A dramatic 89th-minute equaliser from Barry Nicholson earned Aberdeen a last-gasp draw against Hibs and ensured a replay at Easter Road will decide who advances to face Gretna in the fourth round of the Tennent's Scottish Cup.

Hibs had taken a first-half lead when Ivan Sproule capitalised on a mistake from Jamie Langfield, but Dons' substitute Craig Brewster restored parity with a thumping header from Darren Mackie's cross.

A marvellous volley from Chris Killen looked to have won the tie for the visitors, only for Nicholson to strike at the death following more good work by Brewster.

Hibs were forced to cope without the services of midfield duo Scott Brown and Kevin Thomson - who have made no secret over their unhappiness with their current contracts at Easter Road and have been linked with Celtic, Rangers and Coca-Cola Championship side West Brom.

Injury and suspension were the reasons for their absence in this match, as Brown missed out due to a hamstring problem and Thomson served a ban carried through from last year's competition.

Their absence allowed Kevin McCann to make his first ever start for the Easter Road club at right-back, while Dean Shiels was handed a place in the away side's attack.

It was Hibs' goalkeeper who was their most impressive performer during the opening period though, and inside 15 minutes Andrew McNeil had made two good saves from long-range strikes by Scott Severin and Richard Foster.

However, despite Aberdeen's positive start, John Collins side should then have taken the lead soon after when following a great run and cut-back by Shiels, Killen could only make a glancing connection with the ball, which rolled harmlessly away from goal.

The Dons responded to that scare by launching a defence-splitting attack in the 24th minute, when a well-weighted pass from Gary Dempsey allowed Mackie to race through on goal.

However, while under pressure from Rob Jones, Mackie could only shoot straight at McNeil and from Nicholson's 25-yard follow-up, the Hibs stopper made another strong save.

Lee Miller then headed just wide, but the tide quickly turned in favour of the visitors as the previously anonymous Sproule decided to make his mark on the game.

First the Northern Ireland international threatened by flashing a shot from an acute angle straight across the face of the home side's goal.

Then, after Langfield inexplicably spilled a shot by Steven Whittaker, Sproule was given the simplest possible task of handing Hibs the lead, as the left-winger casually tapped the ball into an exposed goal from barely a couple of yards.

Aberdeen made two changes at the break with Brewster and Chris Maguire replacing Dempsey and Andrew Considine, but it was the away side who nearly doubled their advantage straight from kick-off.

The rampaging Killen played a neat one-two with Sproule and the New Zealand international would have scored had it not been for the sliding intervention of Michael Hart, who deflected the ball over.

However, one of the Dons' replacements then netted a superb equaliser, with Brewster stooping to score his debut goal in only his second appearance for the Pittodrie club, courtesy of a well-placed header.

The game was only level for 15 minutes though as Stewart clipped a delightful ball through to Killen, who controlled wonderfully on his chest before lashing a left-footed volley past Langfield.

Guillaume Beuzelin then fired just wide from 20 yards, but it was Nicholson who was to have the final say with a shot which rose high into the Hibs net from 12 yards, following an intelligent lay-off by Brewster.

Teams

Aberdeen: Langfield, Hart, Anderson, Considine (Brewster 45),

Foster, Nicholson, Severin, Dempsey (Maguire 45), Clark,

Miller (Lovell 77), Mackie.

Subs Not Used: Soutar, Touzani.

Booked: Severin.

Goals: Brewster 58, Nicholson 89.

Hibernian: McNeil, McCann (Stevenson 64), Jones, Martis,

Murphy, Whittaker, Shiels (Benjelloun 74), Stewart, Beuzelin,

Sproule, Killen.

Subs Not Used: Simon Brown, Glass, Hogg.

Booked: Shiels, Stewart, Benjelloun.

Goals: Sproule 43, Killen 73.

Att: 7,905

Ref: C Thomson (Scotland).