Aberdeen 1 - 0 Partick Thistle

After being blighted by injury problems and illness for Saturday?s match with Celtic, The Dons were able to welcome Shay Logan and Scott McKenna back into the side with Ryan Christie also in the starting line-up after missing out against his parent club.

The Dons started on the front foot with good interplay between Mackay-Steven and Stewart resulting in a dangerous ball to the back post but unfortunately Rooney could not get on the end of it.

Stewart had started the match well and was soon twisting and turning in the box, he managed to deceive a couple of Thistle defenders before getting a shot away which was blocked.

In the 15^th minute Kenny McLean set Logan free with a magnificent through ball with the outside of his left foot. The ball spun into the path of Logan, the full back then took a touch and aimed the ball across the six yard box but it was cut out and the attack fell away to nothing.

Stewart was looking to cause problems once more, this time he was unable to break into the area but did manage to get a good shot away which forced Cerny into a save low to his right.

Just after the twenty minute mark The Dons had the ball in the back of the net when a corner fell kindly for Rooney in the six yard box, after a couple of attempts he found the back of the net but a foul was given for Adam raising his foot? harsh on Aberdeen?s number 9.

Thistle were not showing too much of a threat but had an opportunity when Sammon got in behind the defence. McKenna was back to block the shot before the ball fell to McCarthy on the edge of the area and he dragged his shot wide.

The game started to get a bit scrappy towards the end of the half and aside from one move where Christie beat a couple of players and fired a shot wide of the post it was pretty even as the teams headed in at half-time.

Within a few minutes of the second period beginning it looked as if The Dons were back in front when Logan clipped a long ball over the top for Christie. The playmaker took the ball on the bounce and lifted it over the keeper and just as it looked as though it was going into the net Edwards was there to clear off the line.

The fixture started to feel truly festive when snow started to swirl round Pittodrie in the early stages of the half.  In the 55^th minute Miles Storey took to the field to make his Pittodrie return.

If The Dons were going to take the lead it looked likely that Stewart would be involved as he once again twisted and turned in the box. This time his cross was palmed away from McLean who would have been left with a tap-in it was a great save.

With just over 60 minutes on the clock Aberdeen took the lead when Christie held off two Thistle players and swivelled his way to the by-line and squared the ball for Rooney to tap in from a couple of yards. A trademark finish for the striker.

The visitors tried to get back on level terms almost immediately when Storey picked the ball up just inside the Aberdeen half before clipping a ball through towards Spittal. Logan slipped but was able to divert the ball away from the winger, a fantastic recovery.

With 20 minutes remaining Thistle had another half chance when Devine got his head to a delivery from a corner but fortunately it went over the bar from around 12 yards. Scott Wright then replaced Mackay-Steven who had struggled to get going in the match.

Out of nothing, with the game starting to get a bit untidy again, Greg Stewart found space inside the area and curled the ball towards the far corner but Cerny pulled out a good save to palm the ball clear.

In the 83^rd minute Miles Storey won a free-kick for Thistle 30 yards from goal. Spittal?s delivery was met in the area by Devine but he was unable to direct an acrobatic effort on target.

With just a couple of minutes of normal time remaining Derek McInnes made two changes when Reynolds and Ball replaced Stewart and Considine. Considine had picked up a knock a few moments earlier and Stewart was unfortunate not to get on the scoresheet. After the substitutions were made Christie fired a free-kick towards the top corner from 30 yards but the ball whistled over the bar.

The Dons would have to defend the slender one goal lead for four minutes of added time as Thistle lined-up on the edge of the area awaiting an aerial assault but it never came as Aberdeen saw the match out with minimal fuss. Next up for The Dons, the visit of Hearts for the final fixture of 2017.