DAYS after questioning the capability and commonsense of Scotland's referees, Aberdeen win their next match courtesy of a dubious penalty and a hair's-breadth goalline escape.
Job done. A brilliant piece of propaganda from the newly siege-minded AFC regime. Whoever wrote the scathing piece which appeared on the club's website last week may well have exploded had not the Dons secured three points from this game.
Until the stamina-enforced withdrawal of the magnificent Peter Pawlett resulted in the Reds becoming horribly shapeless and panicky, they had played terrifically, albeit against a poor St Johnstone side for who Jody Morris and the irritating Chris Miller were, like Kelly Brook's cream buns, far too small to cover the giant dumplings behind them.
If Andrew Driver does not want this Scotland call-up, Mr Burley, you could always give it to fellow prospective changeling Pawlett instead.
Pawlett certainly justified his international selection more than Jamie Langfield, the goalkeeper looking as if he had heard news of Craig Gordon's injury, for no sooner had his chances of a Cardiff cap improved than his nerve cracked like the Sunderland goalkeeper's arm.
PP produced a thrilling display of tenacity, vision and searing pace, all three of which were evident in his laying on of as fine a goal as Aberdeen have scored in many a long year, coolly finished by Sone Aluko. Pawlett has all of the mental and technical tools to go far and is just waiting for his growing body, which currently hits the wall around the hour mark, to catch up.
In that, Scotland's newest sporting representative can look to its most famous – Andy Murray was never able to finish a full shift when he burst on to the scene at PP's age but is now one of the fittest and most durable tennis players on the planet. In the meantime, Pawlett would be prudent to conserve what energy he has. His enthusiasm cannot be faulted but is occasionally wasteful, as when he hurtled into the visitors' box for a quick free kick which no team-mate was remotely in the vicinity of being able to take. As flaws go, it's a good one to have.
Chris Crighton is editor of Dons fanzine The Red Final.