Cardinal Keith O'Brien, Britain's most senior Roman Catholic cleric, has missed Sunday Mass after being accused of inappropriate behaviour.

Bishop Stephen Robson told St Mary's Cathedral in Edinburgh the Church "cannot not be saddened" by the news.
Three priests and one ex-priest have reportedly complained about the leader of the Scottish Catholic Church's behaviour some 30 years ago.
The Scottish Catholic Church said the cardinal, 74, contested the claims.
He is also taking legal advice, it added.
Cardinal O'Brien is due to retire next month when he turns 75.
He will have a say in who succeeds Pope Benedict XVI when the pontiff stands down on 28 February. He is Britain's only representative in the election for a successor.
Pope Benedict XVI has now given his final Sunday blessing at the Vatican before he steps down.
Cardinal O'Brien was due to celebrate Mass in St Mary's Cathedral to celebrate the eight years of Pope Benedict holding office.
By Robert PigottReligious affairs correspondent, BBC News
The cases raised by Cardinal O'Brien's four accusers go back to the 1980s - so why are they being raised now just as he prepares to leave for Rome and the election for a new Pope?
It seems that it wasn't a conclave that prompted the complaints initially - the letter complaining about Cardinal O'Brien was written to the Vatican ambassador, Archbishop Antonio Mennini, in the week before the Pope's unexpected resignation.
It seems to have been timed instead for Cardinal O'Brien's planned retirement in the next few weeks.
Two of the priests mentioned the "immense power" an active bishop has over his clergy, but with the Pope's resignation they have decided to publicise their allegations, evidently in an attempt to prevent Cardinal O'Brien taking part in the conclave.
It's unlikely to work.
Firstly any decision by Cardinal O'Brien to stay at home might be read as an admission of guilt, and secondly, Church law makes it very hard to prevent a cardinal who is qualified to vote from doing so.
But he did not appear and Bishop Robson, who is auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh, made a statement at the cathedral.
He said: "A number of allegations of inappropriate behaviour have been made against the cardinal.
"The cardinal has sought legal advice and it would be inappropriate to comment at this time. There will be further statements in due course.
"As always in times of need such as this we cannot not be saddened by the events of the last 24 hours.
"It is to the Lord that we turn to now in times of need."
A spokesman for the Vatican said "the Pope is informed about the problem and the question is now in his hands".
The Observer reported that the three priests and one former priest - from the diocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh - complained to the Pope's representative to Britain, nuncio Antonio Mennini, of what they claimed was the cardinal's inappropriate behaviour towards them in the 1980s.
The four complained in the week before 11 February, when Pope Benedict announced his resignation. The complainants have now called for the cardinal's immediate resignation.
The former priest claims Cardinal O'Brien made an inappropriate approach to him in 1980, after night prayers, when he was a seminarian at St Andrew's College, Drygrange, the Observer says.
The complainant, who is now married, says he resigned as a priest when Cardinal O'Brien was first made a bishop.
He reportedly says in his statement: "I knew then he would always have power over me. It was assumed I left the priesthood to get married. I did not. I left to preserve my integrity."
A second statement from another complainant says he was living in a parish when he was visited by O'Brien, and inappropriate contact took place between them.
A third complainant alleges dealing with what he describes as "unwanted behaviour" by the cardinal in the 1980s after some late-night drinking.
And the fourth complainant claims the cardinal used night prayers as an excuse for inappropriate contact.
BBC religious affairs correspondent Robert Pigott says the allegations seem to have been publicised now because the four complainants do not want Cardinal O'Brien to go to the Vatican to participate in electing the new Pope.
There is only a "very remote" chance that he will not go, as not only has he denied the allegations but it is very difficult to prevent a cardinal from exercising his papal vote, unless he is detained by the state, our correspondent adds.
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, the former archbishop of Westminster, told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show he was "very sad" to hear of the claims made against Cardinal O'Brien.
"The cardinal has denied the allegations so we will just to have to see how that pans out," he said.
He added: "There have been other cases which have been a great scandal to the Church over these past years.
"I think the Church has to face up - has faced up - to some of them very well indeed...
"I don't know what the Church will do. I think Cardinal O'Brien is very near to retirement and I suspect that his resignation, which is already with the Pope, because he's nearing 75 and every bishop has to retire - then presumably that will be accepted."
Cardinal O'Brien, who was born in Ballycastle, Co Antrim, has been the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh since 1985.
He has been an outspoken opponent of plans to legalise same-sex marriage and was named "bigot of the year" by gay rights charity Stonewall last November, prompting a storm of controversy.
Meanwhile, nearly 10,000 people in the United States have signed a petition calling on a senior Catholic clergyman to not participate in the election for the next Pope.
Cardinal Roger Mahony has been accused of helping priests suspected of sexual abuse to escape detection.
The Los Angeles archdiocese, of which he was formerly the head, has paid out millions of dollars in compensation to victims of child sex abuse.


Police have issued a description of a man they want to trace after a gun was fired in Edinburgh.

The incident happened at around 04:15 at an address in Kenilworth Drive, Liberton. Nobody was hurt.
Officers said they are looking for a man who is described as being white and aged between 18-25. He was wearing a grey hooded top and grey trousers.
Det Insp Stuart Harkness said the nature of the incident was "serious and reckless".
"There will be additional officers patrolling the area in the coming days, and we will continue to work closely with the public in order to bring the perpetrators to justice," he said.
"We are appealing to members of the public or delivery drivers who may have been in the area at the time to get in touch if they witnessed any suspicious activity or vehicles."


Transcripts of private speeches by US Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton have been released by the whistle-blowing site Wikileaks.

In one of the extracts, Mrs Clinton told bankers that they were best-placed to help reform the US financial sector.
She also said she favoured "open trade and open borders". Mrs Clinton's main opponent, Donald Trump, has said he wants to renegotiate key trade deals.
Mrs Clinton had refused to publish the transcripts, from 2013 and 2014.
Her rival in the Democratic primaries, Bernie Sanders, had repeatedly called on her to release the text of her speeches, which are thought to have earned her about $26m (Â£21m).
In some alternate universe, the Clinton Wikileaks story would be dominating the news this weekend, as pundits and analysts speculate on whether the revelations could tilt the election to Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush or even Ted Cruz.
Instead, this is Donald Trump's world, and we're all just along for the ride.
That doesn't mean the contents of the purloined messages, assuming they are in fact legitimate and undoctored, won't do lasting damage to Mrs Clinton - if not on Election Day, then as she tries to govern a sharply divided nation in the months and years ahead.
They provide yet more evidence that Mrs Clinton is pro-open-trade and sympathetic to Wall Street interests, despite her protestations otherwise. They also reveal a decidedly middle-of-the-road, pragmatic political attitude that won't sit well with the populist wing of her own party.
After the dust has settled in this election, the divisions within the Democratic ranks will likely re-emerge - and these emails and speech excerpts will be Exhibit A through Z for those on the left who doubt Mrs Clinton's liberal bona fides.
Her every attempt to reach across the aisle to Republicans will be viewed with the highest of suspicions.
The excerpts include comments made at an event sponsored by Goldman Sachs in October 2013 in which Mrs Clinton spoke of the need to consult Wall Street over financial reform.
"The people that know the industry better than anybody are the people who work in the industry," Mrs Clinton said.
At another speech presented to a Brazilian bank in 2013, she spoke of her "dream" for a common trade market.
"My dream is a hemispheric common market, with open trade and open borders, some time in the future with energy that is as green and sustainable as we can get it, powering growth and opportunity for every person in the hemisphere," Mrs Clinton said.
The leak comes after the US accused Russia of a cyber attack against political organisations intended to influence the presidential election.
Supporters of Donald Trump had been hopeful that Wikileaks would release an "October Surprise" this week to put an end to Mrs Clinton's presidential hopes.
Campaign staff are believed to have been sent Mrs Clinton's speeches to identify passages that could be potentially problematic if they became public, AP news agency reports.
Wikileaks posted thousands of emails, including exchanges with her campaign aide John Podesta. The release covers messages dating back years but also features some from as recently as last month.
Mr Podesta referred to the disclosures as a Russian hack, suggesting some of the documents may have been altered.
"I'm not happy about being hacked by the Russians in their quest to throw the election to Donald Trump," Mr Podesta wrote. "Don't have time to figure out which docs are real and which are faked."


League One side Bury have signed right-back Phil Edwards on a two-year deal after his release by Burton.

The 31-year-old ex-Wigan trainee spent four seasons with the Brewers, helping them reach the Championship, but spent last season on loan at Oxford.
He has also played at Morecambe, Accrington, Stevenage and Rochdale.
"Phil is very much like Jermaine Beckford in that he has been successful in gaining promotion out of this league," said boss Lee Clark.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.


Sir Andrew Witty, the chief executive of GSK, is a man who has said he wants to put ethics at the heart of the pharmaceutical firm's business.

