Aberdeen kept their hopes of salvaging the season with European qualification alive by overcoming rivals Livingston 1-0.
Despite suffering a troubled campaign the Reds are still in the mix for a fourth-placed finish and European qualification.
Striker Bojan Miovski grabbed the vital goal in the 44th minute when shooting home from six yards for his 17th goal of the season.
Livingston had an effort cleared off the line by Angus MacDonald in the second half in a tight match.
The win jumped Aberdeen back into the top six, ahead of Livingston on goal difference.
Aberdeen are now only two points behind fourth-placed Hibs, although the Easter Road club hold a game in hand.
Dons legend Frank McDougall also made an emotional return to Pittodrie.
McDougall, who is battling lung cancer, went onto the pitch at half-time in the clash with Livingston to greet fans.
Legendary goalscorer McDougall has been inducted into the Aberdeen Hall of Fame.
Talking points
New manager will lead the battle for Euro qualification
Interim manager Barry Robson has kept Aberdeen in the mix for European qualification with two wins from his four games in charge.
The Reds were in free-fall when Robson was brought in with No. 2 Steve Agnew.
Robson and Agnew have steadied the ship and made it possible to salvage European qualification from a troubled campaign.
It is four weeks since Jim Goodwin was sacked as manager following the humiliating 6-0 loss to Hibs at Easter Road.
The search for a new manager will ramp up on Monday when newly appointed chief executive Alan Burrows begins his role at Pittodrie.
Robson has yet to confirm if he is in the mix for the job permanently.
Burrows will lead the process of securing a new manager as chairman Dave Cormack, 64, is currently recuperating having undergone open heart surgery on Friday.
Aberdeen have been inundated with applications from the UK and across Europe.
Spanish coach Ricardo Rodriguez is understood to be a serious contender to become the next Aberdeen manager.
Rodriguez guided Urawa Red Diamonds to the Asian Champions League final as well as Emperor’s Cup and Japanese Super Cup triumphs.
The 48-year-old, who was named J League Manager of the Year in 2021, is a free agent having left the Tokyo based club last November.
Robson has given the Pittodrie board breathing space in the search for a manager by guiding the team back to an even keel.
Now the next step for the new manager, whoever that is, is to deliver Europe.
Aberdeen’s maligned defence deliver a rare clean sheet
Aberdeen’s much maligned defence delivered a rare clean sheet to edge out Livingston.
This was only the Dons’ seventh clean sheet in 27 Premiership matches this season.
January signings Angus MacDonald and Mattie Pollock, both centre-backs, are beginning to bring defensive stability.
It was needed because no club in the Premiership has conceded more goals than Aberdeen in the Premiership this season.
The Reds have conceded 51 goals in the top flight.
Even troubled Dundee United, rock bottom of the table and who lost 9-0 to Celtic, have only leaked 49 league goals.
It is already the most goals Aberdeen have conceded in a league campaign in more than a decade.
The previous worst defensive record was 59 conceded over the entire 2010-11 season.
An inability to register a league clean sheet was one of the fundamental weaknesses that damaged the Dons’ season, as well as the shocking away form.
Aberdeen had conceded 19 goals in their previous five Premiership matches before facing Livingston, with four losses and one win.
Arguably Scotland’s greatest ever centre-back partnership was present at Pittodrie.
Gothenburg Greats Willie Miller was commentating on the game and Alex McLeish was watching from the stands.
Miller and McLeish were masters at delivering clean sheets.
It was fitting that with both in attendance the Reds produce a shut-out.
The Aberdeen defence restricted Livingston to just six shots at goal with only one on target.
That effort on target, a shot from Joel Nouble, was headed off the line by MacDonald.
Aberdeen limited Livingston to just 16 crosses and 13 touches in the penalty area.
Striker Bojan Miovski proves point with goal
Aberdeen striker Bojan Miovski delivered a goalscoring response to being replaced at half-time in the previous game.
North Macedonian international Miovski was substituted at half-time in the 4-0 loss to Celtic at Parkhead last weekend.
He bounced back with a lethal finish towards the end of the first half to put the Reds 1-0 up at the break.
A cross from Ryan Duncan from the right flank was headed back across goal by MacDonald.
Miovski ghosted in at the back post to fire in a clinical volley from six yards to take his goal tally to 17 for the season.
A £535,000 summer signing from MTK Budapest the striker is on course to smash the 20-goal mark this season.
Aberdeen’s hopes of salvaging the season with European qualification will hinge on Miovski remaining amongst the goals.
Miovski mustered one shot on target and one goal in a performance with six touches inside the opposition box.
He had one opportunity and converted it to edge a tight, evenly matched game.
Although Miovski is delivering goals there will hopefully be more game time for teenage striker Alfie Bavidge in the remainder of the season.
Bavidge netted a hat-trick for the Aberdeen U18s in a 5-0 defeat of Motherwell at Cormack Park on Friday.
Prolific striker Bavidge has now scored an impressive 27 goals in 16 U18 games this season.
The 16-year-old’s only senior game time was when introduced as a substitute in the 89th minute in the 3-1 defeat of Motherwell on February 4.
An exciting talent Bavidge deserves a chance to shine at first team level.
Talking tactics
Aberdeen interim boss Barry Robson set up with a back four in a 4-3-3 formation.
Ross McCrorie returned to the starting line-up having served a two game suspension and slotted in at right-back.
Teenage winger Ryan Duncan, 19, came in for only his second Premiership start on the right of a three pronged attack.
Leading scorer Bojan Miovksi led the attack through the centre with Duk to his left.
Referee watch
David Munro: Got it right when he waved off a penalty call in the 20th minute when Bojan Miovski went down far too easily under a challenge from Jack Fitzwater.
It was not a penalty and Munro was right to wave play on. He let the game flow and there were no contentious incidents.
Player ratings
ABERDEEN (4-3-3): Gorter 6; McCrorie 8, MacDonald 7, Pollock 7, MacKenzie 7; Ramadani 6, Clarkson 6, Shinnie 7; Duncan 7 (Hayes 78), Miovski 6 (Watkins 82), Duk 6 (Coulson 89).
Subs not used: Lewis, Markanday, Myslovic, Kennedy, Bavidge, Roberts
LIVINGSTON (4-2-3-1): George 6; Devlin 6, Fitzwater 6, Obiley 7, Penrice 6 (Bahamboula 78); Stephen Kelly 5 (Shinnie 64), Sean Kelly 4 (Holt 46); Bradley 4 (Boyes 46), Pittman 6, Nouble 6; Anderson 6
Subs not used: Hamilton, Longridge,de Lucas, Brandon, Stenhouse.
Star man
Ross McCrorie (Aberdeen). Impressive performance in the right-back role on return from suspension.
McCrorie was rock solid in defence with vital interceptions and tackles. In a high energy shift McCrorie kept the shackles on Joel Nouble.
Also a threat going forward McCrorie linked up well with Ryan Duncan on the right and also threatened with a number of shots at goal.
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