Aberdeen edged a 2-1 victory at home to Dunfermline Athletic, as Jimmy Calderwood got one over his former club.
Both sides laboured to produce any good football in the opening 15 minutes of the match.
The closest they came to a goal was a wild effort by Scott Morrison for the Dons and two miscued efforts from Barry Nicholson for the Pars.
With 17 minutes gone Dons striker Noel Whelan showed all his experience and class as he outfoxed Scott Thomson and from the left of the 18-yard box, he then advanced into the area, but his shot was blocked by Derek Stillie.
Minutes later good interplay between Whelan and Darren Mackie saw the latter clear on the right, his deep cross was nodded back onto the area by Derek Adams but was comfortably cleared.
The visitors' first chance came in 21 minutes when a Gary Mason free-kick was floated into the area where centre-back Andy Tod rose above the Dons defence but under pressure form Zander Diamond he headed well above the crossbar.
In 27 minutes Marcus Heikkinen won the ball on the edge of the area, he carried the ball to the byline before cutting the ball back to Steve Tosh who cleverly sidestepped his marker before driving in a good left-foot shot which Stillie did brilliantly to hold.
A few minutes later Tosh turned provider, this time finding Adams on the angle of the box, he fired in a great shot which again was brilliantly turned around the post by Stillie.
In 32 minutes the inevitable opening goal arrived when the home side won a free-kick on the right.
It was slung into the danger area by Scott Morrison, Tod rose to clear the ball for the visitors but under pressure from the Dons strikers he could only watch in horror as the ball flew into the net for an own goal.
The Dons scored a glorious second goal five minutes into the second half, Morrison found Whelan who in turned found Mackie 14 yards out, with his back to goal he turned Thomson in one motion before curling the ball into the corner of the net for his fourth goal of the season.
Aberdeen were now in full flow, and brimming with confidence. This was underlined in 58 minutes when Diamond galloped down the left wing before feeding the ball to Morrison, his left-foot effort form 25 yards flashing just wide of the upright.
In 70 minutes the visitors have reduced their deficit when a Thomas Butler cross was meet by Nicholson, his effort was blocked by Adams only for the ball to fall kindly for Simon Donnelly who thumped it home from ten yards out.
In 77 minutes Dons sub Richard Forster forced a fine finger-tip save from Stillie with a rasping 25-yard drive.
The home side came even closer in 83 minutes as Adams waltzed past two defenders before threading a throughball to Chris Clark inside the area, the midfielder knocked the ball beyond Stillie but it ricocheted off the far post and away to safety.
With any minute Dunfermline could have drawn level when a thompson effort was turned around the foot of the post by Prieece.
The action continued as the Dons swept forward to the other end with the ball eventually ending up at the feet of Scott Severin who shot flew wide of the far post.