Aberdeen captain Graeme Shinnie got both goals as his side racked up their seventh consecutive away win with a 2-0 win at St Johnstone.
The Dons were made to fight for the points in a competitive and feisty encounter at McDiarmid Park but two excellent long-range strikes from the Aberdeen captain secured all three points.
Dons boss Derek McInnes made two changes from the side which drew 2-2 with St Mirren at Pittodrie.
Tommie Hoban, whose season is over after suffering a cruciate injury week ago, and Niall McGinn were the players to drop out with Connor McLennan and Dominic Ball coming into the starting 11.
Saints made a bright start but it was the Dons who opened the scoring with their first attack as Ball won the ball in midfield before finding Graeme Shinnie on the edge of the box and the Dons captain beat Sean Goss on the edge of the box before curling the ball past Cammy Bell with his right foot.
The first half was one of few chances but the Dons could have doubled their lead before the break when McLennan found Gary Mackay-Steven in the box but Bell was equal to the Dons winger’s shot, palming Mackay-Steven’s right-foot volley away.
McLennan fired over for his side at the start of the second half as the Dons pushed for a second but Aberdeen secured the points in the 75th minute when Shinnie scored his second of the game.
The midfielder’s strike was even better than his first as he broke forward before firing past Cammy Bell from 25 yards with a low drilled strike.