ADAM ROONEY’S 16th league goal of the season earned Aberdeen a win which kept them in touch with leaders Celtic and pulled them further clear of third placed Hearts at Pittodrie.

It was a far more entertaining match than the scoreline suggested, Aberdeen spurning several chances in both halves while Dundee showed no lack of adventure.

However the result was very much in line with what might have been expected since, encouraging for them as their form had been, the odds had not favoured the visitors given that they were aiming to win a third league match in succession for the first time since a year past November. Aberdeen, meanwhile, were unbeaten in their last nine league matches and in their last 10 league meetings with Dundee, had lost only two matches at home in the whole of 2015.

After one awkward moment they showed early determination to demonstrate why they boast those records.

The pitch looked like it might be sticky, but instead the ball was zipping across it sufficiently to embarrass Dons goal-keeper Scott Brown as he came out of his six yard box to pursue a miscued back pass and found himself chasing it all the way to the corner flag as it seemed to gather pace as he pursued it.

However the condition of the surface seemed to suit Brown’s team-mates just fine and, aided by Dundee’s inability to clear their lines, they created a string of chances Scott Bain doing well to block an Adam Rooney and two from Ashton Taylor whose keenness to be in the opposition penalty area was an indicator of the collective mindset.

For their part Dundee were far from reluctant to get forward and Greg Stewart slid the ball through for Kane Hemmings who slightly mishit his effort, then Nicky Low cut infield from the left and, with his cut-back, just failed to find the unmarked Gary Harkins 14 yards out.

However Aberdeen had been the more threatening and, having found Bain difficult to beat, they pretty much took him out of the equation in registering their opener.

As he surged down the right flank Johnny Hayes’ – whose pace forced both Kevin Holt and Paul McGowan into cynical challenges which saw them yellow carded in the first half – had his first attempt to get the ball over blocked. When the ball rebounded to him, though, he identified the perfect angle from the edge of the box and delivered the ball with such pace that Bain could do nothing as the ball sped past him to the waiting Rooney who slid in at the far post to score from point blank range.

It was high tempo, entertaining fare and after Harkins just failed to capitalise on a Dundee counter-attack play was instantly transferred to the other end where a David Goodwillie effort from wide on the right flashed past Bain’s right post.

Taylor then had his third clear-cut chance to get on the score-sheet when, at a corner from the left, he got the run on Darren O’Dea and climbed above his fellow central defender but could not put his header on target.

Dundee retained their appetite to get forward when they could, though, Hemmings taking the chance to demonstrate how his confidence has benefited from his recent run of goals when Greg Stewart picked him out with a cross-field ball and he met it left-footed on the volley to force Brown into a diving save.

Trailing as the second half got underway Dundee were forced into a change soon after when Holt was forced from the field after coming off second best in a clash with Shay Logan which saw the Aberdeen player yellow carded for a high foot, but his opponent forced out of the game with a cut head.

Aberdeen began the second period as they had the first, full of energy and invention and as the pressure built, making it seem almost inevitable that they would double their advantage, the clearest cut chance presented itself to the perfect man just short of the hour.

Paul McGinn had made a mess of preventing a corner wide on Dundee’s right, close to the goal-line, delivering it to Niall McGinn who duly responded to one invitation with another by firing the ball across goal. With defenders drawn to Goodwillie, directly in front of goal, the ball bounced in front of them and on to the unmarked Rooney, but with the goal at his mercy he was unable to get over his shot and shinned it over the bar.

It was a dangerous lead of course and they were almost punished for their profligacy when Logan had to react sharply to prevent Nicky Low from getting onto a cross from the right, then gave Taylor a mouthful for showing rather less enthusiasm to assert himself in the same penalty area in which he had previously been so prominent, as he inexplicably ducked under the ball.

Harkins gave the home supporters in the 11,805 crowd a couple of late frights with a long range shot which stung Brown’s fingers and might have given him a problem had it not been straight at him and then when he substitute Rory Loy’s flick on following Greg Stewart’s corner from the right found him at the back post, but with back to goal he could not find a way to get it on target and the home team had their deserved win.