max Barry a shot at goal which was well saved by the feet of Oluyemi.

Brendan Hamilton fired a chance over before some brilliant skill from Kevin Hanratty in the sixtieth minute gave Aberdeen a chance at goal. He flicked the ball over his Buckie Thistle backline and slid in Bavidge who's shot was well saved by Lee Herbert.

But Buckie Thistle equalised shortly after as a free kick was whipped into the box and headed across goal. The second ball was met by substitute Kyle Macleod who bundled the ball into the back of the net.

Then a misery compiler for the Dons as in the seventy eighth minute Buckie found the goal to take them into the lead. MacAskill picked the ball up and drove at the Aberdeen back line. He managed to find space to take a shot which hit the back of the net.

With just five minutes to go till full time and frustrations growing there was a red card for Hanratty leaving the Dons with ten men to try and find an equaliser.

They pushed hard but this wasn't to be however, and the Dons go out of the Aberdeenshire Shield as Buckie Thistle progress to the final after an entertaining but tough cup tie at Victoria Park. It was more good experience for Barry Robson's young side, who welcome St Mirren to Cormack Park on Saturday afternoon in the Club Academy Scotland U18 League.