A RECORD attendance of 2,417 crowded into Harlaw Park, looking to see Inverurie Locos and Aberdeen play their last games before the big kick off.

The huge Dons following may have been disappointed not to see more first team regulars on show but it was to be a classy performance from the oldest player on the park and lessons to learn for the Locos boys playing against him.

Craig Brewster was to display why he has been one of the most consistent strikers in Scottish football over the years with two goals of his own and an involvement in some of the other strikes.

In 12 minutes a Dan Smith inswinging free kick came to the former Dundee Utd stalwart, who netted the only goal in the 1994 Scottish Cup Final against Rangers, but his downward header went wide of Paul Jarvie's left post.

A foul by Davie Calder allowed the Dons to take the lead in 15 minutes. It was over on the left side and outside the box but Chris Maguire was not put off, curling the ball into the corner from all of 25 yards.

Locos went close when Neil McLean cut in along the right bye line and forced Greg Kelly to punch his effort away from beside his post for a corner, Scott Michie's flashing header from Scott Buchan's corner not far away.

It was 2-0 in 26 minutes. Jonathan Kurrant, the teenage midfielder from Charlton, striking a ball coming in from the right over the reach of Jarvie into the roof of the net off the underside of the bar.

Brewster was to the fore in 32 minutes, racing down the left and the Locos defenders not retreating quickly enough as his perfectly weighted centred ball was knocked home after a touch was taken by Chris Maguire from close range.

Scorers Maguire and Kurrant came close to adding to the lead but the Locos line up, which had seen Allan Youngson alongside Mark Simpson in the back four, Simon Scott pushed on in left midfield and Neil McLean in centre midfield, were ready for their cuppa. They had really played some decent football in possession, but the deadliness of their opponents when on the ball was a killer.

Possession was given away early in the second half, and this time it was Maguire laying on the centred ball for Craig Brewster to knock into the empty net with 51 minutes on the clock.

One of the biggest cheers of the night was for the introduction of former Locos favourite David Ross whose twisting and teasing was a sight to behold, and a pinpoint cross from him on the left was headed home by Craig Brewster right in front of goal, midway through the half.

Michael Paton, who netted four against Rothes earlier in the month, was to net the sixth and final goal soon after to make it a comfortable win, his strike being a sweet right foot volley.

Inverurie Locos: Jarvie (Reid 82), McCulloch, Buchan, Wilson, Simpson (Milne 54), Youngson (Mess 73), McLean (Singer 54), Calder (Hart 90), Michie (Stott 80), Gordon (McKimmie 54), Scott.

Aberdeen: Kelly (Trialist 72), McVitie, D. Smith, Kurrant (Skinner 74), Strachan (Crawford 82), Paton (Lamberty 77), Young, Brewster, Maguire, S. Smith (Ross 58).