BRORA RANGERS 0 ABERDEEN 2 Premier Sports Cup Group A Tuesday July 14 2026 Dudgeon Park Ref: Josh Hay Attendance: 1,500
A two-goal salvo from Kevin Nisbet saw Aberdeen off to a winning start to the season as they set off on the campaign with a wholly professional display at Brora Rangers.
For the Dons’ season opener at Dudgeon Park, there were debuts for Dan Happe, Lewis Mayo, Brad Lyons, Nesta Guinness-Walker, Tony Yogane, Connor Ronan and Lewis Smith. Kevin Nisbet skippered the side.
It was a solid start from Aberdeen, playing the game in the Brora half, but without producing too much of a threat in the opening minutes. Nisbet had the ball in the net after 10 minutes, poaching at the back post as Ronan’s shot was going wide, but he was ruled offside after tucking the ball away from close range.
Ali Sutherland had Brora’s first chance a couple of minutes later, coming onto a loose ball 25 yards out. His shot was comfortably held by Dimitar Mitov.
Brad Lyons wasn’t far away from getting the first goal in the 14th minute. A free-kick to the back post was nodded back across goal by Happe and Lyons caught it sweetly on the volley, but the ball flashed past the post. A minute later, Lyons forced a save from MacKay as he profited from a clever dummy by Nisbet that put him into space.
On 18, a terrific pass from Ronan bisected the Brora defence on its way through the box, but Nisbet was inches away from a tap in as he stretched desperately to make contact.
Lyons came close again from a corner on 25, his snapshot from 10 yards out brilliantly saved by MacKay away to his left as the Dons continued to pile the pressure on. Seconds later, a glancing header from Nisbet was just past the far post, Smith having provided the testing ball in.
It was déjà vu all over again when a Smith flag kick found Lyons on the half hour, but his header went just over the bar. A minute later, a long ball forward saw Yogane get in behind the defence, but MacKay stood up well to block his attempted lob from the edge of the area.
The pressure told on Brora in the 34th minute, Nisbet with the goal at his mercy, only to be sent sprawling by a shove in the back from MacKenzie. The captain got up to take the penalty and he duly sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to give Aberdeen the lead.
Lyons was on the end of another Happe knockdown from a 38th minute corner, but again he pulled his volley wide of the target. The first half had been one-way traffic, but the hosts were still hanging on. Nisbet might have ended that resistance on 40, volleying over the bar from close in after Yonge had flicked on another Smith corner.
There was brief respite for Brora after the Dons got in a tangle in their own half, but Wallace’s shot from 30 yards was always swinging away from goal.
Pullen was the first player to be booked after he wiped out Yogane in the 44th minute, right at the by-line, half a yard outside the area. Ronan tried to curl the free-kick into the far post but MacKay got a touch on it to foil him.
HALF-TIME: BRORA RANGERS 0 ABERDEEN 1
Aberdeen resumed well and a searing run from Yogane early in the second half enabled him to pull the ball back for Nisbet, but he scooped his effort across goal rather than at the target.
The Dons made their first changes on 58, Nicky Devlin and Toyosi Olusanya replacing Lobban and Smith. Guinness-Walker made way for Gavin Molloy eight minutes later. The home side responded with a double change in the 68th minute, Wallace and Ali Sutherland replaced by Rodgers and Max Ewan. Rodgers had a half chance within seconds, coming onto Bunce’s pull back, but under pressure from Afeez Aremu, he scuffed his shot wide.
Persistence from Olusanya kept what looked a lost cause alive, giving Yogane the chance to cross, but Lyons got underneath his header and put it over the bar in the 71st minute.
The second goal finally arrived after 75 minutes. It began with another driving run down the left from Yogane. He played back into Molloy and his low delivery was clipped on by Ronan, Nisbet ghosting past a defender to stab the ball beyond MacKay from six yards.
MacKenzie needed treatment after coming off second best in a challenge with Ronan in the 79th minute, and he had to be replaced by Samuels. Aberdeen made their last two changes too, Happe and Yogane replaced by Jack Milne and another debutant, Ayoub Mouloua. The hosts then made their last changes on 84, Gardiner and Wilson on for Anderson and Shane Sutherland.
Connall Ewan was booked on 88 after pulling the galloping Olusanya down on the edge of the area. Nisbet’s effort at goal was blocked away by the wall, but the Dons had already done enough.
ABERDEEN: Mitov, Lobban (Devlin 58), Happe (Milne 80), Mayo, Guinness-Walker (Molloy 66), Lyons, Aremu, Smith (Olusanya 58), Ronan, Yogane (Mouloua 80), Nisbet. Subs not used: Suman, Frame, Marshall, Cummings. Goal: Nisbet (35 (pen), 75)
BRORA RANGERS: MacKay, Pullen, Nixon, Connall Ewan, MacKenzie (Samuels 81), Ali Sutherland (Max Ewan 68), Wallace (Rodgers 68), Shane Sutherland (Gardiner 84), Dingwall, Bunce, Anderson (Wilson 84). Booked: Pullen, Dingwall, Connall Ewan
