What promised to be a helter-skelter afternoon petered out into a goalless draw between Aberdeen and Hibernian.
A highly entertaining first half gave promise to a decisive second period but neither side seized a firm hold on the race for second as Rangers made the most of their rivals drawing blanks.
The Dons made one change from the 2-0 win over Hearts, with Mark Reynolds replacing the suspended Kenny McLean. Hibernian were unchanged from the 5-3 victory against Kilmarnock, with Steven Whittaker again starting in midfield.
Prior to kick-off the Dons announced a pre-contract agreement with 18-year-old Hamilton Accies midfielder Lewis Ferguson, who they had been linked with earlier in the week.
With McLean departing in the summer for Norwich and Chidi Nwakali and Dominic Ball returning to their parent clubs, Derek McInnes will have to revamp his midfield.
Greg Tansey, on loan at Ross County, could also make the switch to Dingwall permanent should the Staggies stay up, meaning there could be openings for Ferguson and fellow youngsters Dean Campbell and Frank Ross to forge a role for themselves.
McLean has arguably been the Dons player of the season and they have struggled without him.
Ball was picked alongside Shinnie in the centre of midfield and those two were bypassed in the run-up to the game’s first major incident, with Scott Allan splitting the pair of them with a great ball to Whittaker.
The ex-Norwich and Rangers man careered forward and was allowed to find Jamie MacLaren before Reynolds sent him tumbling to the ground.
Referee John Beaton made the obvious call and presented MacLaren with the chance to open the scoring six minutes in but a strong right hand from Joe Lewis kept out the Australian’s effort from 12 yards.
The game was played at a frightening pace. Hibs’s front three of MacLaren, Florian Kamberi and Scott Allan move the ball quickly and swapped positions with ease, while the Dons won plenty of ball in the middle of the park.
Gary Mackay-Steven was having one of his better games up against Lewis Stevenson down the right. Niall McGinn rattled the crossbar with a free-kick before the interval and Sam Cosgrove saw a goal-bound header blocked by Efe Ambrose into the second half, as the Dons started to put greater pressure on the Hibs goal.
Cosgrove had been a nuisance to the Hibs back three all afternoon, backing in, holding the ball up well.
His striker partner in the first half, Stevie May, struggled to get involved and was replaced by Greg Stewart, a quicker, nippier goal threat, at the break.
The ploy to get the ball wide worked for most of the afternoon for the Dons as McGinn and Mackay-Steven had plenty of space in the channels to work with.
However, Ofir Marciano was rarely called into action as his central defenders did a good job.
The second 45 seemed to fall flat. Crosses were either over-hit or floated straight at the goalkeeper. With David Bates’s late goal giving Rangers victory over Kilmarnock, McInnes’ side hold a one-point advantage over the Gers ahead of tomorrow’s huge contest.
Aberdeen (4-4-2) – Lewis 6, Logan 6, O’Connor 6, McKenna 6, Reynolds 6, McGinn 6 (Christie 68), Ball 6, Shinnie 7, Mackay-Steven 7 (Rooney 81), Cosgrove 7, May 6 (Stewart 46). Subs not used – Woodman, Considine, Arnason, Wright.
Hibernian (3-4-1-2) – Marciano 6, Ambrose 6, McGregor 6, Hanlon 6, Boyle 7, Whittaker 6, McGinn 7, Stevenson 6, Allan 7 (McGeouch 77), Kamberi 6, MacLaren 7 (Barker 66). Subs not used – Bell, Gray, Bartley, Slivka, Porteous.
Referee – John Beaton 5.
Attendance – 17,822.
Man of the match – Gary Mackay-Steven.