Captain Kevin Nisbet’s double set Aberdeen on their way to a comfortable 3-0 Premier Sports Cup win over Dundee at Pittodrie.
Nisbet struck in the 51st and 63rd minutes and Mitchy Ntelo grabbed a debut goal inbetween as the Dons blew Dundee away after the break to book a place in the quarter-finals.
Stephen Robinson’s men had suffered a 2-0 league defeat last week against the same opponents but they bounced back in style.
Dundee’s cause was hampered by the loss of captain and striker Simon Murray to a knee injury during the first half of the second round tie.
The Dons restored Connor Ronan to the starting eleven, while also handing a debut to Ntelo, in place of midfielders Alexander Breidl and Stuart Armstrong.
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Dundee boss Steven Pressley unsurprisingly stuck by the same men who had started the win at Dens Park last week, but it was the home side who set about making amends.
Afeez Aremu tested Owen Goodman after nine minutes with a driven shot and the keeper blocked Toyosi Olusanya after the striker barged his way into the area shortly after.
Olusanya was proving difficult for the visitors’ defence to get a handle on, and he looked the way of referee Nick Walsh after clashing with Owen Beva, but the official waved play on.
Olusanya should have opened the scoring a minute later when he dispossessed Bevan and had a clear run at goal but lacked the composure to trouble Goodman.
Murray’s game came to a close as he twisted awkwardly off the ball and went down clutching his left knee, the stretcher called for almost immediately. Finlay Robertson replaced him.
There was another injury scare for the visitors as Joe Bevan appeared to take a kick to the head from Guinness-Walker in a challenge. Play continued and Aberdeen somehow could not bundle the ball over the line through either Olusanya or Tony Yogane before the offside flag went up, and Bevan received lengthy treatment before continuing.
Bevan would go close after 44 minutes as a mix-up between Happe and goalkeeper Marius Muller left the Dundee man one-on-one with the keeper who saved well from close range.
The home side were the better of the teams early in the second half and got their reward after 51 minutes as Nisbet angled home from close range after Olusanya’s shot could only be parried by Goodman in the Dundee goal.
And it was 2-0 to the Dons six minutes later as Ntelo netted a debut goal, turning on Olusanya’s pass before rifling a left-footed effort into the top corner.
Aberdeen were well in control now, and Nisbet added a third goal five minutes later. Guinness-Walker won the ball on the left and fed Yogane whose cutback was left by Ntelo for Nisbet to drill high into the net from the centre of the penalty area.
The Dons were out of sight now, but Dundee still posed a threat, and Muller was at full stretch to deny Ryan Finnigan a consolation goal, before Aberdeen substitute Lewis Smith shot straight at Goodman.
