Hamilton exit Betfred Cup at home to Aberdeen

McLean's goal two minutes before half-time secured a 1-0 triumph and set up another trip to Lanarkshire to face Motherwell in the last eight.

Aberdeen had beaten Accies in the league on Saturday but had only won once on their previous six trips to the SuperSeal Stadium.

Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes said: "I'm just delighted to get through. The reaction when the draw was made was that it was going to be so tough and it was exactly that.

"You have got to credit Hamilton. Their subs were good, wee Steven Boyd was excellent and kept us on our toes all night.

"And until you get that second goal you are never ever going to be comfortable because you are away from home against Hamilton, who are brilliant at what they do. They never give up and always ask questions of you. They have a brilliant attitude.

"We just about kept them at arm's length and got the all-important first goal. Wee Scott Wright does well, one of the few times he got away from Grant Gillespie in the first half, that stretches them a bit and it was a lovely finish from Kenny with his right foot.

"Once we went in front, it was all about trying to manage the game. In spells we did, in spells we didn't do it as well as I hoped. It wasn't a great watch to be honest but in the cup it's all about getting through."

Boyd went close to opening the scoring but Ali Crawford inadvertently stopped his team-mate's close-range shot from going in.

Hamilton manager Martin Canning, who revealed before the game he was in talks over the signings of two strikers, said: "It's small margins. We had a couple of opportunities that we don't take and they get a ricochet and get their goal.

"We didn't get the rub of the green again. Wee Boydy's one is going in and it hits Ali on the line and he's offside, which just seems to be typical just now.

"I'm not happy because we lost the game but I am encouraged by what I am seeing.

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