Former Aberdeen stars Josh Magennis and Angus MacDonald were at the heart of the action as League One Exeter City pushed Premier League outfit Nottingham Forest to the brink in an FA Cup thriller.

Despite Exeter’s heroic performance, they were ultimately defeated in a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw in normal time, with MacDonald missing a crucial spot-kick.

Veteran striker Josh Magennis, who spent three years at Pittodrie between 2010 and 2013, was the standout performer for Exeter.

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The Northern Ireland international put in a vintage display, scoring both goals for the League One side to force extra time against their top-flight opposition.

Magennis opened the scoring in the first half, capitalising on a rebound which the goalkeeper spilled to fire the unlikely leaders ahead.

After the hosts equalised and took the lead, the former Dons forward struck again in the 50th minute after his initial header was saved but Magennis made no mistake burying the rebound to equalise with Nottingham Forest.

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When the tie went to penalties, Magennis stepped up first for Exeter, converting his spot-kick with confidence. However, the Grecians’ hopes were dashed when Angus MacDonald hit the woodwork with his penalty, allowing Forest to edge through to the quarter finals.

A 20-year-old Josh Magennis joined the Dons in 2010 from Cardiff City for three-and-a-half seasons before departing for St Mirren in the January window of the 2013/14 season on loan.

Upon his return to Pittodrie in the summer of 2014 he was then sold to Kilmarnock, where he enjoyed another two years of Scottish football before moving to Charlton.

During his time at Aberdeen Magennis would feature for the Dons 123 times, scoring 12 goals and notching 10 assists.

Centre-back MacDonald, who featured heavily for Aberdeen during the 2022/23 season, endured a bittersweet evening.

He put in a solid defensive shift to help Exeter keep Forest at bay for long stretches of the game but was left dejected after missing his penalty in the shootout.

MacDonald joined the Dons from Swindon Town in January 2023 and played a key role in Aberdeen’s third-place finish in the Scottish Premiership that season.

However, he struggled with injuries the following campaign and was moved on after two years at Pittodrie, eventually landing at Exeter, with the Nottingham Forest cup tie being his debut for the club.

Although injuries hindered MacDonald’s playing time, he was able to capture high moments for his career, including captaining the Dons to a 2-0 win against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa Conference League group stage.

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MacDonald nearly became Aberdeen’s hero, scoring an equaliser in the 120th minute of a thrilling Scottish Cup semi-final against Celtic.

MacDonald converted his penalty going third for Aberdeen, however the Dons eventually lost 8-9 on penalties.

For Aberdeen fans, seeing Magennis and MacDonald battle against a Premier League side would have brought back memories of their time at Pittodrie.

Magennis, a versatile forward, made over 100 appearances for the Dons, while MacDonald’s short but impactful stint helped the club secure European football.