St. Johnstone 0 - 1 Aberdeen

Stephen Glass named the same starting XI for the third successive time as the Dons headed for Perth. The only change came on the bench, Jack MacKenzie replacing Niall McGinn.

St Johnstone last played on December 1^st, losing 1-0 at Dundee. There were four changes to that side, Glenn Middleton, Craig Bryson, James Brown and Liam Craig replacing Michael O'Halloran, Eetu Vertainen, Cameron MacPherson and Murray Davidson.

On a grey, wet day in Perth, the Dons were lively from the off, Marley Watkins away on a long run before feeding Jay Emmanuel-Thomas in the first minute, his low cross from the by-line blocked to safety.

A slip on the sodden turf from Lewis Ferguson allowed Saints to threaten on nine minutes, Kane receiving a pass at inside-left, Ross McCrorie across to make a vital block. Six minutes later, Bryson skied over the bar from 20 yards after a half cleared corner.

A low Jonny Hayes cross caused havoc in the 20^th minute, McCart somehow scooping the ball behind for a corner, though he'd be hard pushed to explain just how.

Another Hayes cross, this time hoisted to the back post, had the home side in trouble after 25 minutes. Emmanuel-Thomas was up highest, heading the ball back across goal, Clark pushing the ball away to his right. The Dons' neat passing football was keeping St Johnstone penned into their own half.

St Johnstone had a couple of penalty claims inside a few seconds on 35 minutes, the referee waving their protests away. Two minutes later, the Dons were denied by the near post, Ferguson getting a glancing header on Ojo's corner as the visitors continued to press.

HALF-TIME: ST JOHNSTONE 0 ? 0 ABERDEEN

The rain continued to hose down in Perth, neither side making a change at the break.

Aberdeen had the second half's first look at goal, Watkins firing over on 53 minutes after good approach play from Hayes and Ryan Hedges. Rooney came much closer two minutes later, unleashing a drive from 35 yards that Joe Lewis had to tip wide at full stretch. Emmanuel-Thomas took a leaf from that book, albeit from 10 yards closer, but he pulled his shot wide on 59 minutes.

There was a golden chance on the hour, a lovely pass from the irrepressible Emmanuel-Thomas delicately threading Watkins through, but with only the keeper to beat, he didn't get enough on his shot and Clark had an easy save. The referee the went back to book Craig for a foul earlier in the move.

Vertainen replaced Middleton on 62 minutes in the game's first change. Within seconds, there was an escape for the Dons. Crawford crossed and Kane's header back across goal thumped against the foot of the post with Lewis beaten.

Aberdeen made their first swap on 65, Teddy Jenks replacing Emmanuel-Thomas. Within a minute, Watkins miscued a shot wide after being fed on the edge of the box by Hedges. Hedges was next to try his luck from distance, Clark beating away his 20 yarder.

Fourteen minutes from time, Watkins was in the book for a late challenge on Kane. Rooney and Bates were booked seconds later as they awaited the resulting free-kick coming into the box.

Connor McLennan replaced Watkins on 80 minutes as Aberdeen looked for a better final ball to go with their sound approach play that had, as yet, brought no reward.

It came on 83 minutes. Ojo delivered a free-kick into the box from 50 yards out. Brown was up to win the header on the edge of the box. He headed it straight at Jenks, the ball striking the Aberdeen man's arm, but purely accidentally. From there, Jenks clubbed the ball into the bottom corner for 1-0, Clark booked for his protests in the aftermath.

Ramirez was the third Aberdeen player in the book, this time for time wasting, just before Saints made a double change on 87, O'Halloran and Solomon-Otabor on for Crawford and Rooney.

Ramirez almost scored the goal of the season on 92 minutes, an opportunistic volley from wide on the right, 25 yards out, the ball flashing into the side netting with Clark failing.