Aberdeen 2 - 0 Heart of Midlothian

With just his second goal for the club, Robbie Winters broke the deadlock before man of the match Jess put the game well beyong the visitors with what can only be described as an outstanding solo effort.

From just inside the Hearts half, Eoin latched onto an innocent pass before weaving his way past the midfiled pack and on through the retreating defence before unleashing a superb strike to leave Hearts 'keeper Rousset with no chance.

Around five minutes before the interval, it was that man Jess again who had the visitors defenders in turmoil forcing Rousset to bundle him down in the box for a penalty. Sadly the Pittodrie hitman didn't convert but his disappointment was short lived as the mighty Dons went in at the interval with a two goal advantage that flattered Hearts.

To Paul Hegarty's obvious delight, his troops carried on the domination after the restart to maintain their advantage and ensure all three points stay at Pittodrie.

As the full time whistle went, the 11,137 crowd were jubilant and hailed their heroes for a performance that dismissed any doubt that this red eleven are more than capable of not just staying in the top league in the country but making their presence well and truly felt.

For Paul Hegarty it's a dream start to his managerial career with all three points secured while presiding over arguably Aberdeen's best performance for far too long. Only time will tell if performances of this high standard can influence those who matter and help to make his current position more permanent.

The Dons travel to Dundee and Dunfermline before returning to Pittodrie for the last game of the year and the strong, vocal and ever loyal red army will be needed to help ensure that these encounters produce all the necessary points to propel the club up the league where it belongs.