DIRE DONS HIT FOR SIX AS THEY WILT IN THE INTENSE HEAT OF ATHENS CAULDRON

ABERDEEN'S mini-revival was halted in demoralising fashion as they meekly crashed to a desperate Conference League defeat at the hands of AEK Athens in the noisy OPAP Arena.

- BY ANTHONY BROWN

Jimmy Thelin's side arrived in the Greek capital buoyed by moving off the bottom of the Premiership with back-to-back wins over Dundee and St Mirren.

But their hopes of building further momentum and picking up their first Conference League points were destroyed as the ruthless hosts eased into a three-goal halftime lead.

The Greeks continued in the ascendancy after the break to thrash the bedraggled Reds - who travel to Cyprus to play Larnaca in a fortnight - languishing at the foot of the table with no points and a goal difference of minus seven after slumping to a 6-0 defeat, their biggest ever European reverse.

Thelin made two changes to the side that started in Paisley last Saturday as Topi Keskinen and Marko Lazetic replaced Gavin Molloy and Kevin Nisbet, while former Livingston and Hearts left-back James Penrice started for AEK.

The visitors looked the more threatening side in the early stages, with Jesper Karlsson, who fizzed a free-kick just wide from 30 yards, particularly lively.