Aberdeen Women survived a late scare to beat Montrose 2-1 in an SWPL clash where the young Dons impressed.
It was a fast start at Links Park as 19-year-old Jess Broadrick scored her first goal of the season to give the Reds the lead after six minutes.
The Dons had the perfect chance to double their advantage just before half-time, but Hannah Stewart saw her penalty saved.
Second-half substitute Darcie Miller, 17, scored her first SWPL goal in only her fourth top-flight appearance – having made her debut last term – in the 69th minute to put Aberdeen 2-0 up.
But it was a frantic final 15 minutes in Montrose as Jade McLaren pulled a goal back for the Gable Endies in the 75th minute to make it 2-1.
However, it proved only to be a consolation effort as the Dons prevailed with all three points.
Aberdeen manager Clint Lancaster made one change from Sunday’s defeat to Rangers, as Laura Holden came in for Francesca Ogilvie, who was named on the bench.
In the first real chance of the match, Aberdeen went 1-0 up as Bayley Hutchison took the ball down the byline, squaring it across the face of goal so an incoming Broadrick could stab it home from a couple yards out.
Dons goalkeeper Faye Kirby was then alert to deny Charlotte Gammie, with the Montrose forward linking up well with Aimee Ridgeway before getting a shot away.
An old face almost came back to haunt Aberdeen as Louise Brown looked to find McLaren at the back post, but the latter couldn’t connect with the former Aberdeen midfielder’s cross.
Eilidh Shore, as we have seen so many times over the last two seasons, then played a superb through pass to Hutchison, but the Dons striker couldn’t keep her shot down and it soared over the bar.
Montrose then latched on to a wasteful Aberdeen free-kick as Brown unleashed a curling effort from the edge of the box, but it was comfortably collected by Kirby.
As the first half progressed it become a more scrappy and physical contest, with fewer notable chances as Aberdeen’s Stewart resorted to a long-range strike which failed to trouble Montrose goalkeeper Lauren Perry.
The Dons did end up with the ball in the back of the net again before the half was up, but Stewart was called offside as her effort rolled over the line.
On the stroke of half-time, Aberdeen had the perfect chance to double their lead as referee Abbie Hendry pointed to the spot after Broadrick was hauled down.
But Montrose goalkeeper Perry kept her side in the game as she saved Stewart’s penalty two minutes before half-time, before saving again on the rebound.
In the second half, it was the home side who hit the first chance when Ridgeway did well to got a shot away – albeit off target – with three Aberdeen players surrounding her.
There were then two chances in quick succession for the Dons, with Nadine Hanssen’s effort from a corner saved by Perry, before the Montrose goalkeeper made a routine save to deny Holden.
Montrose’s Kayleigh Brough went close from a corner, sent in by Gammie, but the defender’s header landed the wrong side of the post, before Ridgeway fired another strike wide of the post.
At the other end, Aberdeen enjoyed a decent spell in possession with substitute Hannah Innes influencing the play before Shore saw a strike soar over the bar.
But the Dons would make it 2-0, with Innes registering the assist as she crossed the ball into the box to find substitute Miller, who tapped home at the back post.
McLaren then halved the deficit with 15 minutes left as she slotted the ball into the bottom left corner beyond Kirby.
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