Aberdeen end poor run of form with win over Dundee

Captain Graeme Shinnie scored the only goal of the game as Aberdeen laboured to end a run of four league games without a win, beating Dundee 1-0.As a result, they were able to close the gap to second-placed Rangers in the Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership. Shinnie's goal came 10 minutes before the break, and was a welcome warmer at a frozen Pittodrie, where occasional flurries of snow were blowing in over the stadium. It was a quiet opening quarter to the match, with only Shinnie's seemingly-obligatory yellow card of note for the home side, while the best chance of the opening exchanges fell to Kevin Holt, who tried to catch Freddie Woodman out with a surprise lob after 16 minutes, but the on-loan Newcastle man was alert and untroubled. Aberdeen have found goals hard to come by in recent weeks, but Shay Logan thought he had opened the scoring after 22 minutes, his powerful right-footed shot looking destined for the net until Kenny McLean got in the way, the midfielder also adjudged to be offside in doing so. But it was Dundee who had the best opportunity so far on the half hour, as A-Jay Leitch-Smith found himself clear of the home defence to latch onto a ball over the top. He advanced on goal, but Woodman stood firm and blocked the striker's low shot. A minute later, the visitors clipped the crossbar from Roarie Deacon's free-kick from the right flank, though his delivery looked to be a cross rather than a shot. However it was the home side who would grab the opener. Ryan Christie's cross from the right tempted goalkeeper Elliot Parish from his line, but in trying to leap over two team-mates he couldn not grasp the ball, and Shinnie was on hand to fire home from 10 yards. And from the restart they came close to a second, winning the ball back from the restart and building a move down the right which eventually saw the ball drop to McLean who fired over from 20 yards. They continued to push after the interval, with Chidi Nwakali's long-range strike after 54 minutes forcing Parish into a parried save, with the keeper up quickly to deny Christie from the rebound. And Parish had to be alert again after 73 minutes as Christie's neat reverse set Stevie May free in the area, but the former Sheffield Wednesday and Preston man shot straight at the goalkeeper. The Dons had a late opportunity to make the scoreline a touch more comfortable, but Anthony O'Connor's injury-time header from Niall McGinn's free-kick flashed wide of the upright.