He has made much of the company's work in Africa and bringing down that continent's drugs bill. GSK's research capability is widely regarded as some of the best in the world.
So, the pain of the allegations coming out of China must be particularly acute.
The contents of the emails sent by the person (or people), known as "gskwhistleblower", to GSK alleging corruption among Chinese sales teams makes for sobering reading. What is striking is the amount of detail, with email addresses, precise drug names and internal projects all written about by someone who clearly knows the business well.
Whether what they say is right, of course, is another matter.
Two emails sent in January and May last year talk of "aggressive sales tactics", "bribery" and wrongful payments made to thousands of doctors. The emails offer to provide more information.
Following a series of questions sent by the BBC to GSK yesterday, the company responded with its fullest account yet of what it believes has - and hasn't - happened.
"The issues relating to our China business are very difficult and complicated," it said.
"GSK takes all whistle-blowing allegations very seriously and actively encourages whistle-blowers to come forward if they have concerns.
"Investigations into the allegations made in January 2013 about GSK's business in China were conducted over several months with the support of external legal and audit advice.
"Some fraudulent behaviour relating to expense claims was identified, and this resulted in employee dismissals and further changes to our monitoring procedures in China. However, this investigation did not find evidence to substantiate the specific allegations made in the emails."
The key for Sir Andrew's reputation is how he handled the allegations once they came to his attention.
GSK says it used both in-country and international investigators - freeing them from the allegation that the Chinese arm of the business (accused of systematic corruption) was simply investigating itself.
I understand that a report was completed by May or June 2013 that did find irregularities, but nowhere near the scale alleged in the email.
The fact that Peter Humphrey, the investigator hired by GSK to look at the separate issue of a covert video recording of a senior GSK China executive, Mark Reilly, having sex, found that the allegations were "credible" does not help Sir Andrew.
Mr Humphrey, who is now in detention in China, appears to have had limited access to GSK material beyond that pertinent to the tape - the existence of which was first revealed by The Sunday Times last weekend.
Which raises the question - if he was investigating the sex tape which was part of the overall allegations against GSK in China, why wasn't he given the other incendiary emails earlier in the process?
Mr Humphrey sent a message from prison - seen by the BBC - which says that he feels "cheated". GSK has some serious questions to answer about how it treated Mr Humphrey, who is facing trial next month, possibly in secret.
It wasn't until the Chinese authorities announced their own investigation into allegations of corruption within GSK in July that the business made any public comment.
Asked about this lengthy delay, GSK said: "We inform the financial markets in relation to all material matters following internal and external legal advice. We are confident we have satisfied all our disclosure requirements."
So far, GSK's share price has hardly flickered since the allegations became public. Investors will be waiting to see the level of any fines the Chinese authorities might impose before voting with their wallets.
And whether anything uncovered reveals wider spread issues about GSK operates. Don't forget, in 2012 GSK was fined $3bn in America for fraudulently promoting drugs for unapproved use and failing to report safety data to the Food and Drug Administration.
The company insists it has radically changed its processes since then - both in America and China.
And it appears that at present the board is satisfied with how GSK's executives are handling the investigation.
China is a small part of GSK's global operations, accounting for about 3% of its revenues.
It is well behind the other big foreign players in the rapidly growing pharmaceutical sector. Astra Zeneca and Pfizer, subject of a takeover battle earlier this year, are the leading foreign drug providers in the country.
But GSK does want to keep hold of its licence. The Chinese three tier market (research and development, manufacturing and consumer) is an increasingly valuable one.
Sir Andrew does not want to pull out. He must hope that the Chinese authorities' findings come quickly and do not reveal anything which the company failed to uncover.


Rising food entrepreneur Affiong Williams is tapping into a growing demand for healthy treats in Nigeria by selling snack packs of dried fruit and nuts.

27 January 2016 Last updated at 00:09 GMT
The brightly coloured packets are produced in Lagos by ReelFruit, the company founded by Ms Williams in 2012.
It is her first step into country's agribusiness sector, which she believes has huge untapped potential both in wealth and job creation.
According to Ms Williams, ReelFruit also aims to show Nigerian products can be made to world-class standards, and sold anywhere in the world.
Women of Africa is a BBC season recognising inspiring women across the continent. The second series, Africa's New Businesswomen, introduces eight female entrepreneurs who are finding success in their country - and beyond.
Read more here


England coach Roy Hodgson has named his 23-man squad for Euro 2016 - but who should start against Russia on 11 June?

Would you play captain Wayne Rooney in attack or midfield? Or would you not start with him at all?
Is there room for Jamie Vardy? And what about Harry Kane?
And then there is the question of formation - does Hodgson go with a lone striker or should he try to fit two up top?
Use our new team selector to pick your England team, selecting from the whole squad and slotting them into the formation of your choice.
And after you've done that, you can share them with your friends or post them on your social media accounts.
It couldn't be easier - and you never know, Roy might just be reading.
Who do you think should start at Euro 2016? Step into Roy Hodgson's shoes and pick your XI - and then share it with your friends using our brand new team selector.
Chief football writer Phil McNulty
England's central defence will be their biggest problem at Euro 2016 having had failings against quality opposition exposed in recent years.
And yet Hodgson has decided to sacrifice one central defender to add to his resources further forward. Everton's Phil Jagielka is left out while Manchester United's Chris Smalling, Gary Cahill of Chelsea and Everton's John Stones are selected.
Hodgson has covered himself with Tottenham's Eric Dier. He is likely to start as a holding midfield player but is also the central defensive cover. A gamble.
In attack, Manchester United's Marcus Rashford has the chance to be the squad's "bolter" - but he will have to produce something special in the pre-Euro 2016 friendlies to unseat any of the established names.


The sustainability of Scotland's mountain bothies is being threatened by commercial groups, the organisation that maintains the network has warned.

The Mountain Bothies Association (MBA) said it was concerned about the increasing number of businesses using the shelters.
Bothies are found throughout the Highlands, with most of them maintained by the MBA
They are free, but users are asked to follow a "bothy code".
The code prohibits the use of the buildings by commercial groups.
Many bothies were estate buildings originally built for stalking parties or gamekeepers, but are now popular with hillwalkers and climbers. The MBA was formed in 1965 and looks after about 100 bothies throughout the UK.
Most of the shelters are found in Scotland. They provide basic accommodation, but are generally wind and watertight.
The charity said there were  a "number of reasons" why commercial use of bothies - for example by guided tours or adventure holidays - could damage the interests of other bothy users.
In a statement, the MBA said: "There have been occasions when an owner has threatened to close a bothy if we fail to act to prevent further use in this way.
"There have been incidents when legitimate bothy users have been made to feel unwelcome, inconvenienced or even refused entry when commercial groups have been in residence.
"Our volunteers who maintain the bothies, not unreasonably, feel aggrieved to know that their hard work is contributing to the profits of a business that probably does not support our organisation in any way."
But the MBA said it was happy with commercial groups using bothies as a lunch shelter or "in the event of a genuine emergency".


Warrington Wolves moved to the top of the Super League table thanks to a late victory over Catalans Dragons.

Declan Patton and Kevin Penny went over to give Warrington a 12-0 lead, before Patton crossed for a second time.
Vincent Duport scored to get the hosts off the mark, while Richie Myler made it 18-12 on his return from injury.
Ben Garcia went over to claw Catalans back into the game and Tony Gigot kicked them ahead, but Ben Currie's late try won it for Warrington.
The result means Warrington go top of the table a week after their Challenge Cup final defeat by Hull FC, maintaining their hopes of reaching a maiden Super League title with three rounds left of the Super 8s to play.
Catalans' hopes of sealing a spot in the play-offs suffered a blow, as the late defeat left them six points off fourth-placed St Helens.
Myler, who had been out for several months with a groin problem, almost scored a second try to put Catalans out of sight with eight minutes to spare but it was ruled out after a long consultation with video referee Phil Bentham.
The Wire were missing six of the side that lost the Challenge Cup final, including England man Ben Westwood, Chris Sandow and Daryl Clark.
Catalans Dragons: Gigot, Broughton, Garcia, Duport, Yaha, Stewart, Myler, Bousquet, Aiton, Elima, Casty, Horo, Baitieri.
Replacements: Anderson, Pelissier, Mounis, Navarrete.
Warrington Wolves: Johnson, Russell, King, Atkins, Penny, Ratchford, Patton, Hill, Dwyer, Sims, Currie, Hughes, King.
Replacements: Wilde, Smith, Cox, Bailey.
Referee: Jack Smith.
Attendance: 7,108.


Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba will miss Sunday's Premier League match at Middlesbrough with a hamstring injury.

The France international pulled up in the second half of United's Europa League win over FC Rostov and had to be replaced by Marouane Fellaini.
The 24-year-old is also expected to miss France's matches against Luxembourg and Spain later this month.
United boss Jose Mourinho could not say how much longer Pogba would be out.
Asked whether he would be out for around three weeks, Mourinho replied: "Yeah. I don't know for sure, but for sure, no Middlesbrough and no national team."
Pogba, the world's most expensive player, has provided seven goals and five assists in 41 matches for United this season, but has been criticised for his recent performances.
Before the match, Mourinho defended his player by saying: "I feel that the world is losing values and I am scared about the level of envy coming in. It is not Paul's fault that he gets 10 times the money some players did in the past."
Dutchman Daley Blind also went off in the match with what looked like concussion, but no news was given on the extent of his problem.
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Craig Gordon hopes an impressive display against Manchester City can help him retain a regular starting position at Celtic.

The 33-year-old goalkeeper was busy in a 3-3 draw, his first taste of the Champions League group stage.
Having been the number one choice for the past two seasons, Gordon was playing after Dorus de Vries picked up an injury at the weekend.
"I was happy with how I played - that's all I can do," he said.
"Everybody wants to be a part of nights like that. There is no bigger incentive to play well and keep your place."
Former Hearts and Sunderland keeper Gordon started the first nine matches of the season but lost his place to summer recruit De Vries in mid-August.
Gordon was a half-time replacement in Saturday's win over Kilmarnock, with the 35-year-old Dutchman suffering a chest injury.
De Vries was fit enough to be among the substitutes in a thriller with Manchester City in which Gordon made two good stops to deny Ilkay Gundogan, one late in the game from a deflected strike.
"This is the highest level of club football and to finally manage that at the age of 33 is a special moment for me," said Gordon.
"We'd have liked to get the three points but it was an incredible effort against a top quality side."
Asked how the match ranked in his long career, he replied: "It's right up there. The atmosphere was just incredible.
"The noise was unbelievable. There was a couple of times when I was absolutely screaming at Kolo [Toure] to leave the ball and he just couldn't hear me. I couldn't have shouted any louder."
Gordon, capped 44 times for Scotland, insists his self-belief has not wavered since dropping to the bench and is hoping manager Brendan Rodgers will find it difficult to reinstate De Vries.
"I've always been confident in what I'm able to do," he added. "It was other people saying my confidence was gone.
"If I've not been selected, that's the manager's decision and I fully respect that.
"The other side of that is that I want to play every game.
"I think I've done pretty well in stages this season and if I can get a run in the team then hopefully I can go from strength to strength."


The BBC is devoting a whole day of programming to Saturday's FA Cup final this Saturday, reviving the tradition of coverage of the Wembley showpiece.

