Make no mistake, the visitors thoroughly deserved all three points. What will please their manager Billy Reid most of all will be the reaction of his players following the loss of an early goal.
From there to the end of the match they played the neater football and could have won by a bigger margin.
On the other hand, Dons boss Jimmy Calderwood will be looking for his players to show far more character.
Debutante Sone Aluko made an immediate impression when he sped past Simon Mensing wide on the left before firing in a dangerous cross which Tomas Cerny did brilliantly to palm away under pressure from Lee Miller.
The home side went close again in four minutes with Aluko and Darren Mackie combining to set up Lee Miller, but Martin Canning was on hand to clear the danger.
However, the Dons were not to be denied as they took the lead on seven minutes.
A Scott Severin cross from the left found Miller who held the ball up for Gary McDonald, who slid the ball home despite the valiant efforts by Cerny to keep it out.
Hamilton were coming more into the match but their neat play in midfield failed to create any meaningful chances.
At the other end on 28 minutes, a Charlie Mulgrew free-kick from 22 yards went well wide of the upright.
The visitors were back on terms on 33 minutes. A cross from substitute James McCarthy wasn't dealt with by the Dons defence allowing the ball to break into the path of David Graham, who volleyed the home from 14 yards leaving Jamie Langfield no chance.
Hamilton came close to taking a deserved lead on 52 minutes. Graham sent Sebastian Sorsa wide on the right, his cut-back was just missed at the near post by Richard Offiong with the goal gaping.
The visitors finally snatched a vital lead on 58 minutes when a hopeful punt through the middle from Brian Easton wasn't dealt with by Andrew Considine, allowing James McCarthy to muscle him off the ball before clipping it beyond Langfield and into the unguarded net.
Aberdeen looked to have got back on terms on 82 minutes when a shot from Richard Foster looked to be creeping in inside the post only for Easton to deflect the effort wide.
A tremendous free kick on 85 minutes from Aluko clipped the crossbar as the Dons continued to press for a late leveller.