St Johnstone didn’t get the flying start to the post-split Premiership run-in they had been hoping for.
Aberdeen have been struggling for form – and goals – and the Perth men would have fancied their chances of beating them.
It was a Jonny Hayes strike early in the second half that proved decisive, though, with the post and Joe Lewis denying the hosts an equaliser.
Saints dominated the opening period but had nothing to show for it.
They were aggressive with their press and an Aberdeen side determined to persist with playing out from the back kept turning over possession.
The nearest Callum Davidson’s men came to breaking the deadlock was from a Craig Conway free-kick on 13 minutes. The ball dropped perfectly for Chris Kane but his finish from eight yards sailed over the bar.
Saints were punished for their failure to convert their superiority into a lead when it was the Dons who broke the deadlock seven minutes into the second 45.
Hayes latched on to Matty Kennedy through ball, which opened up the home defence a bit too easily, and Zander Clark was beaten by a low shot.
The game should have been put out of Saints’ reach on 69 minutes when substitute Fraser Hornby missed the target with a simple back post header.
Shaun Rooney has scored some important goals this season and he was the width of a post away from coming up with another.
Stevie May flicked on a Callum Booth cross and Rooney headed the ball past Lewis but against the woodwork.
In the last minute of the 90, Lewis saved brilliantly from Ali McCann and it proved to be Saints’ last chance of rescuing a point.