Holders Arsenal take on Aston Villa live on BBC One. Kick-off is 17:30 BST and at the heart of 17 hours of coverage.
Highlights of the television build-up to the game include special editions of Saturday Kitchen and TOTP 2.
There will also be special content on Radio 5 live and the BBC Sport website.
All the build-up as well as the final itself can be watched on the BBC Sport website and the BBC Sport app on desktop, mobile and tablet devices.
You can download the app here:
The programming will include (all times BST):
Meanwhile, the BBC Sport website will have live text commentary from 09:00 BST until 22:00 BST with all the build-up, match action and reaction. BBC Sport social media users will be asked to perform their own #facuplift on social media, sharing their images and videos of them lifting their own trophy.
BBC School Reporters on Wembley Way will be feeding into our live coverage and if you fancy a go yourself, you can!
Your FA Cup live is an alternative live text commentary - written entirely by you. Get involved and describe the action on the day using #getcarriedaway
During the day's coverage BBC Sport online will bring you behind-the-scenes footage from Wembley on Vine, Periscope and Instagram, while users of the BBC Sport website will have access to in-game live clips including goals, key incidents and the best reaction.
Out on the pitch, 64 members of the Songs of Praise FA Cup fans choir will provide a different twist to the traditional pre-match song Abide With Me.
In the build-up to the final on Saturday, viewers can vote for the best goal during Match of the Day's 50 years on air.
Danny Cohen, the BBC's director of television, said: "The BBC has delivered so much unique FA Cup programming to audiences since its return to BBC TV this season, it's only fitting to end the competition on such a high."


Captain Joe Leach says few teams would relish facing his Worcestershire side in their current form.

Worcestershire are the only club in either division of the County Championship with a 100% record, after an innings victory over Derbyshire.
"We're playing good cricket at the moment," Leach told BBC Hereford & Worcester following their third win in as many Division Two games.
"There's not many sides in the country who would want to come up against us."
Leach took 4-50 and 5-32 in the victory at Derby, taking his tally for the season to 22 wickets. Worcestershire also topped the One-Day Cup North Group, winning six of their eight games, to earn a home semi-final.
The 26-year-old says his side will remain confident going into their next four-day match at Northamptonshire, which starts on Friday.
"At the moment, opportunities seem to be leading to wins which is obviously a great habit to be in," he said.
"It's a hungry group. We're very clear about what we want to achieve this season.
"When you play under Bumpy [director of cricket Steve Rhodes], there's not much chance of there being any complacency."


Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has described the DUP tactic of nominating and then resigning executive ministers as a version of the Hokey Cokey.

On Friday, DUP leader Peter Robinson said he would not allow ministries left vacant by his party's resignations to go to nationalists.
The DUP are expected to re-nominate their ministers within seven days and then resign them again.
The DUP health, enterprise and social development ministers quit on Thursday.
It comes amid a crisis at Stormont sparked by the murder of a former IRA man last month and the impasse over welfare reform.
The killing of Kevin McGuigan Sr caused a political row after Northern Ireland's police chief said members of the IRA had a role in the murder, and that the organisation still existed.
Speaking at a meeting of the party's national executive on Saturday, Mr Adams said Mr Robinson was "making a show of himself".
"We have tried to be very, very measured in how we deal with all of this, but I went back to Belfast last evening and everyone I met was just in exacerbation about where we're at," he said.
"Now we're going to get a new version of the Hokey Cokey."
DUP MLA Simon Hamilton said his party would "deploy whatever tactics" they needed to ensure they got the "right outcome" from the talks process.
"We need to have the PIRA's [Provisional IRA] structures dealt with and we need the Stormont House Agreement to be fully implemented," he said.
"The fact that Gerry Adams is hitting out at our tactics will not only strengthen the resolve of most unionists but they will find his protesting mildly amusing."
Mr Adams also called on the taoiseach (Irish prime minister) to make Northern Ireland  a priority.
He said Enda Kenny must persuade Prime Minister David Cameron that Northern Ireland has a different set of economic and social challenges from Britain.
Mr Adams also welcomed the election of Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader, describing him as a friend of Ireland.


The founder of VR (virtual reality) firm Oculus has hand delivered the first Rift headset to a customer.

Palmer Luckey handed over the headset a couple of days before the consumer version of the Rift is officially due to start reaching customers.
The recipient was Ross Martin from Alaska who ordered the headset when pre-orders opened in January.
Mr Luckey said he wanted the "satisfaction" of delivering the first Rift headset.
On 28 March, the consumer-ready Rift headsets should start to reach people who were among the first to order it in January.
Before now the only versions of the headset available were made so developers could familiarise themselves with the software and hardware in the device. The consumer-ready Rift has improved lenses and electronics to make VR as immersive as possible.
Mr Luckey said it was important to him to hand over the headset given that he had been involved in its development since 2009.
"I'll be damned if some random delivery guy is going to get the satisfaction of delivering the first Rift," he told game news site Polygon. "That's mine."
A video of the handover was posted to Mr Luckey's page on Facebook. Oculus was bought by Facebook in March 2014 for $2bn (£1.41bn).
Mr Martin said he had no idea that his headset was going to be handed over by Mr Luckey.
He said he received an email saying it would be delivered on Saturday but assumed everyone who pre-ordered got the same message.
It was only when he rang to confirm delivery that he realised who was handing it over.
Mr Luckey said he only had one regret about the stunt, which was wearing flip-flops while walking around in Alaska during the winter.
The Rift is the first of the sophisticated consumer-ready VR headsets to reach customers. A rival device from HTC is set to reach people in April and the headset for Sony's PlayStation will be available in October.
The PlayStation headset is the cheapest of the three, retailing at $399 in the US and £350 in the UK. By contrast the Oculus costs $599 (£499) and the HTC $799 (£689).


Typhoon fighter jet test pilot Craig Penrice no longer flies.

Seven years ago he ejected from a jet with engine failure and ended up with a broken back and a new career.
These days Mr Penrice is a member of Eurofighter's business development team, pitching the Typhoon to air crews, air forces and defence ministries around the world.
"I want the boys who do the jobs I used to do to have the best equipment available," he says.
When the Typhoon was introduced in the mid 90s, Mr Penrice was the first Royal Air Force pilot to fly it.
The aircraft was built to meet criteria hammered out by four European defence ministries - those in the UK, Spain, Germany and Italy.
It is now in series production, being built by a consortium of European military manufacturers, including BAE Systems in the UK, the Finmeccanica subsidiary Alenia Aeronautica in Italy and the European aerospace and defence giant EADS.
"Eurofighter is a plane that's really found its time," BAE Systems' group business development director Alan Garwood tells the BBC.
"It's a multi-role combat aircraft that delivers for the Royal Air Force, for the Saudis and the other European nations that have bought it so far a really tremendous fourth generation capability that will survive for years."
At Farnborough, BAE Systems test pilot Nat Makepeace looks relaxed as he gets ready for the mission of the day.
Mr Makepeace is preparing to fly a Eurofighter Typhoon, complete with six air-to-air missiles, four laser-guided bombs and three fuel tanks, in the air show aerial display.
"Fingers off buttons," he quips, though the biggest challenge will be the weight added to the fully loaded aircraft as he sets out to showcase the jet's manoeuvrability.
A trial in a flight simulator in the Eurofighter challet gives a taster of what he will have to contend with, and what the jet can do.
The Typhoon is a hugely capable fighter jet, according to Mr Penrice.
"In performance terms, it is very similar to an F-22," he insists, pointing to how both aircraft are very nimble and can fly at great heights and at high speed.
In a world without political considerations, Eurofighter's Typhoon and Lockheed Martin's F-22 Raptor might have been rival multijet combat jets, according to Mr Penrice.
In the real world, however, they are not.
The Pentagon does not to permit Lockheed Martin to sell the much admired jet outside the US.
Instead, the Raptor programme was halted last year, effective from 2011, leaving the US Air Force with 187 F-22 Raptor jets.
The F-22 is to be used alongside the F-35 Lightning II, or Joint Strike Fighter, a jet currently in development. A similar and equally suitable jet combination for European nations could be the Typhoon and the F-35, Mr Penrice says.
Both combinations would benefit from the F-35's capabilities, which includes using it for bombing raids, with the speed and agility of either the Raptor or the Typhoon, he reasons.
Instead, in the world of defence budgets the F-35 has emerged as a rival to the Typhoon.
This was highlighted by a decision by Italy this week to cancel a 2bn euros order for its final 25 Typhoons - about a fifth of its original order - while at the same time saying it will go ahead and buy F-35 aircraft.
With defence budget cuts looming in the UK and elsewhere in Europe, many at Farnborough predict that other customers will follow suit.
The F-35 is often described as a fifth generation aircraft, and as such it could be deemed superior to the Typhoon.
But Mr Penrice disputes this, insisting they are both good planes, but they are built for different purposes.
The F-35 cannot supercruise, it is not extremely agile, and its so-called stealth, or technology that makes it harder to detect, is limited, he claims.
Indeed, Mr Penrice even challenges the notion of fifth generation jets, insisting it is a term that seems to be mainly used for marketing purposes.
As such, he reasons, it creates "mis-understandings and spreads mis-information".
The way Mr Penrice sees it, three factors are considered when a fighter jet is chosen: performance, price and politics.
And these days, he insists, it is politics that rules.
For starters, when governments choose to pour money into a jet programme, they want industrial expertise and they want manufacturing jobs in return.
With the Typhoon, they have got that in spades, he insists, pointing out that some 100,000 European jobs are supported by the Eurofighter programme.
Many of those are the sort of jobs that maintain skills that enable Europe to remain autonomous rather than relying on the US, he reasons.
In the skies above Farnborough, Mr Makepeace wows the crowds with his aerial acrobatics.
But defence ministry and industry officials are also treated to a display by United States Air Force F-22 Raptor Aerial Demonstration Team Commander Major Dave 'Zeke' Skalicky, giving them first-hand views of the two planes' performance.
As a pilot, Mr Penrice would have liked performance to be the key criteria for countries choosing which fighter jets to buy.
But he also realises that defence budgets are cut both in Europe and the US, price and politics may play ever greater roles going forward.
And with many countries being "unwilling to move away from American products" for political reasons, he fears some pilots will be flying the wrong jets for their missions.


