Aberdeen 3 CS Fola Esch 1

Niall McGinn and Adam Rooney hit dramatic late goals for Aberdeen against Fola Esch in their Europa League first qualifying round first leg match at Pittodrie.

Shay Logan's second-half opener was immediately cancelled out by Julien Klein but Aberdeen remained the dominant side.

And their strikers' late goals handed the Dons a healthy advantage to take to Luxembourg for next Thursday's return match.

Fola nearly scored as early as the fifth minute. Stefano Bensi exchanged passes with Samir Hadji and clipped a low shot off the outside of Aberdeen's far post.

The home side thought they had taken the lead in the 28th minute when Ash Taylor volleyed the ball into the net from close range. But the goal was ruled out as Jonny Hayes' cross had carried out of play before Jayden Stockley directed a header back to Taylor.

Taylor continued to be a threat from set-pieces and just after the half-hour mark the defender powered a header wide having got on the end of a cross from McGinn, following a short corner by Hayes.

Fola keeper Thomas Hym was called into action early in the second period when he made a superb stop from a header by Taylor, after a corner from McGinn.

The Dons continued to ramp up the pressure. A goal-bound shot from Stockley was cleared by visiting defender Massimo Martino, Hym saved a free-kick from McGinn and the Northern Ireland forward then turned a shot just wide.

Aberdeen came close to scoring in the 67th minute when Hayes lashed the ball across goal and substitute Rooney slid in to knock an effort against a post.

The home side then broke the deadlock 60 seconds later as a corner from McGinn caused chaos in the Fola penalty area and Logan blasted in an acrobatic volley from six yards out.

However, Aberdeen were pegged back within three minutes when Klein scored from close range following a cut-back by Emmanuel Francoise.

The Dons tried to quickly recover from that setback but were once again denied by a great save from Hym, this time to keep out an overhead kick from Stockley.

Taylor then had another goal ruled out, due to a foul on Hym, following a corner by McGinn.

However, the Dons scored twice late on to earn a deserved victory.

In the 90th minute, McGinn's shot from 10 yards out squirmed into the net as it proved too hot to handle for Hym.

Then in the seventh minute of added time, Rooney converted a spot-kick after Bensi was penalised for handball.