A brace from Andrew Considine helped Aberdeen towards a comfortable 3-0 win over Hamilton Accies.
Considine netted in both halves, either side of a Niall McGinn goal, to extend the Dons lead in second to six points.
The Dons made two changes from the 4-2 win over Ross County. Freddie Woodman, signed on loan from Newcastle United on deadline day, was given the nod over Danny Rogers in goal, while Anthony O’Connor came in for Kari Arnason at centre-back.
Accies boss Martin Canning brought in four players from the 2-1 defeat to Dundee a week ago. Darian MacKinnon was injured and David Templeton suspended, while Dougie Imrie was out and Antonio Rojano dropped to the bench. Georgios Sarris, Scott McMann, Darren Lyon and Marios Ogkmpoe all came in.
The early exchanges were tepid with Accies’ back five denying the hosts space and they struggled to test Gary Woods.
Considine provided the breakthrough on 25 minutes following McGinn’s free-kick, which Scott McMann headed against another blue shirt and the Dons full-back hooked home the loose ball.
Sensing an opportunity to kill off the visitors early, Aberdeen pressed again and a glancing header from Ryan Christie played in Adam Rooney. He held off the attentions of Sarris but was quickly met by Woods, who blocked bravely.
The last time Dons fans were at Pittodrie Scott McKenna gave them a day to remember with his 40-yard wonder-strike. He nearly found the net again here in albeit less-spectacular circumstances, with his 35-yard strike looping up off an Accies shirt and forcing a back-pedalling Woods to push over the bar on 50 minutes.
A glancing header wide from the centre-back soon followed as only the hosts looked like finding the back of the net.
Sure enough the clinching goal came on 79 minutes after Kenny McLean’s shot was blocked into McGinn’s path, with his first-time strike deflecting past Woods.
Considine added gloss to the scoreline and his afternoon with three minutes left, heading in Christie’s cross.