American basketball star LeBron James has signed a new contract at the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The 30-year-old led the Cavaliers to last season's NBA finals, in which they lost 4-2 to the Golden State Warriors.
James, a four-time NBA most valuable player, joined the Cavaliers as their first draft pick in 2003 before moving to Miami Heat in 2010.
He quit his contract in Miami, with whom he won two NBA titles, to return to the Cavaliers last season.
His new deal is reported to be for a further two years.
Cavaliers general manager David Griffin said: "LeBron's re-signing is a reflection and continuation of his strong personal commitment to help deliver championships to Northeast Ohio and Cavs fans everywhere.
"His impact upon this team, his community and the game are impossible to overstate and we look forward to continuing on our mission together."


The BBL and WBBL play-off finals are to be shown live on the BBC Red Button, and online via the BBC Sport website.

For the first time, both finals, to be played at the O2 in London, will take place on the same day - Sunday, 8 May.
The BBL play-off final starts at 15:30 BST, with the WBBL showpiece at 18:00.
"We are delighted to be able to partner with the BBC to show both finals live," said BBL commercial director Bob Hope. "It promises to be a great day for the basketball community."
The BBL hopes having both finals on the same day will widen the event's appeal.
Hope added: "Hopefully having the BBC coverage will mean we can attract even more new fans to the sport."


Two ageing Reading swimming pools could be replaced in £25m plans announced by the borough council.

A review carried out by the local authority has proposed building two "modern new centres" in place of the city's Central and Arthur Hill pools.
The council said it would need to spend £10m on maintaining and repairing the two "outdated" facilities.
A temporary pool could be set up at Rivermead Leisure Centre while the Central Pool replacement is built.
The new Central facility would be an eight-lane, 25-metre competition swimming pool that would be ready in about four to five years.
It would include diving facilities and a new five-court sports hall to host a range of indoor sports.
The 25-metre temporary pool could open within two years, include a learner pool and have a lifespan of at least five years.
A feasibility study would also be carried out to create a six-lane 25-metre pool at Palmer Park, linked to existing leisure facilities.
Paul Gittings, the council's lead member for sport, said the plan was "the most cost-effective way" to deliver high-quality swimming facilities.
He added: "It makes no sense to continue to pour money in outdated facilities in order to keep them going for a limited period of time."
The Central Pool is scheduled to shut  from 7 December to 21 December for maintenance work.
The plans will be considered at the next meeting of the council's Policy Committee on 30 November.


The president of Blackpool Football Club has told the High Court he felt "betrayed" by Owen and Karl Oyston after they took millions from the club.

Valeri Belokon said funds from the club's Premier League promotion was taken out in the same period the team was relegated to League Two.
He said the "substantial sums" should have been spent on players.
Mr Belokon is claiming against the Oystons for "unfair prejudice" against shareholders - which they deny.
Owen and Karl Oyston - the owner and chairman - are accused of "improperly" extracting millions of pounds for their own benefit.
Promotion to the Premier League in 2010 led to an influx of Â£106m over five years, the court heard.
In a witness statement, Latvian millionaire banker Mr Belokon said: "If even a small proportion of these substantial sums had been used to purchase and pay players, I believe the club would never have found itself in its current position."
Mr Belokon said: "Following the first payments in 2010, I was less involved in the club as I felt betrayed by Owen and Karl Oyston and have since had to endure watching this great club relegated three times since it reached its heights in the Premier League."
Mr Belokon says his company, which had invested in the club, was excluded from key decisions, information and a fair share of profits despite a joint understanding with Owen Oyston that the club would be run with his company as a 50-50 joint venture.
Alan Steinfeld QC, cross-examining Mr Belokon, suggested he had been told by Mr Oyston there could be no so such deal.
Mr Belokon replied: "We had an agreement, private to private, like gentlemen."
His QC Andrew Green had earlier accused owner Owen and chairman Karl Oyston of treating the Lancashire club as "the family's personal cash machine".
VB Football Assets, a minor shareholder in the club owned by Mr Belokon, is pursing a claim against the Oystons for "unfair prejudice" against shareholders.
The claim is also against Blackpool FC Ltd itself and Blackpool FC (Properties) Ltd, a company with family links formerly known as Segesta.
Mr Belokon won a court case in February in a dispute with the Oyston family over his share of profits after he provided Â£4.7m in July 2008 to develop the south stand and south-west corner of the club's stadium.
In March, the club announced Mr Belokon was being suspended from its board as a result of a judgement in the Paris Court of Appeal related to disputed allegations of money laundering involving two banks founded or owned by him.


Union leaders have said UK Business Secretary Sajid Javid told them at a meeting in Port Talbot that Tata Steel will be a "responsible seller".

Community Union described the discussions as "positive".
Mr Javid met Tata chairman Cyrus Mistry in Mumbai on Wednesday. The UK plants go up for sale on Monday.
Meanwhile, Sanjeev Gupta's Liberty group, seen as a front runner to buy parts of Tata's operations, met First Minister Carwyn Jones on Thursday.
A Welsh Government spokeswoman said the meeting was to "discuss ways in which government could support any future purchaser of Tata's steelmaking operations in Wales".
"It was a useful meeting and the first minister reiterated his commitment to work closely with Mr Gupta and his team. They will keep in regular contact as discussions progress," the spokeswoman added.
Earlier, a leading business expert warned it may be better to close Tata's steel plant in Port Talbot than for it to face a "death of 1,000 cuts"
Cardiff Business School Prof Calvin Jones also said UK ministers "colluded in the demise" of steel in the EU.
He said ministers' priority was to boost consumption with cheaper goods, at the expense of heavy industry.
Prof Jones' comments came as David Cameron said he believed "we can get a resolution for Port Talbot".
Challenged over steel while speaking to students at Exeter University, the prime minister said it was "a strategic industry we should seek to support".
Prof Jones wrote a report on Tata published in 2012.
In an essay for the BBC news website, he warned politicians' "proclamations" that closure was "unthinkable" would not stop it happening without a "viable investment and financial strategy" and "so far nothing of any substance has emerged from either Cardiff Bay or Westminster".
"The UK government (and some in Europe) have, by blocking tariff increases on Chinese steel, actively colluded in the downfall of EU Steel in order to protect the affordability of the consumer durables that help prop up a fundamentally broken Western consumption model of growth," he wrote.
Prof Jones suggested Liberty head Sanjeev Gupta's was interested in buying a "very old and very complex site" in Port Talbot if he could get government help with Tata's liabilities, cleaning up the land and lower electricity costs.
"The risk here of course is that Tata could walk away from their liabilities right now, and with the UK or Welsh Government shouldering them in return for the prospect of employment being retained at Port Talbot, although who knows for how long?" he said
"It is with absolutely no pleasure that I suggest that if Port Talbot is to close - and it will - it may be better done now when we can squeeze every remedial rupee possible out of a rich corporate owner.
"The alternative will be the death of a thousand cuts for the next decade or more, with the public sector left to clean up the eventual mess, and in the meantime no one able to develop a positive, sustainable vision for Port Talbot."


Motherwell assistant manager Keith Lasley insists midfielder Chris Cadden will only be sold at the right price and time for the Fir Park club.

The 20-year-old was targeted by Hearts earlier this summer and Hull are now reportedly interested in the Scot.
"We want to improve players and, like most clubs in this country, we want to sell them at the right time and for the right amount of money," Lasley said.
"We are a fan-owned club, so we need to make the sums add up."
As Lasley explained, the timing of any offer can be just as important as the transfer fee involved.
"It's got to be the right price at the right time and until that happens the players won't be going anywhere," he added.
"It's all right these moves happening, but it's when they happen as well - there's no point us letting someone go on the last day of the window and you have some money sitting in the bank. You can't play 'money' on a Saturday.
"That's the way it is but from our point of view that balance needs to be right for us before anything will happen."
Well striker Louis Moult is another player to have been the subject of interest this summer.
Aberdeen had a bid rejected for the 25-year-old and Motherwell manager Stephen Robinson this week admitted he does not expect the player to extend his contract, which expires next summer.
Lasley, however, says the man who scored 18 goals in each of the past two seasons will continue to be a key figure for the Fir Park club.
"We made Louis a fantastic offer for our football club, he's declined it at the moment," he added. "But we've got no doubt that regardless of the contract situation, he'll be giving his all to the club from now until the summer or whenever it is going to be.
"All we can ask for is that he's committed and he's not shown any signs that that is not the case."


Newcastle United captain Fabricio Coloccini has written an open letter to fans calling for unity as the club battles to stay in the Premier League.

The Magpies held crisis talks with manager John Carver earlier this week after losing their last eight league matches - their worst run since 1977.
They are now two points above the relegation zone with three games left.
"On behalf of the squad we would like to apologise for the moment we are going through," wrote Coloccini.
"Players and staff have come together in order to leave all past problems aside and to focus 100% on the three 'cup finals' that we have left.
"I would like to make a call to all fans today to also leave aside all differences, all different opinions, anything that divides us as people who love this club."
Newcastle host West Brom on Saturday before travelling to QPR on 16 May and then hosting West Ham on 24 May.
"The time we have left to turn around this situation is short but after the end of the season we will try to learn from the mistakes we made so that we don't have to go through this again," added Coloccini.
"This is as painful for us as it is for you, because when this team comes onto the pitch we do so with the intention of winning and to defend not just the colours of this club, not just our shirt, but also to represent thousands of fans, the whole city."
Carver's position came under fresh scrutiny after he accused defender Mike Williamson of deliberately getting himself sent off in Saturday's 3-0 defeat by fellow strugglers Leicester City.
However, the club issued a statement insisting he was staying.
BBC Sport understands Derby County boss Steve McClaren was asked to take over for the final three games but turned the job down.


Lee Selby says he would like to fight Abner Mares after the Welshman's IBF featherweight world title defence against Jonathan Victor Barros was called off.

