Aberdeen booked their place in the Scottish Cup last 16 with a narrow 1-0 victory over Raith Rovers, thanks to an early goal from Jack Milne at Pittodrie.
The holders, who came into the tie on the back of four consecutive defeats, made a positive start and were rewarded inside the opening 10 minutes.
On-loan debutant Lyall Cameron delivered a corner that Dante Polvara glanced on at the near post, allowing Milne to force the ball over the line under pressure from goalkeeper Josh Rae.
A lengthy VAR check followed, but the goal stood to give the defender his first senior strike.
Raith responded well to falling behind and almost levelled soon after when a defensive mix-up saw Polvara’s backheel loop dangerously towards his own goal, forcing Aberdeen keeper Dmitar Mitov to react quickly and claw the ball away.
After the break, the home side enjoyed greater control of proceedings.
Interim boss Peter Leven made changes before the hour, introducing Jesper Karlsson and Graeme Shinnie, and the pair combined soon after, only for Karlsson to delay his shot and see it deflected behind.
Aberdeen pushed to make the game safer, with Milne heading wide from another Cameron corner and Leighton Clarkson seeing an effort deflected past the post.
Despite their persistence, a second goal proved elusive.
Raith remained organised and competitive but struggled to create clear chances of their own.
Rae was required to produce a sharp save from Karlsson in stoppage time, ensuring the deficit stayed at one.
Aberdeen were unable to extend their lead, but the final whistle confirmed a much-needed win and progression in the cup.
Their reward is another home tie, this time against Motherwell, as the defence of their trophy continues with a new manager expected to be in place by the next round.
