Aberdeen 2 - 0 Kilmarnock

A lightning start through a Duk goal inside 15 seconds, followed by a solid display thereafter, saw the Dons to a fifth straight win and up to third place in the table.

Following the 1-0 win at St Johnstone last Saturday, there was just the one enforced change for Barry Robson's Dons, Ryan Duncan coming in for the suspended Graeme Shinnie. Jay Gorter replaced Joe Lewis on the bench, with Hayden Coulson also back among the substitutes.
After Kilmarnock beat Hearts 2-1 at Rugby Park last weekend, the suspended Rory McKenzie missed out, as did the injured Kyle Vassell. Into the team came Luke Chambers and Brad Lyons.

Fifteen seconds was all it took for the Dons to get in front. After Liam Scales and Ryan Duncan had both won important challenges, Bojan Miovski rolled a pass into the path of Duk. After one touch to open up the space, he drilled the ball low and hard past Walker from just inside the box.
Killie were in Aberdeen territory on eight minutes, a throw into the box was headed on by Doidge and fell nicely for Lyons, but he pulled his shot across goal and well wide of the target. The game became scrappier for a period thereafter as the visitors understandably looked to break up the play and gradually work themselves back into the game.
Mattie Pollock was briefly off the field for treatment on 28 minutes after a clash of heads, the defender returning after having his bleeding nose patched up.
Scales was in a good position on the half hour, coming in at the back post to meet a Leighton Clarkson free-kick from deep, but his header drifted wide of the target. Lyons was the next to need treatment after a mid-air collision with Ylber Ramadani after 33 minutes.
Aberdeen were nearly in on 36 minutes. Ramadani's pass set Duk on the run. His low cross was stabbed goalwards by a combination of Miovski and Dorsett just six yards out, but Walker produced a fine low save to keep Killie in the game.
Kelle Roos got himself in a tangle on the edge of the box on 40 minutes as he dallied over clearing the ball but fortunately he was just able to get enough on the ball to take it away from the opposition - a reminder that this game was still very much in the balance.
Watson was the game's first booking two minutes later after going in to win the ball from the prone Ramadani, a little harsh perhaps given the ball was still in play.
Roos redeemed himself on the brink of half-time, Doidge catching a volley across goal cleanly, Roos diving away low to his right to make a good save, Ross McCrorie across quickly to tidy up the loose ball. Two corners followed in quick succession and from the second, Roos did well to save at the near post after Donnelly won the header and arrowed it at goal.

HALF-TIME: ABERDEEN 1 KILMARNOCK 0

Alebiosu came on for Killie after the break, replacing Lyons.
The visitors made a decent start to the half, Alebiosu's hoisted cross in the 49th minute causing chaos, Mayo's stabbed shot cleared. Kilmarnock worked the ball back into the box and it was Mayo with a shot again, the ball creeping just wide of goal.
Aberdeen should have scored on 52 minutes, Donnelly's bizarre header back through his own penalty box and into the danger area from an Aberdeen corner finding Miovski with his back to goal on the edge of the six yard box. He found an acrobatic effort at goal but sadly, it sailed over the bar.
Another opportunity came on 57 minutes, Miovski and Clarkson combining well down the right but as the ball came to Duncan on the edge of the box, he took too long to get his shot away and was closed down by the Killie defence.
The second goal did come on 59 minutes, the Dons away down the left, Clarkson lifting the ball over the defence and into Miovski's run. His cross-shot ran through the six yard box and there was Duk, running onto it, to tap into an empty net.
It was nearly 3-0 four minutes later, Aberdeen keeping the ball live from a corner, Pollock smacking a shot goalwards that took a deflection wide of goal. Miovski was in behind again on 70 minutes, collecting another Clarkson pass but his touch let him down and the chance was again.
Two minutes later, Miovski made way for Marley Watkins. Jones was replaced by Robinson at the same time. Duk made way for Alfie Bavidge on 76 minutes. Jonny Hayes went in the book a couple of minutes later for a late challenge on Armstrong. Murray replaced Armstrong after 81 minutes as the game began to drift towards its logical conclusion, the Dons managing possession sensibly as they looked to protect their goal and see out the game. Doidge was Killie's last change, replaced by Wales in the 89th minute.
Robinson had the ball in the net as we headed into five minutes of added time, but the offside flag was raised, quite correctly. McCrorie came close to finding a third goal in the 95th minute, Walker producing a fine save to deny him, but it was all academic by then.
A third clean sheet in a row was safely entered in the book as the Dons ensured that they would be playing in the top six once again after the split.