Barros' failed medical test forced the abandonment on Friday.
Three-time champion Mares, who holds the regular WBA title, as opposed to Leo Santa Cruz's super belt, is also keen on the fight.
"That's a fight I would take straight away," said Selby.
"He's a big star in America so a fight between me and him, wherever it took place, over here or back in the UK, it would do massive numbers."
Negotiations for the fight could be relatively straightforward, as both fighters are advised by American promoter Al Haymon.
The cancellation of the Barros bout cost Selby, 29, a first outing in Las Vegas.
Selby admitted he might have to arrange another fight before he can set up a meeting with former super WBA champion Carl Frampton, who is eager to face the Welshman in Belfast.
Selby would like to defend his crown in Cardiff, and Mexican-American Mares would be happy to take on the man from Barry in his homeland.
"I'll fight anyone anywhere," Mares told BBC Wales Sport.
"I'll go to his country and fight him. I've got no problem with that because that's the type of fighter I am."
Mares, 31, met 29-year-old Selby at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday, with both fighters present as Northern Ireland's Frampton lost to Leo Santa Cruz on points.
"He [Selby] is a well-known fighter, obviously more in his country," added Mares.
"I'm a respectable, well-known fighter myself being a four-time world champion and holding a world title.
"We can unify world titles and make it interesting. I have no problems packing my bags and flying over there to his hometown because I know of his potential.
"I know the type of fighter he is and it will make it a good fight so I'm with it."


Luke Berry scored twice as Cambridge eased past Notts County 4-0.

They led at half-time courtesy of Berry's 19th-minute goal, which came when he charged down goalkeeper Adam Collin's kick and saw the ball rebound into the net, before blowing their opponents away in the second half.
Uche Ikpeazu made it 2-0, slotting the ball under Collin following Blair Adams' surging run out of defence, before Berry doubled his tally four minutes later.
His first effort was saved by Collin but he was able to scoop the ball in off the underside of the bar despite being on the ground.
On 69 minutes, Piero Mingoia added a fourth, benefiting from another defensive error as Harrison Dunk robbed Louis Laing and allowed Mingoia to finish easily beyond Collin.
Notts County barely threatened a response, with Will Norris beating a powerful Curtis Thompson shot away with virtually his only action.
They have now lost nine league games in a row while the Us have dropped only two points in their last seven league matches.
Report supplied by Press Association.
Match ends, Cambridge United 4, Notts County 0.
Second Half ends, Cambridge United 4, Notts County 0.
Substitution, Cambridge United. Conor Newton replaces Uche Ikpeazu.
James Dunne (Cambridge United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Adam Campbell (Notts County).
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Substitution, Notts County. Adam Campbell replaces Jon Stead.
Delay in match Greg Taylor (Cambridge United) because of an injury.
Attempt saved. Michael O'Connor (Notts County) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Foul by Uche Ikpeazu (Cambridge United).
Haydn Hollis (Notts County) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Substitution, Cambridge United. Leon Davies replaces Piero Mingoia.
Luke Berry (Cambridge United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Louis Laing (Notts County).
Attempt saved. Curtis Thompson (Notts County) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Uche Ikpeazu (Cambridge United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Michael O'Connor (Notts County).
Foul by Max Clark (Cambridge United).
Michael O'Connor (Notts County) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Goal!  Cambridge United 4, Notts County 0. Piero Mingoia (Cambridge United) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Harrison Dunk.
Luke Berry (Cambridge United) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Louis Laing (Notts County).
Piero Mingoia (Cambridge United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Piero Mingoia (Cambridge United).
Michael O'Connor (Notts County) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Greg Taylor (Cambridge United).
Jon Stead (Notts County) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Goal!  Cambridge United 3, Notts County 0. Luke Berry (Cambridge United) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box to the top right corner.
Uche Ikpeazu (Cambridge United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Louis Laing (Notts County).
Substitution, Notts County. Aaron Collins replaces Jonathan Forte.
Goal!  Cambridge United 2, Notts County 0. Uche Ikpeazu (Cambridge United) left footed shot from very close range to the centre of the goal.
Attempt saved. Max Clark (Cambridge United) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Attempt blocked. Piero Mingoia (Cambridge United) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.
Corner,  Notts County. Conceded by Blair Adams.
Substitution, Cambridge United. Harrison Dunk replaces Ben Williamson.
Attempt missed. Curtis Thompson (Notts County) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses the top right corner.
Greg Taylor (Cambridge United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jonathan Forte (Notts County).
Corner,  Notts County. Conceded by Mark Roberts.


Sir Ian McKellen is adding a new role to his impressive CV - that of a bus tour guide.

The star of stage and screen is to host public tours of the London locations seen in the film in which he played Richard III more than 20 years ago.
The film, directed by Richard Loncraine, was set in an alternative fascist 1930s England.
Locations included St Pancras station, Battersea Power Station and the building that is now Tate Modern.
"I've always thought it might be fun to take a bus tour around the sites of Richard III," Sir Ian said at the BFI on Monday.
"You would watch snippets of the film sitting in the coach and then arrive at the actual location and see it."
The bus tour is part of the BFI Presents Shakespeare on Film season, which runs in April and May to mark the 400th anniversary of the Bard's death.
Sir Ian is spearheading the project, which is billed as the BFI's biggest ever programme of Shakespeare on screen in the UK and across the world.
A screening of Richard III, with a post-film on-stage discussion between Sir Ian and Loncraine, will be simulcast across UK cinemas on 28 April.
The 1995 film's starry cast included Dame Maggie Smith, Annette Bening, Jim Broadbent, Dame Kristen Scott Thomas, Robert Downey Jr and Dominic West.
"What a cast we had!" Sir Ian said. "Half of Downton Abbey is in it.  I was thrilled when Maggie, who is only a little bit older than me, agreed to play my mother."
Other highlights of the Shakespeare on Film programme include:
BFI head curator Robin Baker said the bus tour had been Sir Ian's idea and the details of the route were still being worked out.
"The BFI has never done a bus tour - it's a definite first," he said.


London could host the World Para-athletics Championships again in 2019 after UK Athletics confirmed it is to start talks about a repeat bid.

The 2017 event finished on Sunday, and numerous athletes have called for the event to stay at London Stadium.
"We will begin discussions with partner organisations immediately to see if we can secure the necessary support," said UK Athletics chairman Richard Bowker.
He added that he believed "that there is the will to make it happen".
There is a September deadline to submit bids to host the next Worlds to the International Paralympic Committee.
More than 230,000 people attended this year's championships - more than in all eight of the previous championships combined.
Ed Warner, co-chair of London 2017, recently said he would "love it back here in two years' time".
British Paralympic Association chairman Nick Webborn said: "The BPA looks forward to both supporting and engaging with UK Athletics throughout this process.
"If we were to succeed, it would be a tremendous statement to the world and a huge opportunity for our athletes and the British public once again to enjoy world class Para-athletics in the best stadium in the world for it."


Aberdeen booked their place in the third qualifying round of the Europa League with a fantastic win in the Netherlands against FC Groningen.

A superb first-half performance built the foundations for victory.
Adam Rooney converted a penalty before Niall McGinn doubled the lead seven minutes later.
Maikel Kieftenbeld pulled one back for Groningen but they never looked like recovering against Derek McInnes' impressive Dons.
The Pittodrie men now face Spanish La Liga side Real Sociedad in the next round, with the first leg in Spain next Thursday.
The match was preceded by a minute's silence as a mark of respect for those who lost their lives on the Malaysian Airlines plane that crashed in Eastern Ukraine a week ago.
193 of the 298 passengers on board were Dutch and flags around the country have been flying at half mast.
Derek McInnes opted to leave the experienced Barry Robson on the bench, replacing him with Andrew Considine. That allowed Jonny Hayes to move into a more attacking role on the left.
Groningen boss Erwin van der Looi stuck with the same starting 11 that had drawn 0-0 in the first leg last week. The goal-less Pittodrie draw was viewed as a good result by both clubs, and the noises from the Dutch camp suggested they felt the tie was theirs before the second leg began.
How wrong they were.
The match got underway in the north east Dutch sunshine and green smoke billowing from smoke bombs in the home sections.
McGinn tried to make an early impression but his shot from the angle of the box was easily held by home keeper Sergio Padt.
Groningen threatened a minute later when Nick van der Velden's corner found Kappelhof whose looping header was nodded off the line by Hayes before Padt smothered at the feet of Rooney.
Reynolds handed the visiting 1,100 fans a nervy moment, losing the ball on the centre circle. Kostic was in on goal but couldn't finish beyond Langfield.
After weathering the early storm the Dons found themselves in front.
A wonderful Hayes run was illegally ended by Groningen's Brazilian defender Erik Botteghin and the Polish referee pointed straight to the spot.
Rooney drilled the penalty low to the keeper's right for a crucial away goal with his sixth of this European run.
A second arrived shortly after when Rooney found himself goal side before lobbing Padt, the ball bounced off the crossbar and McGinn was there to gobble up the rebound.
The goals were met with delight by the boisterous Dons fans up the other end of the Euroborg.
However, the arrears were halved two minutes before half-time.
Swedish midfielder Rasmus Lindgren crossed for Keiftenbeld to send a powerful header past Langfield.
That saw the Eredivisie side move up a gear after the break and Chery and Kostic looked particularly threatening, the former testing Langfield from long range on more than one occasion.
Substitute Michael de Leeuw went closest on the hour mark, but Langfield saved brilliantly to keep him out.
Groningen huffed and puffed throughout the second half but the Dons didn't have a single failure in their ranks.
They stemmed the tide whenever it came rampaging towards them with Russell Anderson, Mark Reynolds, Shaleum Logan and Considine a miserly back four.
The excellent Ryan Jack and Willo Flood provided watertight protection in front of them.
Jack almost sealed the victory but his late deflected effort went just wide.
The Dons saw it out and will make their way to San Sebastián and next week's first leg in good form and good heart.


There's tension across the world after North Korea fired a missile over northern Japan, but life under the weapon's flight path goes on.

