Aberdeen 3 - 1 Ross County
A superb second-half turnaround saw Aberdeen grab a much-needed victory but they made hard work of a 3-1 win against Ross County.
A superb second-half turnaround saw Aberdeen grab a much-needed victory but they made hard work of a 3-1 win against Ross County.
The visitors had taken the lead through Craig Curran's low drive after some defensive uncertainty, but goals early in the second half from Adam Rooney and Jonny Hayes saw the Dons turn it around.
Dan Ward made a fine stop from Liam Boyce to keep the home side in front, before Niall McGinn made sure of the points 10 minutes from time.
County had every reason to be confident before the match, having beaten the Dons in Dingwall earlier in the season, and they were coming into the game on the back of a 3-0 thumping of Motherwell.
They made just one change, with Stewart Murdoch replacing Jonathan Franks in midfield.
The home side, on the other hand, were still trying to find light at the end of a gloomy tunnel, with just one win from their previous seven games, having conceded 14 goals in that period.
It was perhaps no surprise, then, that Derek McInnes altered his defence. Ash Taylor dropped out of the side, making way for former County man Paul Quinn, while Graeme Shinnie was moved into midfield, with Andy Considine taking over at left-back.
Shinnie's move forward was perhaps, in part, to compensate for the absence of injured captain Ryan Jack, missing a second game with an ankle injury.
But when the visitors took the lead with their first real chance of the game, 14 minutes in, the failing started in the midfield area. Willo Flood failed to control a high ball, and he and stand-in captain Mark Reynolds then left the loose ball to each other.
Boyce took full advantage, picking the ball up and striding forward before releasing Curran to his right. Curran was clinical in his finishing, angling a low drive beyond goalkeeper Ward.
The home side had a chance to equalise when Hayes' jinking run just moments later saw him send a teasing ball to the back post, where Considine was unable to to convert.
The Dons should have been level when Hayes won a free-kick on the right. Niall McGinn swung the ball along the six-yard line, where Rooney was unable to direct a diving header goalward.
The home fans were quickly growing frustrated, and with County remaining in front at the interval, they made their feelings known.
However, they were given reasons to be cheerful, two of them, early in the second half.
After 51 minutes, Rooney drew his side level. It was the ever creative McGinn who did the hard work on the left, before sending a low ball across the penalty area for the Irish striker to drill home his 10th league goal of the season from eight yards.
And two minutes later, Aberdeen were in front. McGinn was again involved, combining with Hayes, who sent a chipped ball towards - and in off - the back post.
They had Ward to thank for keeping them in front with 15 minutes to go, however. County substitute Franks swung over a dangerous cross from the right after getting the better of Shinnie, and Boyce threw himself at the ball only to be denied by a superb flying stop from the on-loan Liverpool goalkeeper.
But McInnes' men sealed the points with 10 minutes to go, when McLean slipped in McGinn to send a low shot beyond Gary Woods and into the corner of the net.
There was one final chance for County to pull a goal back when Jackson Irvine sent a header toward goal in injury time, but Aberdeen substitute Craig Storie was perfectly placed to clear off the line.