Summer signing Or Dadia made his Aberdeen debut as the Dons rounded off their pre-season friendlies with a 3-2 defeat of Charlton Athletic.
Loan star Dadia was introduced as a substitute in the second half and delivered a rock solid first shift.
Aberdeen were 3-0 up at the break in London and could have held a more emphatic lead after 45 minutes.
However League One Charlton fought back to net twice in the second half.
The Dons were cheered on by a 1,613 strong travelling support in the 5,174 crowd.
The Addicks were unbeaten during pre-season prior to facing the Dons and had drawn 2-2 away at Millwall on Tuesday.
However the Dons raced into an early lead, stunning the home side with the opener after just three minutes when a Dante Polvara cross from the right was headed in by Charlton’s Nathan Asimwe for an own goal.
The Dons doubled their advantage in the 2znd minute when Duk played in a pass to Graeme Shinnie who headed in from five yards.
In the 29th minute Aberdeen were awarded a penalty for hand-ball by Michael Hector.
Striker Bojan Miovski rattled the keeper’s left hand post with the ball rebounding out.
However Miovski got on the scoresheet soon after when Shayden Morris slid in a pass form the right and the striker fired home from eight yards.
Charlton Athletic pulled a goal back in the 69th minute when Corey Blacktt-Taylor stabbed in a cross from Tyreece Campbell from close range.
They made it 3-2 in the 90th minute when Aberdeen’s Nicky Devlin stabbed a Daniel Kanu shot into his own goal.
Talking points
Solid debut from Israeli right-back Or Dadia
Israeli international right-back Or Dadia was introduced in the 62nd minute for his Aberdeen debut.
Dadia has been secured on a season long loan from Hapoel Be’er Sheva with Aberdeen having an excusive offer to buy the defender at the end of the season.
The 26-year-old defender, Robson’s seventh capture of a summer rebuild, is contracted to Be’er Sheva until summer 2025.
It is understood the option to buy Dadia would be £400,000.
Dadia was signed before the friendly loss to Preston North End but could not make his debut until the completion of the UK immigration process.
The paper-work was cleared for Dadia to face Charlton and he delivered an early indication of his potential both defensively and in attack.
Within minutes of his introduction Dadia burst forward and fired a powerful drive that flashed just wide.
Defensively the right-back worked hard to track back after pushing upfield.
He has real pace and slid in with a superbly timed block to deny a vicious low drive from Tyreece Campbell 15 yards out.
In the 85th minute Dadia burst down the right-flank, beat Williams, and then delivered a superb cross deep into the box.
It was an excellent delivery but there were no takers.
If Dadia continues to deliver crosses of that quality Miovski, Duk and Sokler will surely capitalize.
Dadia has clearly still to get up to full match sharpness and fitness.
But when he does the right-back, who has European group stage experience. could be a key player for the Dons.
Aberdeen’s centre-back injury crisis continues
Aberdeen face a centre-back injury crisis ahead of the Premiership opener against Livingston on Saturday.
For the second successive friendly boss Barry Robson had to field a makeshift back three due to injury problems.
Centre-backs Angus MacDonald and Rhys Williams are facing a battle to be fit to face Livingston.
MacDonald has not featured in any of the four pre-season friendlies due to a knee injury.
On loan Liverpool defender Williams has missed the last three friendlies with a back injury.
And centre-back Jack Milne was taken off with a tight hamstring in the 62nd minute against Charlton.
However boss Robson is confident it will not be an issue that will rule out Milne/
Reinforcements are on the way as it is understood the Dons have thrashed out a six-figure deal to sign 6ft 4in centre-back Slobodan Rubezic from Serbian top flight club Novi Pazar.
Rubzic’s arrival is subject to the player completing a medical and a work permit being issued, ideally before the season opener at Livingston.
Defender Rubezic requires Home Office visa clearance to travel to the UK for a medical and the other necessary steps to progress the switch.
Robson fielded a make-shift back-three of Jack Milne, Nicky Devlin and Jack MacKenzie.
Right-back Devlin was at the right of the three with left-back MacKenzie on the left and Jack Milne central.
Milne, 20, has not started a competitive game for the Dons, with only four substitute appearances.