The missile, launched early on Tuesday, flew over Hokkaido island, Japan's second-largest island, and fell into the North Pacific Ocean.
Jonathan Knight runs a small clothing business in the Hirafu area of the island.
At first, he and his neighbours were woken not by sirens, but by text messages at 6am.
End of Twitter post  by @Chihokomoriya
"Japan has this warning system," Jonathan explained to the BBC. "A message came through on our phones, which just started pinging like crazy, and it basically said, 'Please evacuate to a sturdy building or basement'.
"The next thing we could hear was sirens going off. I imagine it was a bit like London in the Blitz."
Locals in Jonathan's "small and unusually quiet village" were told a missile had flown across the region but were not told where it had landed.
"We just didn't know quite what was happening."
Jonathan decided to go for what he thought was the best option: "I got up and did the British thing, I made a cup of tea".
Amanda Harlow, who lives in the nearby city of Sapporo, was watching television with her partner when they received the same message on their phones, then over the news.
"We just looked at each other and thought 'what do we do?'
"Our nearest possible shelter is the local supermarket car park which is about five minutes away," she explained.
"It was different and kind of surreal, just sitting there in our pyjamas trying to work out what to do."
Speaking to other villagers, Jonathan said there was a sense of "apathy" and "impunity," given the weekly appearance of North Korea on the news, "talking about what they are going to do with missiles and how they're going to act," plus the speculation of an attack on Guam.
"It's just a couple of locals, it could be a polarised view, but they feel their arms are a little bit tied behind their back when this thing happens and they just wonder, 'What next?'"
Amanda raised a similar point.
"The whole thing was very unnerving as we're used to North Korea firing missiles so we hardly notice it now," she said.
"We didn't know whether to take our cats and run, but my feeling was that if a nuclear missile hits Hokkaido then there's no point in running anywhere."
But Jonathan believes his neighbours tend to be very stoical when it comes to these events.
"Everybody managed to stay calm and things are getting back to normal," he said. "We've even just had a visit from the postman."
By Bernadette McCague, UGC and Social News team


The Severn Tunnel is due to close for nearly six weeks from September, causing disruption for rail users.

Work to prepare for the £2.8bn electrification project, to speed up journeys between London and south Wales, will cause the longest closure of the tunnel for at least 50 years.
Rail users will be diverted via Gloucester or use replacement buses.
Network Rail told BBC Wales the work had to be done in one block and guaranteed it would not overrun.
Work has already been carried out to prepare the 130-year-old tunnel for closure with four tonnes of soot removed from the tunnel walls and 7,000 holes drilled into the roof. A conductor rail will be installed to provide power.
Network Rail said there would be fewer services while the tunnel is closed and added that the work would take four years if only done at weekends.
David Sidebottom, from the group Passenger Director for Transport Focus which represents rail users, said: "The important thing is actually hearing from passengers, and this is the beauty of social media these days.
"We'll be gathering that up and making sure Network Rail and train companies are listening to the experience on the day because there will be times when they don't get things right and it's important they learn from that and put it right for the following day."
Dan Tipper from Network Rail said: "We have a significant volume of work going on across the western and Wales routes, and we have to avoid disrupting passengers twice in one journey, so we have to pick a time when we avoid other works."
Electrification is expected to cut journey times between Swansea and London by 20 minutes.
The tunnel will shut on 12 September and reopen on 21 October.


Former Rangers chief executive Martin Bain received a bonus for his role in the club's sale, a court has heard.

Mr Bain, who was on a committee of directors set up to assess takeover bids on behalf of shareholders in the club, was paid £360,000.
The details emerged during an 11th day of evidence at the High Court in Glasgow where Craig Whyte is accused of a fraudulent acquisition of Rangers.
He denies a charge of fraud and another under the Companies Act.
Chartered accountant and former Rangers director Michael McGill said Mr Bain's role in the deal was "limited", but that he had a contractual arrangement in place.
During cross-examination by Craig Whyte's defence QC, Donald Findlay, Mr McGill was asked: "£360,000 for what?"
Mr McGill replied: "He had a long-standing arrangement with the Murray Group, entered into some years before."
Mr Findlay asked: "Did he do anything to help the sale of Rangers to the Whyte group?"
The witness said: "I won't comment if he helped or not. His role, as a whole, was limited, but there was an agreement from years before."
It was also previously heard during the case that Mr Bain had been given a new contract with a 39-month notice period.
The court was also told that David Horne, a lawyer from Sir David Murray's Murray Group, also received a £160,000 payout following the sale to Mr Whyte.
The jury heard that Rangers former owner, Sir David Murray, had wanted £5m per year for four years to be invested in the playing squad as part of the sale to Craig Whyte.
However, Mr Whyte's QC claimed to the court that £5m "would not get you Messi's left foot".
Mr Findlay added: "The economic reality is that it is not going to make any difference."
Mr McGill said: "I don't know if I am qualified to say that £5m will make a difference to the football team."
Mr Findlay said it was "a figure plucked out of the ether" and "a bit of PR window dressing".
The jury later heard of a number of emails relating to Mr Whyte's takeover before he took the helm at Ibrox.
In one dated April 2011, Mr McGill stated: "Given the useless twits don't have the funds, it appears somewhat academic."
Mr Findlay asked the witness: "Murray was determined to sell Rangers for the right reasons or not?"
Mr McGill: "No, I would not agree with that."
Mr Findlay: "According to you, you sold Rangers to useless twits who did not have the funds."
The witness told the court that reflected "frustrations" at that time.
Prosecutors allege Mr Whyte pretended to Sir David Murray, and others, that funds were available to make all required payments to acquire a "controlling and majority stake" in the club.
The Crown alleges Mr Whyte had only £4m available from two sources at the time but took out a £24m loan from Ticketus against three years of future season ticket sales.
The court has heard the sale was eventually made to Mr Whyte for £1 but came with obligations to pay an £18m bank debt, a £2.8m "small tax case" bill, £1.7m for stadium repairs, £5m for players and £5m in working capital.
The second charge under the Companies Act centres on the £18m payment between Mr Whyte's Wavetower company and Rangers to clear a bank debt.
The trial before eight men and seven women continues.


Stephen Gallacher believes fellow Scot Russell Knox has "as good a chance as any" in the Augusta National field to win the Masters.

Knox missed the cut on his debut last year, but Gallacher says the 31-year-old's game is suited to the course.
"He's beaten these guys in an event in China with the same field," Gallacher said of the world number 23.
"He won't be scared of them and it wouldn't surprise me if he's in the mix on Sunday afternoon."
Gallacher played the Masters in 2014, finishing 34th, and believes it is important for players to deal with the occasion as well as the challenges of the course.
Knox tees off at 15:12 BST with America's Rickie Fowler and Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, although Gallacher says the heavy rain that interrupted Wednesday's practice could trouble his compatriot.
"Maybe the conditions, being a bit soft, might hamper him a wee bit," Gallacher told BBC Scotland.
"He's not the longest player, but he's a fantastic iron player. Form goes out the window when you play Augusta.
"It's a golf course that's a bit more generous than you think off the tee and it's down to the putting, who's the fittest, who's mentally strong at the end. There are a lot of components to Augusta."
World number one Dustin Johnson is among the favourites to win the green jacket but Gallacher believes another player from the UK could emulate Danny Willetts' victory last year.
"It's going to be a British player [who wins]," Gallacher said.
"I'd like to see Rory [McIlroy] win it, that would be him having won all four of the majors, he deserves that.
"I've got a slight inkling for Tommy Fleetwood, Paul Casey, guys who hit it high and draw the ball, because it's soft, you need a bit more length now to be hitting that one club shorter than the rest of the guys and that makes a huge difference.
"The percentages of getting it closer to the pin are greater and that's what Augusta is about, giving yourself makeable putts, rather than having to two-putt from 40 feet all the time."
Gallacher will watch events at Augusta with interest, before competing at the Trophee Hassan II in Morocco next week.
Having altered his swing technique during the winter, the 42-year-old is confident he can have a productive campaign.
"I go to Morocco on Monday, then straight to China after that for two weeks, then it's back to the PGA at Wentworth," he added.
"I've been through a good swing change and I'm feeling good about my game. I'm really looking forward to getting out.
"I'm hitting the ball better than I've ever hit it and I feel less stress in my body. I'm feeling great and I can't wait to get going."


A woman who was jailed after posing as a man to dupe a friend into having sex with her has lodged an appeal against her sentence.

Gayle Newland was jailed for eight years on 12 November after being convicted of three sexual assaults.
The 25-year-old, of Willaston, Cheshire, demanded her victim wear a blindfold when they met and used a prosthetic penis during the assaults.
Newland previously applied for leave to appeal against her conviction.
That appeal will be heard before judges at London's Court of Appeal and, if successful will make her sentence appeal redundant.
However, if the second appeal is heard it could result in her jail term being raised or lowered.
During Newland's four-day trial, Chester Crown Court heard she and her victim spent more than 100 hours with each other, in hotels and the victim's flat.
The deception was only uncovered when the victim ripped off her blindfold to see Newland.
Newland had fooled her victim by posing as a man called Kye Fortune, using a bogus Facebook account, wearing an elaborate disguise and insisting the blindfold was worn throughout meetings.
In mitigation, Newland told the court her accuser was fully aware she was a woman and that they both struggled with their sexuality.
She maintained the pair were engaged in consensual "role play" and "fantasy".


The Indian government has committed 980bn rupees ($14.5bn; Â£10.9bn) to a flagship smart cities' programme, but the social entrepreneur behind the country's first smart village thinks they've missed some low-hanging fruit.

