Aberdeen 6 - 0 Dumbarton

A sluggish first half was followed by a sizzling second 45 minutes as Aberdeen blew away Dumbarton and booked their place in the last 16 of the Premier Sports Cup.

It was an unchanged starting XI for the Dons from the side that beat Airdrieonians in midweek. On the bench, Pape Gueye returned to the matchday squad in place of Fletcher Boyd.

There were four changes to the Dumbarton side beaten 4-3 by Airdrieonians last weekend. In came Aron Lynas, Ryan Blair, Michael Ruth and Tony Wallace in place of Kalvin Orsi, David Wilson, Craig McGuffie and James Hilton.

The physios saw the first real action of the day, racing on to treat Leighton Clarkson after he fell awkwardly following a foul by Lynas in the ninth minute. Thankfully he was quickly back in action after their ministrations.

The Dons had the better of the early play without forcing anything of note in the opposition box, Dumbarton defending well and in numbers. Indeed the Sons might have been ahead on 25 when a slip by Gavin Molloy allowed Ruth to chase 50 yards forward on the break before Slobodan Rubezic came across to cut out the danger. Rubezic was in the book on 34 minutes for a foul on Ruth in front of the dugouts.

The Dons finally got a sniff of goal after 37 minutes, Long saving well at close range from Ester Sokler after good close control got him in a position to shoot, McGrath’s effort from the rebound being blocked in the six-yard box.

The visitors were on the break three minutes later, Pignatiello starting a move by intercepting a Molloy pass. The trouble looked to have been dealt with following a poor cross, but Dumbarton were able to work it back into the box, Pignatiello turning the ball into the net, fortunately from an offside position.

Aberdeen responded immediately and Jack MacKenzie was put through on goal in the 41st minute, but his low shot was saved by Long’s outstretched boot. The ball looped up for Clarkson to head at goal, Long at full stretch to turn the ball behind, an excellent save.

Good persistence from Shayden Morris almost earned a goal in the last minute of the half, the winger winning the ball near the by-line and bustling into a shooting position, only for Lyness to clear off the line.

HALF-TIME: ABERDEEN 0 DUMBARTON 0
MacKenzie was sent on his way again in the first minute of the second half and there was no mistake this time. Collecting Molloy’s long ball forward, he cut inside and drilled his shot across the face of goal and inside the far corner.

47 minutes and 22 seconds and it was 2-0, Sokler doubling the lead. Collecting a loose ball on the edge of the box following a shanked clearance, Sokler played a sharp one-two with Morris before pivoting to drag the ball across goal and in.

After that explosive start to the half, Gueye returned to action for the Dons in the 55th minute, replacing Clarkson, as Orsi came on for Pignatiello. Gueye won a corner almost immediately with a surging run down the right and from it, Morris flashed a shot wide of goal.

It was 3-0 after 61 minutes, the two goalscorers combining. A neat pass from Gueye put MacKenzie on the run and his pull back picked out Sokler at the near post to finish with a precise flick into the bottom corner.

The visitors made three changes after 66 minutes with Young, Mumbongo and Clark on for Ruth, Miller and Blair. Aberdeen made three substitutions of their own with James McGarry, Peter Ambrose and Ryan Duncan replacing the goalscorers, Sokler and MacKenzie, as well as Jamie McGrath. Morris was booked on 68 for a foul on halfway.

Ambrose collected a neat pass from Morris in the 69th minute but dragged his effort just wide of the far post as Aberdeen kept pushing for goals. Duncan forced Long to save with his feet a minute later. It was Gueye’s turn to pepper the Dumbarton goal on 71, Long saving his 25 yarder at full stretch.

On 72, Vicente Besuijen replaced Morris, while McGuffie came on for Dumbarton’s Wallace. Besuijen was on the counter-attack after 76 minutes, collecting a clearance and feeding Graeme Shinnie whose shot was deflected wide. Shinnie was searching for a goal again on 79, twisting past a couple of tackles only to be denied by a good block from Long. From the corner, Long had to save again, this time from a close range effort from Nicky Devlin.

There was a first Aberdeen goal for Ambrose after 84 minutes, collecting a precise pass from McGarry in his stride just outside the box before holding off a defender and picking his spot in the far corner to make it 4-0 to Aberdeen.

It was 5-0 two minutes later, McGarry with his first goal for the club, collecting a pull back from Besuijen, switching the ball from left foot to right and then thumping his drive just inside the post.

Besuijen almost made it six with a delicate chip as we went into added time, Long up well to claw it away. But from the corner, it was 6-0, Rubezic up highest at the back post to nod in from Duncan’s delivery, the big centre-back registering his first Aberdeen goal too on what ended up being a thoroughly impressive afternoon.

2 minutes added at end 1st half
2 minute's added at end 2nd half.