Two headed goals from Russell Anderson helped Aberdeen to three precious points and a nine-point cushion over Partick Thistle at the bottom of the SPL.
The Jags started brightly and dominated play in the first half. However, for all the pressure Thistle exerted they lacked the craft to convert their superiority into goals.
On 23 minutes Kenny Milne squandered a chance to put Thistle in front blasting wide of David Preece's left-hand post following a Kevin Rutkiewicz blunder.
Three minutes later John Paul McBride wasted a fine Derek Fleming cross before an equally dangerous ball from Milne found no takers.
However in the 42nd minute, and totally against the run of play, Aberdeen went ahead. Scott Morrison's looping free kick should have posed no danger but Anderson was left unmarked and had no difficulty in nodding Aberdeen into a half-time lead.
Within two minutes of the restart, the Dons were heading for their first back-to-back wins of the season.
This time the set piece was a Chris Clark corner but Anderson was again the man on target. Clark's delivery to the front post had bend and pace allowing Anderson to deflect the ball past Kenny Arthur in the Thistle goal.
Despite their lead the Dons continued to look nervous, scrambling the ball out of defence in the face of incessant pressure. On 68 minutes, Thistle came close to pulling a goal back when Fleming's free kick flew into the side-netting.
However, at the other end Anderson went close to completing his hat-trick eight minutes from time firing inches past.
In injury time, Scott Booth left the home defence standing and fired in a cross that Clark converted with ease.
For all Thistle's efforts the trial management duo of Derek Whyte and Gerry Britton will not have been helped by a defeat to second bottom Aberdeen.
Steve Paterson however may just have found some breathing space.