City-dwellers tend to take electricity for granted, says Ashok Das, but for the roughly 200 million Indians living off-grid, access to power is a privilege, not a right.
Mr Das says that makes them a fertile ground for experimenting with smarter ways of using energy that could help the rural poor leapfrog traditional power networks to a greener, community-led approach.
"Changing consumer behaviour in a big city is a major problem," he says. "It will take decades to build smart cities, but I can get thousands of smart villages done in that time."
After a decade in the US semiconductor industry, Mr Das returned to India in 2005 where he transitioned into a green tech consultant.
But despite the huge sums directed into renewables, he saw very little focus on energy access for rural communities who could benefit most.
Visiting a family in a non-electrified village near his hometown in the northern state of Bihar in 2010 hardened his resolve to do something.
"I remember asking my niece, 'what can I bring you?' and she said, 'Uncle, I have everything, just bring me light,'" he says.
India's green energy sector has a tendency to "sell and run" - high-end equipment is installed, but a lack of maintenance support for remote villages means systems often fall into disrepair, he adds.
So Mr Das decided to create a smart grid technology that allows a village's entire electrical infrastructure to be monitored remotely.
In January, Chhotkei in Orissa became India's first smart village powered by the Smart NanoGrid technology developed by his company SunMoksha.
Power is provided by a 30KW solar plant and meters and sensors collect data on energy usage and system health.
This information is fed into SunMoksha's cloud-based monitoring system, which can be accessed by the company's staff anywhere.
This makes it possible to remotely manage supply and demand and schedule power-hungry activities like irrigation pumping for agriculture and new microenterprises that have sprung up, like a food packaging business and a store that sells cold drinks.
Wi-Fi hotspots let villagers access local intranet via a language-independent mobile app to view their consumption, pay bills and register complaints.
If users exceed their allowance, they can be shut off to avoid overloading the grid and faults can be spotted remotely before villagers trained in basic repairs are sent to fix them.
Set-up costs for the project were met by the Finnish power company Wartsila's corporate social responsibility programme, but on-going expenses are covered by usage-based subscriptions paid to a village committee that maintains the grid.
SunMoksha's local partner is the Odisha (Orissa) Renewable Energy Development Agency (OREDA).
Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged to electrify every Indian village in 1,000 days, and in Orissa, OREDA is responsible for installing renewable power solutions in remote villages.
But deputy director Ashok Choudhury says most projects are simple solar home lighting systems.
"When you ask villagers what's their priority for getting electricity they always prioritise livelihood. Number two is entertainment and number three is illumination," he says.
"We always do the third priority first, so we don't make much headway because our programme can't support livelihoods."
Even with larger installations, the difficulty of monitoring and maintaining systems means they often break down.
But for a 15 to 20% mark-up on the cost of a solar plant and microgrid, Mr Choudhury says the Smart NanoGrid makes projects sustainable.
"You get a lot more control," he says. "It brings a real solution to a village; otherwise we install a system and don't know what happens to it when we leave."
Mr Choudhury is keen to incorporate the technology in all the agency's future microgrid developments.
Following a demonstration day at the village in April, secretary in the ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) Upendra Tripathy agreed to support 10 pilot projects by providing 30% of the funds.
"I've seen plenty of microgrids, but the combination of technology in this village is a first," he says. "It's the integration and the remote monitoring. That's where they've done wonders."
Last month, SunMoksha won in the 'Smart Village' category at the 2016 Smart Cities India Awards and it is now in the process of submitting proposals for the first MNRE pilot - a smart village cluster in Orissa.
The railway board also wants them to look at using train stations as local power hubs for nearby houses and businesses, and several mining firms want to use the technology to provide power for settlements relocated due to mining activities.
Power management is the main focus, but the system is sensor-agnostic and Mr Das says it could also make villages truly smart by monitoring things like water consumption or environmental factors for agriculture.
The pilot village is so remote it currently relies on a satellite data connection, which is too expensive for general internet use.
But the communications network the system puts in place provides a backbone for future e-governance, telemedicine and tele-education applications, he says.
"The smart grid acts as a catalyst in the village and then all these other things become possible," says Mr Das. "The potential is huge."


One of New York's most prominent restaurateurs plans to eliminate tipping in his eateries, a move that could inspire others to follow suit.

Danny Meyer, who owns 13 restaurants including The Modern, said the tipping system was unfair as it only benefited a few restaurant workers.
Waiting staff in the US typically receive most of their wages in tips, but cooks and other workers do not.
Mr Meyer plans to start the policy at four of his restaurants next month.
"We believe hospitality is a team sport, and that it takes an entire team to provide you with the experiences you have come to expect from us," Mr Meyer said in a statement.
Menu prices will increase 25% to 35% to account for the changes.
Restaurants in the US are rethinking how they compensate their employees for a number of reasons.
In major US cities like New York, Chicago and San Francisco, restaurants are finding it hard to retain kitchen staff as the cost of living in those areas increases.
Because of tips (typically 20% of each bill), servers sometimes end up earning much more than highly skilled cooks.
Restaurant workers across the US have also been lobbying for better wages in recent years. New York City and other cities and states have increased their minimum wage in response.
Some high-end restaurants in the US have already stopped accepting tips, but Mr Meyer's empire is the most prominent restaurant group to date to embrace the move.
Melissa Fleischut, president and CEO of the New York State Restaurant Association, said Mr Meyer's decision could have a ripple effect in the industry.
"I think that because it is Danny Meyer and he is considered a leader in the restaurant industry, that a lot of people are going to look at this move," she said.


"Don't buy this jacket" is an unusual advert for the company that makes it to run.

Yet in late November 2011, outdoor clothing business Patagonia did exactly that, taking out a full page in the New York Times, explaining the environmental costs of manufacturing the item, and asking people to think twice before they bought one.
It has done a similar campaign - asking people to buy only what they need - around the same time each year since. And almost in direct correlation its sales have kept rising, with this year expected to be the most profitable in the Californian firm's 45-year history, with predicted sales of $750m (£495m).
Telling people to buy less seems to have spurred them to do the exactly the opposite.
Patagonia's chief executive Rose Marcario rejects this, arguing that its campaigns have made like-minded people want to shop there, and alongside a wider distribution network, has helped it to gain market share.
For her, the company's growth is proof that its view of capitalism - taking its impact on the planet as seriously as the financial metrics - can work.
Patagonia guarantees its clothes for life, and offers repairs "at a reasonable charge" for normal wear and tear - it estimates it'll do 40,000 individual repairs this year.
It also invites people to share stories of their favourite old items on its blog, and helps customers swap or recycle clothing. And since 1985 it has given 1% of its revenues each year to environmental groups, amounting to around $70m so far.
Businesses can be a "positive agent for change," insists Ms Marcario.
"For us it's not a contradiction. We want people to buy better quality, durable goods, and at the end of their lives recycle them," she says.
The US firm is one of a small number of clothing companies actively countering the proliferation of cheap wears, where new collections delivered weekly, or in some cases daily, has helped fuel a seemingly insatiable desire to buy more stuff.
The fact that many of the items are so cheap - a £10 top or £20 dress - makes it easy to buy stuff, increasingly items of clothing we don't actually need, and then just as easily discard after they have been worn a couple of times, or even never.
This year, in the UK and the US, consumers are expected to spend more than ever before on clothing and accessories, £53.5bn and $274.8bn respectively, according to market research firm Mintel.
Such overconsumption is taking its toll on the environment, with UK government agency Wrap calculating that some £140m worth (350,000 tonnes) of used clothing goes to landfill in the country every year.
But are companies - which clearly benefit the more we buy - really the ones to try and push the change?
Kate Fletcher, professor of sustainability, design, fashion at the London College of Fashion, is sceptical.
She notes it's "canny" for businesses to try to give their products more meaning.
"People are looking for values in products," she says. "It's a response to an absence of need. Companies have seen a gap and are setting out a different sort of purpose which fills those needs."
As part of her research Ms Fletcher has spent time studying the clothing people hang on to, and found they're rarely garments designed to be durable, but ones they've become attached to.
And she also notes that buying one meaningful durable item doesn't stop people buying more.
"People have an infinite capacity for every more meaningful garments," she says.
Nonetheless, she believes making people more aware of the effort and resources that go into making clothing would help to provide greater respect for them, and make people less inclined to discard them.
It's something that Carin Mansfield, founder of clothing brand Universal Utility, is trying to do.
Walking into her minimalist, small four-storey shop, In-ku, on a central London side street, with white washed walls and just a few garments hanging on hooks on each floor, is a complete contrast to the busy, crowded shops just a few steps away on Tottenham Court Road.
The clothes she makes are inspired by old workwear. Pre-washed so they won't shrink further and slightly crumpled, the loose fitting garments are sewn precisely, with all raw edges hidden.
Her three London-based machinists make each garment individually, rather than parts of the whole such as in a factory, and are paid per item of clothing, rather than by the hour.
It means there's no economy of scale, and Ms Mansfield says that to create garments in this work intensive way "you've got to be a slight maniac".
She spent two decades working like this as a wholesaler, including a 10-year collaboration with Comme des Garcons, but rejected an offer from the Japanese fashion label to make her clothes under licence, after seeing the samples and realising it just wasn't possible to scale up her work without significantly compromising the quality.
Instead she set up the shop, where each item costs an average of £500. To make sufficient profit, she should charge between £800 and £900, but she says it's "hard enough" to sell them at their current price.
Explaining why the clothes cost so much is difficult she says, adding that sometimes you sound too much like you're trying to sell them, and the vast majority of customers aren't interested.
After two years in business, she takes a small salary, but is not in profit. But she says she's okay with the fact she hasn't made a fortune.
"Making something of quality that is appreciated is worth lots more in the end," she says.
Tom Cridland, founder of his eponymous menswear brand, makes trousers, t-shirts and sweatshirts that are guaranteed for 30 years. He is adamant that it is possible to make durable, higher quality items profitably.
On both his sweatshirts and trousers - which cost £55 and £89 respectively - he makes a decent profit, and sales totalled £250,000 last year. He says he's transparent about his costs because he wants to encourage other fashion retailers to do the same.
The brand is just two-years-old, meaning that it's too early to tell if the items really will last for three decades.
The idea, he says, was initially a way for him to try and get exposure for his company in a crowded marketplace, and has resulted in what he says is a "more gimmicky" brand than he originally envisioned.
But he says it's also persuaded him of the merits of sustainable fashion for customers and the planet.
"It's fair to expect obsolescence in terms of trendy items, but not when you're selling a white t-shirt."


A reporter from a newspaper in Sri Lanka has been shot by a group of unidentified men at his home near the capital, Colombo.

