Aberdeen gave Stephen Glass victory in his first game as manager after a penalty shootout win over Livingston in the Scottish Cup.
Jay Emmanuel-Thomas had put Livi in front in the first period but they were pegged back with 15 minutes to go, thanks to a fine strike from Niall McGinn.
Emmanuel-Thomas had them back ahead in extra-time from the penalty spot before Florian Kamberi opened his account for the club with the leveller.
A shoot-out was required to separate the two sides, with the Dons triumphing 5-3 to book a home tie with Dundee United in the quarter-finals.
Glass made two changes from the team which beat St Johnstone, with the cup-tied Jack Mackenzie and striker Florian Kamberi dropping out. In came Connor McLennan and Fraser Hornby.
Greater intensity was asked of the Aberdeen players and there could have been little better test for them than facing Livingston, a team renowned for scrapping and clawing for every victory under manager David Martindale.
It was the visitors who crafted the first chance of the game, with Emmanuel-Thomas’ cross finding Nicky Devlin at the back post, with the full-back crashing the ball over.
In the early exchanges the Dons’ distribution was suspect, with several balls from the back going astray and being intercepted by Livingston shirts. The tempo was quicker but the fluidity and accuracy was missing.
McGinn provided the initial opening for Aberdeen, creating space for Jonny Hayes to overlap beyond him on the left. Hayes’ centre needed to be on the money but it was behind McLennan, who was unable to get a clean connection on the ball.
Their first major worry came when goalkeeper Joe Lewis was left in a heap following Craig Sibbald free-kick. As Lewis came to claim the ball, Tommie Hoban nudged Jon Guthrie who in turn stumbled into the Dons captain.
After being treated on the turf for several minutes, Lewis got to his feet and was able to continue. However he lasted little over 10 minutes more and was replaced by Gary Woods, making his Aberdeen debut.
His first act in a Dons shirt was to pick the ball out of his net, with Emmanuel-Thomas capitalising on Hayes’ hesitance and swapping passes with Scott Pittman before finishing.
Absolutely clinical from Jay Emmanuel-Thomas! 🔥
Great play to keep the ball in play and start the move, and a top class finish to fire @LiviFCOfficial in front 🟡#ScottishCup pic.twitter.com/tDHPToOUDW
— Premier Sports 📺 (@PremierSportsTV) April 17, 2021
There were little glimpses of improvement but also glaring reminders of the work Glass has ahead of him. Aberdeen moved the ball sharply but often in areas of little danger to Livingston, while the lack of a genuine goal threat up front again hampered them.
Hornby, aside from one snap-shot which Max Stryjek parried in the first period, was again struggling to have an impact.
He was removed on the hour for another of Aberdeen’s loan strikers in Kamberi but the hosts were offering little more to trouble Stryjek.
A commanding performance in the middle of the park from Marvin Bartley anchored Livi’s display, with Emmanuel-Thomas growing more and more into the game as an all-round threat up front.
As in the 2-0 win for the Lions against Aberdeen in February, they were cajoled relentlessly by Martindale from the touchline and their persistence never wavered.
But for all the talk of a new era at Pittodrie this week, it was the old guard who pulled them out of the fire. Hayes was released down the left and found McGinn 12 yards from goal; the Northern Ireland international controlled and fired into the top corner to hand Aberdeen their reprieve.
Niall McGinn smashes an equaliser into the top corner for @AberdeenFC! 🔴
Still time for a winner at Pittodrie too 👀 pic.twitter.com/Rr6BH9IbfQ
— Premier Sports 📺 (@PremierSportsTV) April 17, 2021
It took the teams to extra-time, where they were level for only a few minutes as Emmanuel-Thomas struck again.
Nicky Devlin’s cross was well-placed into the striker’s feet and Dean Campbell’s soft-but-clumsy challenge sent him tumbling. Campbell knew instantly what referee Colin Steven was about to do – he blew for a spot-kick and Emmanuel-Thomas duly converted.
The Dons allowed little time for that blow to register. Surging back down the field, McGinn’s clipped ball in was turned in on the slide by Kamberi for his first Aberdeen goal.
Penalties were required to decide the victor, with Lewis Ferguson, Alan Lithgow and Kamberi all scoring before Jason Holt hit the bar.
Callum Hendry put Aberdeen in front, Emmanuel-Thomas tucked his away and Dean Campbell and Aaron Taylor-Sinclair all followed suit.
It was left to Ross McCrorie to tuck away the winning penalty and send Aberdeen into the last eight.