DESPITE a second half full of Spiders spirit, two early goals for Aberdeen saw off Queen’s Park in the Premier Sports Cup. 

A Jack Hamilton header reduced the deficit after Dan Happe and Lewis Smith gave the Dons the lead within ten minutes, and on-loan Lewis Stewart almost snatched a point in the closing stages with a header brilliantly saved by Marius Mueller.

It would have been no less than Sean Crightion’s side deserved after a much improved showing after half-time but the slow start proved costly.

Euan Murray chose another Spiders switcheroo after Aberdeen won kick-off at the coin toss, meaning the Dons shot into the Red Shed end of Pittodrie for the first half.

But within two and a half minutes that end of the ground had seen a goal as Dan Happe rose highest to nod the home side ahead. 

Matters worsened when some short passing and moving in front of the Spiders backline found Lewis Smith on the left side. Ricki Lamie closed down the new signing but he fired past Jack Wills on the angle.

It was a rude awakening for the Spiders after the previous two wins over Brora and Kelty Hearts and two lapses were clinically punished.

The visitors struggled to test Marius Mueller in the home goal for the opening half hour and made a tactical tweak after the painful start.

Callum Smith moved to left midfield and a 4-4-2 after starting the game as a right wing-back in a 3-5-2 that was quickly forced back into a 3-5-2 by the Dons advances.

The closest the Spiders came was a lofted ball over the top from Aidan Connolly that ran out of play ahead of Matty Shiels six minutes from the break.

During the interval Aberdeen set off a series of distraction devices to scare off the seagulls swooping the stands at Pittodrie, but the birds returned. So too did the stream of play. At least for the first ten minutes. Then the Spiders came into their own.

On 56 minutes Michael Ruth had the first meaningful attempt at goal, close-in blocked after some positive attacking play from Matty Shiels on the left.

A minute later a clever cross from Carlo Pignatiello forced a corner and Jack Hamilton met Louis Longridge’s delivery for another set-piece. On the opposite side the same pair combined and Hamilton powered in the clipped corner to reduce the deficit.

It was a fantastic finish from the forward – his second in as many games in a routine straight from the training ground.

It certainly lifted the visitors and the pocket of travelling supporters who made their voices heard.

Scott Martin’s battering ram run two minutes after the goal almost created another as he laid off to Longridge for a cross that Mueller flapped at but the Dons scrambled clear again off Matty Shiels at the back post.

Mueller made amends and then some on the 66th minute. He scooped a Scott Martin strike off the turf and then blocked Callum Smith’s follow-up. Michael Ruth drove another effort into the ground ahead of the keeper but he was wise to that clever effort too as he denied the Spiders’ rally.

Throughout the purple patch Sean Crighton and Jim Duffy had been in deep discussion over changes and they eventually made four at once with just over 15 minutes to play.

Ross McLean, Magnus Mackenzie, Tyrece McDonnell and loanee from Rangers Lewis Stewart were pitched in and the shape changed again to a 4-3-3. 

But McLean almost scored a bizarre own goal when an Aberdeen corner blasted off his face and was hooked onto the bar by Aidan Connolly. Jack Wills bravely grabbed the loose ball on the line and was awarded a free-kick.

McLean attempted a late acrobatic effort after a brilliant run from Stewart and at the other end Wills kept out Ayoub Mouloua with a great diving save.

Mueller did likewise to deny Stewart in injury time after he made another positive run and was picked out by McDonnell but Pignatiello hit the side-netting with the follow-up.

The Dons had had a series of late corners – including another vital goal-line clearance from Aidan Connolly – but the early double did the damage for the Spiders despite their second half show.

It’s now on to a make-or-break home match with Queen  of the South next weekend to bid for a place in the last-16 of this season’s competition.