The Aberdeen players had hoped for rain to fall on Recreation Park's artificial pitch in order to aid their passing game. They got their wish in spades - perhaps buckets would be the more apposite description.

The Aberdeen players had hoped for rain to fall on Recreation Park's artificial pitch in order to aid their passing game. They got their wish in spades - perhaps buckets would be the more apposite description.

A downpour of Biblical proportions failed to douse the spirits of the 3000-plus supporters who packed into this quaint, throwback of a football stadium.

The five-minute delay to clear streamers from the playing area, Alloa's amber and gold kit, and the uncovered terracing evoked memories of bygone years. Much had been made of Alloa's plastic surface, an anachronism in this most antiquated of Scottish football grounds, but it was beyond reproach.

None the less, that did not stop Jimmy Calderwood, the Aberdeen manager, from claiming afterwards that the "conditions had been horrible and the pitch a great leveller". However, only half of that statement was true. The weather was miserable but Calderwood could hardly use the pitch as an excuse for his side's failure to put the game out of sight sooner.

Aberdeen mastered the conditions much quicker than their hosts and, indeed, could have been 3-0 up inside the first 20 minutes but for Raymond Jellema's fine save from Charlie Mulgrew's swerving free-kick and Scott Buist's clearance off the line following a shot by Sone Aluko with Jellema stranded. Instead, they had just Lee Miller's goal - deflected in after Chris Maguire's tame shot - to show for their efforts However Miller, who was watched by the Scotland No.3 Stephen Pressley, offered a more feasible insight into why Alloa found an equaliser just before half-time through Andy Scott.

"We let them into it," he said. "We started to lose a few personal battles and we were disappointing, very disappointing."

Controversy surrounded Alloa's equaliser and the furore was all of referee Steven Nicholls' making. Just before the interval, Scott's low free-kick was lashed home on the half-volley by Dougie Hill but Nicholls had already blown for Miller's tug on the goalscorer. Cue protests from both sides: Aberdeen, who felt the penalty should not have been awarded, and Alloa, who felt Nicholls was too hasty in blowing for it.

Credit to Scott, who composed himself before driving home the penalty, despite a lengthy delay in which Scott Severin, the Aberdeen captain, was booked for protesting and yet another streamer, thrown from the Aberdeen end, was cleared from the goalmouth.

Darren Mackie, who would have started but for a number of niggly injuries, was introduced after the break and the change had an immediate impact. The half was just six minutes old when Jamie Langfield's punt upfield was flicked on by Mackie and Aluko outbattled and then outpaced the Alloa defence before lofting the ball over Jellema's head to restore Aberdeen's advantage.

That appeared to be that, but Alloa continued to probe for a second equaliser, spurning their best opportunities in the process - most notably when Brown Ferguson volleyed over after Langfield had dropped the ball at his feet and, more obviously, when Andy Ferguson headed David McClune's back-post cross wide when it seemed easier to score.

A chipper Allan Maitland, the Alloa manager, declared himself satisfied with his side's performance, if not the result.

"I'm very proud of my team, but obviously disappointed to have lost the game. We had a lot of opportunities in the second half when we were one-on-one and the pass wasn't just quite right. But the effort was magnificent."

He reserved special mention for the pitch, too: "I know Aberdeen had a few complaints about the park but can you imagine playing at the old Ochilview or the old Recs on a day like this? My God. Our park's fantastic for that."

The last word went to Miller, who expressed dismay at this own performance in front of Pressley but nevertheless showed magnanimity in his praise for Alloa. "It's a great day for Alloa, all credit to them for nearly causing an upset," he added. "We weren't at the races, but we're in the next round. That's the main thing."