Christian Ramirez at the double as Aberdeen see off Peterhead

Christian Ramirez’s second-half double gave Aberdeen a 2-0 win in their opening Premier Sports Cup Group A game against Peterhead.

The Dons striker converted a penalty in the 63rd minute after Matt Kennedy was pulled down by Blue Toon defender Jack Brown and then headed in a Marley Watkins cross 10 minutes later to clinch the points.

The cinch Premiership visitors were without Lewis Ferguson as he prepares to travel to Italy to complete his move to Bologna next week, but another midfielder, Ross McCrorie, was at the heart of most of the action in the first half.

In the opening minutes his powerful left-footed shot from 20 yards smacked the crossbar, with the ball hitting goalkeeper Jack Newman and going behind for a corner which came to nothing.

The League One side worked their way into the game but in the 27th minute Newman pushed a low drive from McCrorie past a post for another corner, with the danger eventually cleared.

Newman brilliantly saved Ramirez’s low drive from 16 yards for yet another fruitless corner before McCrorie had the ball in the net from 10 yards in the 42nd minute, only for a foul to be called against Jayden Richardson before he set the midfielder up with his cut back.

Newman made two further saves from Ramirez, but in the 56th minute Aberdeen keeper Kelle Roos made a terrific save from Ryan Dow’s long-range drive and from the corner Dons defender Liam Scales cleared off the line.

Moments later, however, after Kennedy went tumbling inside the box, Ramirez sent Newman the wrong way with his spot-kick.

And when the Dons striker nodded in a cross from Watkins the away fans could relax.