Aberdeen 2 - 5 Hamilton Academical

The previous league meetings this season between the sides had seen a 6-2 win for Hamilton and a 6-0 win for the Dons. So goals were always likely this evening.

After an opening period where the North Lanarkshire visitors looked good without challenging Oluyemi in the Aberdeen goal, it was Findlay Marshall just after the ten-minute mark who opened the scoring for the Dons. The young midfielder picked up where he left off last week against Celtic, driving forward and collecting a pass from Victor Enem who jinxed his way down the touchline, Findlay then chipping over the leg of the sprawled out Accies defender and nonchalantly poking home for the first goal of the clash.

Aberdeen raced forward again just minutes after the goal with Marshall again involved, this time he turned provider, swinging in a ball for Liam Harvey at the back post who converted brilliantly but the linesmen had his flag up for offside.

Harvey soon got the goal he was looking for, however. Aberdeen won their first corner of the match and Alfie Stewart stepped up and delivered an inch perfect ball towards the near post, Liam alert and able to attack the delivery while the Hamilton defence slept. Quick as a flash, 2-0 the young dons.

But just minutes later Hamilton were back in the tie.

Paddy Meechan followed up a shot from the edge of the box that Oluyemi was only able to push back out into his six-yard box, and the Accie?s number 10 managed to get on the scoresheet, and crucially for his team, back in the cup tie.

Hamilton took encouragement from their goal and continued to advance forward. Josh Mcdonald looked a threat down the flank on numerous occasions, but thankfully for Aberdeen, they were able to shut him down.

The young Dons passed up on a few half chances of their own in the closing periods of the 45, Adam Emslie?s crossing was dangerous but there were no takers in the box.

HT Aberdeen 2-1 Hamilton Accies.

Within the first few minutes of the second half, the visitors drew level through Ryan One, who has featured on a host of occasions for the visitor?s senior outfit in the Championship this season, flashed a shot across Oluyemi and into the back of the net. Just five minutes later Oluyemi was forced into another save after a Hamilton counterattack, the resulting corner saw Accies claim that the ball had crossed the line after a scramble in the box, before eventually coming back out to Lewis Latona, who drove home from a tight angle to flip the tie on its head and give Hamilton the lead for the first time on the night.

On the hour mark Liam Harvey made way for young striker Lewis Pirie as Barry Robson looked to change the momentum of the game.

But things went from bad to worse for Aberdeen however as captain Dylan Lobban picked up two bookings in the space of five minutes and with twenty minutes still to play, Aberdeen were now left with ten men. The first yellow card looked was extremely harsh.

It would be an uphill task for the young Dons if they wanted to remain in the cup.

An d Hamilton extended their lead just a few minutes after the red card, a quick counterattack caught the Dons defence out. 4-2.

Aberdeen tried their best to get back in the game, but it wasn?t to be, Timi Fatona was introduced for Victor Enem. His cross won a corner, the effort was caught by Reece Murray. Alfie Bavidge then pushed a shot past the post when he should have scored and Emslie had one saved in what was to be their last chances of the encounter.