Aberdeen are off the mark in the Scottish Premiership after scoring their first goals and collecting their first win of the season with a comfortable victory against Partick Thistle at Pittodrie.
Goals in each half from Niall McGinn and Miles Storey gave the Dons a 2-1 win against Alan Archibald’s side, who scored a consolation goal in injury time.
Dons manager Derek McInnes made four changes to the side which shared the spoils in a goalless draw with Hearts last weekend with captain Ryan Jack missing out due to a knee injury which will require a scan on Monday.
Ashton Taylor, Wes Burns and Jayden Stockley all dropped to the bench.
Miles Storey came in for his first competitive start while Andrew Considine, who missed the draw with the Jambos following the birth of his second child, returned to the starting line-up along with Adam Rooney and Kenny McLean.
Partick started brightly but without testing Joe Lewis in the home goal and it was Aberdeen who threatened first with a Peter Pawlett free kick which Jags goalkeeper Tomas Cerny turned round his left post.
Aberdeen were not to be denied their first league goal of the season, however, and Niall McGinn delivered it in style midway through the first half, curling a 25 yard free kick over the Jags wall past Cerny’s outstretched right hand into the top corner to give the Dons a deserved half-time lead.
The Dons duly made it 2-0 just before the hour mark.
Stand-in captain Graeme Shinnie made the goal, robbing Jags defender Liam Lindsay of the ball on the edge of his own box with a firm challenge which allowed Storey to run clear and fire past Cerny to double his side’s lead.
Partick’s miserable afternoon was compounded when midfielder Sean Welsh was dismissed for dissent, earning two cautions within 20 seconds to earn his red card.
Substitute Chris Erskine pulled a goal back for the visitors in injury-time but the Dons survived late pressure to record a deserved win.
