Aberdeen stormed back into the Premiership top six with an emphatic 4-1 defeat of St Mirren at Pittodrie.
Attackers Marley Watkins and Christian Ramirez both netted doubles to secure back to back wins in the Granite City.
The victory elevated the Dons back into the top half of the table. On the basis of this high tempo, attacking performance, the Reds will stay there.
Aberdeen’s attack is now beginning to click and they should have netted more than the four goals in an impressive display.
December was billed as the make or break month for Aberdeen’s season and they have began it with a bang with two wins.
Aberdeen’s starting line-up was unchanged from the 2-0 midweek Pittodrie defeat of Livingston.
Scotland international centre-back Declan Gallagher returned having missed the last six games with a hamstring injury.
Summer signing Gallagher was named on the bench with Ross McCrorie and David Bates retaining their slots in the heart of the defence.
St Mirren arrived at Pittodrie mired in a seven-game run without victory.
The last time the two sides met in September the Buddies had edged the match 3-2 in Paisley.
Aberdeen had blown a 2-1 lead following the dismissal of Teddy Jenks for a second yellow in that clash.
St Mirren created the first chance in the third minute when a slack pass from Jay Emmanuel-Thomas was intercepted near the half-way line.
The visitors burst forward on the break with a slide pass releasing Eamonn Brophy into the box.
Centre-back Bates raced in to produce a superb sliding challenge to block the 15-yard shot.
Aberdeen made the breakthrough in the sixth minute when Marley Watkins met an in-swinging free-kick whipped in from the right by Funso Ojo.
Watkins broke away from marker Matt Miller to engineer a free header that keeper Jak Alnwick did well to save.
The loose ball bounced back to Watkins, who slotted home with a clinical right-footed finish into the near corner.
⚽️ We are two up inside 10 minutes as Watkins scores from close range and Ramirez produces a fine finish on the volley. COYR!
10' | 🔴 ABE 2-0 STM ⚫️ | #StandFree pic.twitter.com/As5fnVQp5x
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) December 4, 2021
Two minutes later Aberdeen doubled their advantage when a low shot at the edge of the box from Emmanuel-Thomas was deflected towards the back post.
United States international striker Christian Ramirez met the ball to fire a lethal eight-yard right-footed drive beyond keeper Alnwick.
It was a fantastic finish from Ramirez.
Aberdeen were rampant and were tearing apart St Mirren’s defence with every attack.
The Dons threatened again a moment later when Ojo played Watkins down the flank.
Watkins pulled the ball back to Ryan Hedges who fired across the face of goal and just wide.
In the 18th minute, defender David Bates headed a Jamie McGrath header off the line at the back post.
St Mirren threatened again in the 26th minute when Matt Millar broke through on goal with the defence caught flat.
Millar fired in a 20-yard drive, but keeper Joe Lewis pushed the effort wide for a corner.
Lewis then produced a superb double save from Scott Tanser’s corner kick. He first blocked Millar’s powerful effort and then denied Joe Shaughnessy who had latched onto the loose ball.
In the build up to the game Lewis said his confidence and form had returned having been dropped to the bench in September – after a mistake for Buddies’ winning goal in the 3-2 loss in Paisley.
Lewis looks to be back to his granite-solid best.
In the 37th minute Hedges was denied when his drive from just inside the box was saved by Alnwick.
St Mirren hit back in the 42nd minute when wing back Millar crossed from the right to find Scott Tanser, who rifled a superb right-footed drive beyond Lewis from 12 yards.
Aberdeen hit back immediately in a kinetic period of play when Emmanuel-Thomas won a header and directed the ball towards Hedges, who ran at goal.
Hedges then slid a pass from the edge of the box to the onrushing Watkins who drilled a low left-footed drive beyond Alnwick.
It was the final act of an enthralling first half where remarkably there could have been many more than the four goals already scored. Both teams deserve real credit for playing attacking, attractive football in difficult weather conditions.
Half-time: Aberdeen 3 St Mirren 1
It was nearly 4-1 in the 51st minute when Emmanuel-Thomas found Ojo with a neat backheel.
Ojo crossed from the right into the box towards Ramirez near the penalty spot, but his diving header went just wide.
Aberdeen again threatened when Bates broke into the box and unleashed a shot that keeper Alnwick blocked in the 63rd minute.
The loose ball fell in front of an open goal but it was scrambled clear.
Moments later a cross from Scott Brown on the right took a deflection that sent it spinning towards the back post with Ramirez just short of connecting.
Aberdeen were flooding forward and next it was Ojo who had a chance, but he shot low from 15 yards with the shot blocked by Alnwick.
It should have been 4-1 in the 68th minute when Watkins stormed into the box to try to open up a scoring opportunity.
He found Ramirez with a pass who slid a short lay-off to Hedges.
Welsh international Hedges shot straight at Alnwick from 12 yards.
An inevitable further goal came in the 71st when Teddy Jenks worked his way to the right byline before drilling a low cross along the face of goal that left Alnwick stranded.
Ramirez was perfectly positioned at the back post to convert from close range and show his striker predatory instincts.
🇺🇸 Ohhh he is our no.9⃣.
⚽️ Christian Ramirez grabs his second of the afternoon!. COYR!!#StandFree | @Chris_Ramirez17 pic.twitter.com/lC8zxqXSzJ
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) December 4, 2021
Full-time: Aberdeen 4 St Mirren 1
ABERDEEN (4-2-3-1): Lewis 7; Hayes 7, Bates 8, McCrorie 7, Ojo 7, Ferguson 7, Brown 7, Emmanuel-Thomas 6 (Jenks 59), Hedges 7 (McLennan 77), Watkins 8 (McGinn 83), Ramirez 7
Subs not used: Woods, Gallagher, Samuels, Campbell.
ST MIRREN (3-4-2-1): Alnwick 6; Fraser 5, Dunne 5, Shaughnessy 5, Tanser 6, Power 6, Ronan 6(Erhahon 75), Millar 7 (Dennis 67), McGrath 6, Flynn 5, Brophy 3 (Main 28)
Subs not used: Lyness, Tait,Kiltie, McAllister.
Referee: Willie Collum
Attendance: 8,002
Man-of-the-match: Marley Watkins (Aberdeen)
