A brutal lesson for the Dons who were made to pay for not taking their chances as they squandered chance after chance before conceding three goals in five minutes to Rangers.
Pedro Caixinha’s side had been hanging on before Aberdeen hit the self-destruct button at Pittodrie. The Dons’ 10-game winning home run is at an end, but no one expected it to be dismantled as painfully it was.
Defeat has reduced the Dons’ lead in second place to nine points and leaves Derek McInnes’ men with work to do before they secure runners-up spot.
The stage was set for a frantic and full-blooded encounter from the fourth minute when Dons captain Ryan Jack and Rangers forward Joe Garner tangled on the halfway line. The two squared up with Jack making a forward motion with his head before Garner collapsed in embarrassing fashion.
Referee Kevin Clancy had a clear view of the incident and booked both, although the Dons captain should be thankful the referee did not fall for the theatrics.
The early incident lifted an already intense atmosphere and it affected Light Blues central defender David Bates, making only his second start for the club, who was dispossessed by Kenny McLean on the touchline but the Aberdeen midfielder failed to make the most of his chance.
Bates had barely had a chance to catch his breath when was left one on one with Jonny Hayes and the Aberdeen midfielder roared past him before seeing his low drive turned round the post by goalkeeper Wes Foderingham.
The visitors should have broken the deadlock when a Martyn Waghorn shot was deflected into the path of Garner, but his shot was superbly blocked by Joe Lewis.
Garner was involved in everything, good and bad, in the first half and had Dons supporters calling for referee Clancy to show him a second yellow after fouling Lewis.
It was breathless and competitive but quality was in short supply thereafter as both sides struggled to make any headway in a match that was stop-start due to fouls, poor passing and a lack of composure.
The busiest man on the pitch was referee Clancy who booked two further Dons before the break, Ash Taylor for a crunching challenge on Jason Holt and Graeme Shinnie for a foul on Jon Toral.
Hayes and Niall McGinn struggled to impose themselves in the first half but at the start of the second the duo showed why they are so important.
Hayes beat Emerson Hyndman and Danny Wilson down the right but the Gers defence managed to cut out his cross before a McGinn cross created havoc in the box and with the visitors struggling to clear the danger, Foderingham made a fine save on the line to keep out McLean’s volley.
The pressure was mounting and Foderingham denied Adam Rooney twice, the first from a through ball from Anthony O’Connor, the second a superb stop after Rooney had got on the end of a Taylor knockdown. The Dons were battering on the door but the goal would not come and they were made to pay.
Rangers had barely got near the Aberdeen penalty area in a one-sided second half but in Kenny Miller they had a man who showed all he needed was a sight of goal to do damage. He did just that, beating Lewis with a tremendous angled drive after the goalkeeper had saved a Waghorn effort.
The Dons barely had time to register what had happened when they were 2- 0 down with O’Connor’s misplaced pass finding Joe Dodoo and the substitute’s pass sent Miller clear on goal and he beat Lewis again.
Incredibly a third goal for the visitors came in the space of five minutes with Dodoo cutting in before firing low into the net
Dodoo hit the crossbar before Miller was denied a hat-trick when his header from the rebound was cleared off the line as Rangers threatened to add to their tally in the closing stages.
A short, sharp shock for Aberdeen. The response must be immediate.
