A show of unbridled tenacity from Jonny Hayes - starring week after week in Aberdeen's impressive midfield - and a goalkeeping blunder from Kilmarnock's Craig Samson, led to the flash of opportunism that gave the Dons their seventh win in nine in all competitions.

Peter Pawlett's solitary goal may have won the points to take the home side into second spot in the Premiership, but it was Hayes' sizzling strike, fumbled by Samson, that afforded his team-mate his chance in a game they dominated, despite a few scary moments towards the end as the visitors battled for parity.

The Ayrshire outfit, having now gone eight games without victory, made it difficult for the home side at times, though it would have been a travesty had they pulled a rabbit out of the bag and snatched a draw.

Given their recent poor run of results, Killie knew they needed to produce something special in an effort to end their miserable run as well as to negate the energy for which the Dons have become known.

"We asked at half-time for a bit more tempo in our play and to get a wee bit more impetus," said Derek McInnes, the Dons manager, "and the way we started the second half was excellent because we needed to cause them more problems. Thankfully, one goal was enough, but we passed up a few opportunities to take it more comfortable.

"Kilmarnock got the ball forward quickly and that at times caused us problems and we stood up to a lot of set-plays and dead-ball situations going into our box. It was a good day's work and the players deserve a lot of credit because they could easily have thought it wasn't going to be their day."

Certainly, the early portents suggested just that. A ball across the Aberdeen six-yard area from Robbie Muirhead in the first minute had the potential to spell danger for the home side until Shay Logan stepped in to clear, while moments later Samson's failure to hold a Hayes rocket from 25-yards - not dissimilar to the killer blow the visitors suffered later - might have proved costly for Kilmarnock had Adam Rooney's strike from the rebound not ended up in the Merkland Road Stand.

David Goodwillie's opportunity on 20 minutes, however, came within a whisker of opening the scoring as Niall McGinn sent him clear with the most delightful of forward passes. But though the final shot beat Samson, it cracked off the underside of the bar and, for the time being, the danger passed. Still, it seemed to be a contributory factor in livening up proceedings, at least for Aberdeen, who began to find their rhythm.

Their passing manoeuvres became more potent and shots from McGinn and Pawlett spelled out their intentions that a fourth successive league win was desired. Goodwillie's challenge on Darryl Westlake, for which the Dons man was booked, ended unhappily for the Rugby Park defender, who was stretchered off and replaced by Ross Barbour four minutes before the break as his team-mates sought to go in at the interval still on level terms, which they did after a fairly uneventful opening phase.

The pace at which the Dons built up their attacks was impressive. Yet, as indicated by Peter Pawlett's shot which flashed across the Killie goal from the tightest of angles in the opening seconds of the second half, a breakthrough was hard to come by, as Goodwillie underlined when he fired a close-range shot over the bar.

Yet such was Aberdeen's positivity that their opponents had little option but to try to ride with the punches and seek a significant counter.

Rory McKenzie might have provided that on the hour had not Mark Reynolds blocked his angular effort from 12 yards, a warning that there was, indeed, hope in the Killie camp.

The lift that the Reds needed as reward for their diligence came in the 68th minute following a fizzing 20-yard shot from the ubiquitous Hayes.

It was too hot for Samson to handle and Pawlett was here to administer the coup de grace by firing in the loose ball.

Allan Johnston, the Killie manager, was disappointed but not despondent as he recognised his side had much to offer, despite their defeat.

"I'm disappointed for my players," he said. "They put an incredible amount of effort into the game and there wasn't much in it.

"Aberdeen will finish second this year and you can see the fine line between success and failure. We're being punished for every mistake at the moment."

He could be right. McInnes will not countenance such a boast, of course, and his players have been briefed that they should not stray down such a path, at least not publicly.

But it's hard to envisage who will beat them to the silver medal place on the Premiership podium in the spring.