For the third successive friendly centre-back Anthony Stewart was on the bench.
It is an indication of where former Dons captain Stewart, who was sent on loan to MK Dons for the second half of last season, sits in the Pittodrie defensive order.
Stewart was introduced in the 62nd minute as a substitute.
The back three were rarely troubled by Charlton in the first half and when they were they stood up to it robustly and confidently.
In the 40th minute Alfie May broke in on goal when racing onto a long ball.
MacKenzie made up ground quickly to slide in with a superb block to stop May’s shot.
It was a vastly improved defensive performance from the loss at Preston, although Charlton did not offer as much of an attacking threat.
Scoring return to starting line-up for Miovski
Aberdeen striker Bojan Miovski looks to have won his battle to be fit for the Premiership opener against Livingston on Saturday.
The 24-year-old netted a first half goal against Charlton but should have had at least a hat-trick in the first half alone.
Miovski has another week of training to finesse that shooting edge but he clearly has the fitness and sharpness to get into scoring positions and cause defenders problems.
The North Macedonian international striker’s movement caused havoc in the Charlton Athletic back-line.
At Charlton, Miovski returned to the starting line-up for the first time since being stretchered off with ankle ligament damage in the 3-0 defeat of St Mirren in May.
In the 16th minute Miovski illustrated his sharpness with a near post run to break in front of Michael Hector to meet a low Jonny Hayes cross.
Miovski’s flicked shot from an acute ankle flashed inches over the bar.
Minutes later Miovski was played in on goal but was denied when keeper Ashley Maynard-Brewer raced out to block his low 15 yard shot.
Miovski missed a penalty in the 29th minute when a spot-kick was awarded for hand-ball by Michael Hector.
His low penalty hit the keeper’s left hand post.
In the 33rd minute Miovski did get on the goal-sheet when he raced onto a pass delivered by Shayden Morris on the right.
Miovski clinically converted from eight yards.
He narrowly avoided another goal moments later when racing in on goal and lifting a 15 yard shot over the advancing keeper that bounced inches wide of the far post.
Miovski was replaced by £300,000 summer signing Ester Sokler after 55 minutes.
Striker Miovski had delivered a compelling argument to start against Livingston.
Talking tactics
Aberdeen boss Barry Robson stuck with the 3-5-2 formation he has utilized throughout the pre-season friendlies.
Again he was forced to field the same makeshift back-three as started in the 2-0 loss to Preston North End.
However against Charlton Nicky Devlin and Jack Milne swapped the roles each had against Preston.
Devlin moved to right-centre back with Milne stepping inside to the central role.
Jack MacKenzie remained in the left-sided centre back position occupied against Preston.
The midfielder of Dante Polvara, Leighton Clarkson and Graeme Shinnie was flanked by Jonny Hayes wide left and Shayden Morris wide right.
Bojan Miovski returned to the starting line-up after battling back from an ankle injury to partner Duk.
Player points
ABERDEEN (3-5-2): Roos 7; Devlin 6, Milne 6 (Stewart 62), MacKenzie 6; Morris 7 (Duncan 62), Polvara 7 (Barron 62), Clarkson 7, Shinnie 7, Hayes 7 (Dadia 62); Duk 6 (Bavidge 69), Miovski 7 (Sokler 55).
Subs not used: Doohan, Ramadani, Besuijen, Marshall.
CHARLTON ATHLETIC (4-4-2): Maynard-Brewer 6; Asimwe 6, Jones 6 (Thomas 62), Hector 6, Ness 6; Camara 6 (Anderson 62), Dobson 6 (Payne 79), Fraser 7 (McGrandles 79), Blackett-Taylor 6; May 6 (Kanu 84), Kirk 6 (Campbell 62)
Subs not used: Isted, Jaiyesimi, Henry, Egbo, Payne, Mitchell, Chin
Referee: Gavin Weir
Star Man
Dante Polvara (Aberdeen): Impressive shift in the centre of midfield from the American.
Polvara recently returned from a loan spell in the United States at Charleston Battery in the USL Championship.
The 22-year-old was composed and creative in the heart of midfield. He has certainly benefitted from a loan spell where he started every game for Charleston.