Sunday Leader's Faraz Shauketaly, who holds dual British and Sri Lankan citizenship, was rushed to hospital after being shot in the neck.
A doctor who treated Mr Shauketaly said the journalist was now out of danger.
Rights groups say more than a dozen media employees have been killed in Sri Lanka over the past decade.
None of the murders has been solved.
The BBC's Charles Haviland in Colombo says Mr Shauketaly was on the phone to a colleague at the Sunday Leader on Friday evening at his home in Mount Lavinia when the call was cut.
Shortly afterwards he answered a call and said he had been shot in the neck by three intruders, who had then escaped.
A group of foreign lodgers at his house said he was covered in blood and calling for help.
Mr Shauketaly, 52, was taken to intensive care, where doctors pronounced him out of danger and have been working to remove a bullet.
Mr Shauketaly holds British and Sri Lankan passports and the UK government has called on the authorities to bring the attackers to justice.
Our correspondent says Mr Shauketaly had voiced fears that his investigative reporting might be putting him in danger, especially after strangers had called at his house recently asking for his whereabouts.
Four years ago, the Sunday Leader's editor, Lasantha Wickrematunge, was shot dead by a group of masked men on motorbikes.
The case, which has never been solved, highlighted the dismal state of press freedom in the country, analysts said.
"There has been a range of attacks in Sri Lanka on journalists, civil society organisations and others in recent years. To date, too many incidents have had little investigation and no resolution," UK Foreign Office Minister Alastair Burt said in a statement.
The Sunday Leader had long had a reputation for being outspokenly anti-government.
Its profile changed last year when it was bought by a well-connected businessman and retracted some of its articles, but it still does a considerable amount of investigative reporting.
Last month, Sri Lanka was placed 162nd out of 179 in a Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders.


Defending champions Sri Lanka produced a strong batting display to see off a spirited Afghanistan side and claim victory in their World Twenty20 opener.

Captain Asghar Stanikzai's 62 from 47 balls had fired the underdogs to 153-7, having been 51-4 with nine overs left.
But Tillakaratne Dilshan hit 83 after a solid opening with Dinesh Chandimal, while some poor fielding helped Sri Lanka reach their target in Kolkata.
The 2014 winners have struggled of late but won with seven balls to spare.
Afghanistan, coached by former Pakistan batsman Inzamam-ul-Haq, reached the Super 10s with three wins out of three in the first round, including a 59-run victory over closest competitors Zimbabwe.
The Central Asian side only began playing Twenty20 internationals against ICC members in 2010, and are ranked ninth in the world, one behind Sri Lanka.
One of their most impressive performers in qualification was Mohammad Shahzad, but here the opening batsman was out cheaply, top-edging an Angelo Mathews delivery to Dushmantha Chameera having made eight runs from 12 balls.
From there it looked as though Sri Lanka would go on to force a critical advantage, with Rangana Herath claiming two wickets as three batsmen fell for just 15 runs and Afghanistan slumped to 51-4.
But then stepped forward Stanikzai and Samiullah Shenwari, who scored five sixes between them to move Afghanistan forward at an impressive rate in a vital partnership of 61.
Even with Shenwari out for 31 from 14 balls, Stanikzai continued to bat superbly, the highlight of his highest T20 international total a soaring six off Thisara Perera as Afghanistan scored 106 off their last 10 overs.
Sri Lanka were crowned champions in Bangladesh in 2014 but have since had to rebuild their Twenty20 squad following the retirements of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene.
They won just one of four matches at the Asia Cup in the build-up to the tournament - against the United Arab Emirates - but remain the best-performing team at the World Twenty20 since its inception in 2007, now with 22 wins from 32 matches.
Here they were also missing Lasith Malinga, the fourth most prolific wicket-taker in Twenty20 internationals, who was not fit to play, and their best performances came with the bat.
Openers Dilshan and Chandimal steamed ahead with a partnership of 41, the former delighting the crowd with his trademark scoop shot before the latter was out cheaply, caught at mid-wicket.
After Thirimanne fell to 17-year-old Rashid Khan - the second youngest player to appear at a World T20 after Pakistan's Mohammad Amir - Thisara was moved up the order and made 12 before being run out for 85-3.
At that stage the Afghans might well have believed they were still in with a fighting chance, but Dilshan continued to score and several errors in the field allowed boundaries to creep through and relieve any pressure.
And fittingly it was 39-year-old Dilshan who secured the win with a boundary to square leg, the final flourish in his third highest international Twenty20 total.
Man of the match Tillakaratne Dilshan: "I needed runs because I got two ducks in the warm-ups. I'm really happy with how I batted.
"150 was a good total. We still had to bat smart because they have quality bowlers. When you come to these tournaments, I always think the first match is important. Our senior guys have to stand up and do it for the team."
Afghanistan captain Asghar Stanikzai: "We felt we were 10-15 short but Dilshan took the responsibility and played very well.
"We also missed a few in the field and made some big mistakes, we need to improve that."
Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews: "It was a much-needed victory, we haven't played that well in the recent past. The bowlers bowled pretty well but credit should go to the Afghan batters.
"We're not looking too far ahead, if we click we can do wonders as a team, but we're just taking one game at a time."
Afghanistan face South Africa on Sunday (09:30 GMT) while Sri Lanka play West Indies later the same day (14:00).


New Celtic signing Kolo Toure is looking forward to "something really special" after reuniting with manager Brendan Rodgers.

The 35-year-old defender worked with Rodgers at Liverpool.
"He is a top manager," enthused the Ivory Coast international. "For me, he is one of the best.
"He did a great job at Swansea then he came to Liverpool, did a great job again, and I am sure he will do a great job here."
Having signed a one-year deal on Sunday, Toure, who has also played for Arsenal and Manchester City, is not in Celtic's travelling party for the Champions League trip to Kazakhstan ahead of the first leg of a third-round qualifier against Astana.
"I'm fit," he said. "But of course I have just joined the team and I need time to be ready.
"I can't tell you when but I am ready right now in my mind and I will give everything I have got every day to be able to help my team-mates.
"I just joined the club and there are players who have been working really hard for two months. The manager is the best guy to make the decision. For me, I stick to anything the manager says because every decision he makes is for the good of the team.
"I will be with them in my heart, I will pray for them as well. Definitely we'll do it."
Toure played in the 2006 Champions League final with Arsenal and assistant manager Chris Davies believes the arrival of such an "inspirational" player will be a valuable asset on and off the field.
"He's a top defender with real authority and experience," said Davies.
"We are not only getting a really good player but someone who can inspire players around them to help the team.
"He has been working with a personal trainer so it is an important week physically for him and we will see how it goes."
Rodgers' right-hand man would not be drawn on attempts to sign Scott Sinclair from Aston Villa.
The clubs have been in negotiations about the winger's transfer but no agreement has been reached on a fee.
"It would obviously be disrespectful for us talk about a player who belongs to another club," Davies said.
"The club are working behind the scenes to bring players in who will make a difference. It has got to be the right deal and right players. We are focusing on the players who are playing."
Toure and Sinclair were team-mates at Manchester City and the new arrival talked highly of the transfer target.
"I haven't spoken to him but he is a really good player - a top professional," said Toure of the 27-year-old.
"I think he is going to be a good player for the club, because attitude-wise he is very good as well."


Two major projects are due to start in Glasgow to replace street lights with more energy-efficient lamps and to trial the use of smart technology.

One scheme will see 10,000 old sodium lamps replaced with LED lights along major routes in the city.
These will generate savings by cutting carbon emissions and using less energy.
Another scheme will see smart LED lights in some areas that will be able to increase in brightness when people approach or noise levels rise.
Glasgow City Council aims to replace about 72,000 old sodium street lights in the city.
The first phase will see 10,000 new LED lights installed at a cost of just under £9m between April this year and March 2017.
The scheme is being backed by the UK government-funded Green Investment Bank.
The resulting savings on energy costs, carbon tax reductions and maintenance, are expected to see the project pay for itself over an 18-year period.
Council leader Gordon Matheson said: "It currently costs around £8.5m a year to power and repair the city's 72,000 street lights.
"The longer life cycle of LED lamps means we can reduce future maintenance and running costs as well as cutting our carbon emissions.
"These lights are another key element of our commitment to make Glasgow one of Europe's most sustainable cities."
WWF Scotland director Lang Banks said the investment was "great news for Glasgow taxpayers as well as the planet".
"Some councils have estimated that street lighting makes up 10% of the their carbon footprint," he said.
"Therefore, a nationwide shift to more energy-efficient lighting such as LEDs would make a significant dent in council-related carbon emissions.
"Pound for pound, improved energy efficiency is the most cost-effective way to cut energy demand and the associated climate pollution."
Another scheme being developed by the council will see the use of sensor-fitted LED street lights trialled on a stretch of cycle route on the Clyde Walkway.
The sensors will be able to detect approaching cyclists and pedestrians and increase in brightness.
They will also count footfall and the number of cyclists, as well as collecting information on air pollution.
The information will be freely available to view on Glasgow's new City Data Hub.


The daughter of Nelson Mandela's widow Graca Machel has been speaking for the first time on television about her experience of being physically abused by her partner and how it left her blinded in one eye.

1 December 2015 Last updated at 00:38 GMT
Josina Machel was beaten in October in Mozambique's capital, Maputo, on her mother's 70th birthday.
She has been telling her story to the BBC's Milton Nkosi in Johannesburg, as part of the BBC's 100 Women season.


Big Ben is to fall silent for the first time since 2007 for a renovation project.

The work, which will begin early in the new year, will cost Â£29m and involve repairs to the clock's hands, mechanism and pendulum.
The "Big Ben" bell after which the Palace of Westminster's Elizabeth Tower is more commonly known will fall silent to allow the work to take place.
The work is part of a three-year restoration project.
The bells will not ring for several months as part of the restoration work, although it is not yet known when this is likely to happen. They will toll for important events like Remembrance Day and New Year's Eve.
Parliamentary officials said the mechanism of the clock was in a "chronic state", with fears that it may fail if work is not carried out urgently. There are also concerns that the fabric of the tower itself is reaching an "acute" condition.
A lift will be installed and the 157-year-old tower will be upgraded to bring it into line with modern health and safety standards. The lift will provide greater access for disabled people who are unable to climb the tower's 334 steps.
It is more than 30 years since the last significant conservation work took place on Big Ben, between 1983 and 1985.
Clock faces will be covered, although at least one will remain visible at any time.
Final tours of the tower were taking place on Friday.