A relieved Sam Cosgrove finally broke his Aberdeen duck on a day of firsts at Pittodrie as the Dons eased to a 4-1 victory over a poor St Mirren.
On his 17th appearance for the Dons, the former Carlisle United attacker got off the mark with a double to down the Buddies with Connor McLennan, making his first start for the Dons, and Max Lowe also finding the back of the net for the first time in a red shirt.
Simeon Jackson grabbed a consolation for the below-par visitors but the game was well over as a contest by then.
After a stuttering start to the season, this was an emphatic victory for the Dons and a perfect confidence-booster ahead of two hugely important fixtures after the international break with a visit to Hearts followed by the Betfred Cup semi-final against Rangers.
The Aberdeen team sheet had an unfamiliar look with James Wilson, Niall McGinn and Stevie May all missing out unexpectedly through injury, while Scott McKenna was also absent as he served the first of a two game ban.
A day after his 19th birthday, McLennan was handed his first start, while Cosgrove, Lowe and the returning Lewis Ferguson were also drafted in as Derek McInnes made four enforced changes from the team beaten 1-0 by Celtic.
Aberdeen’s social media account made a point of listing all eight first team players missing through injury, emphasising the selection problems for the Dons boss, but the club’s fringe players seized their moment to shine.
They were given a helping hand by a woeful St Mirren performance.
The Buddies have played three times at Pittodrie in 2018 in three different competitions under three different managers but with almost identical results. Jack Ross’ St Mirren were thumped 4-1 in the Scottish Cup in January before Alan Stubbs oversaw a 4-0 League Cup loss in August.
New Buddies manager Oran Kearney endured an afternoon to forget as the Dons raced to a three goal lead by half-time.
The opener arrived in 26 minutes when Gary Mackay-Steven’s inviting cross was nodded home by Cosgrove for his second career goal and first for the Dons.
Mackay-Steven cracked the post with before the Dons doubled their lead when McLennan’s shot from the edge of the area fizzed into the top corner.
St Mirren were in disarray and fell further behind four minutes before the break when a Mackay-Steven attempt fell kindly for Lowe, who had all the time he wanted to slot past Samson as a static St Mirren defence looked on.
The hosts should have had a penalty before the break when Jack Baird hauled down Graeme Shinnie but referee Alan Muir waved play on.
Connor McLennan’s first start came to a premature end when he was forced off with a shoulder injury before Cosgrove doubled his tally by guiding home a Lowe cross.
Former Don Cammy Smith capitalised on an error by Dons substitute Stephen Gleeson before setting up Jackson who lifted the ball over the advancing Lewis to pull one back for the Buddies.
