Craig Brown's makeshift side – 10 players were sidelined through injury – coped with the extreme conditions and Niall McGinn twice found a way past Alan Mannus, St Johnstone's outstanding goalkeeper, to take the points and move Aberdeen into fourth place in the SPL.

Steve Lomas, the McDiarmid Park manager, was adamant the game should not have been played because of the swirling wind, driving rain and the squelchiest of pitches, and Brown might have agreed had the visitors won.

"This was a good Christmas present for our support," said Brown. "The dominance we had in the game was reflected in the score, which has not always been the case this season, and we would have scored more but for the superb efforts of Mannus."

The Aberdeen manager was correct in that assessment and while the keeper stopped McGinn from hitting four or five goals, he could do nothing about the striker's 20-yard free kick just after the hour mark, which broke the deadlock in a surprisingly entertaining game.

Then, with nine minutes remaining, the Northern Ireland frontman beat his countryman with an expertly-taken goal as the Saints defence were posted missing and a superb through pass from Cammy Smith found his team-mate.

It was no more than Aberdeen deserved and while the visitors managed some good, passing football, despite the weather, an end product was rare.

"The conditions were farcical," Lomas said. "The wind spoiled it as a spectacle and I feel sorry for any fan who paid to watch it because it wasn't a football match. Alan Mannus pulled off four or five great saves so we are indebted to him because it could have been worse. I don't know what people thought of that game, but I didn't enjoy one minute of it."

Aberdeen did not have their troubles to seek – eight players were already injured before the match – and yesterday their difficulties worsened as Andrew Considine was unable to play because of a virus and Jonny Hayes was posted missing because of a training ground knock.

First-choice goalkeeper Jamie Langfield was suspended because of his ordering-off against Kilmarnock the previous week, leaving Jason Brown to deputise, though he, too, carried an injury.

A mere 7000 fans braved the cold and relentless rain. Even the famous Pittodrie seagulls were a no-show, though two shots in the opening minutes from Aberdeen indicated that those who did turn up might just be offered some semblance of excitement.

McGinn's stunning 30-yard strike skimmed off a Saints defender to force Mannus into a wonderfully acrobatic save, which came moments before the visitors' goalkeeper had to repeat a similar feat, again from the Dons striker. Then Mitch Megginson saw his 10-yard effort turned past by Dave Mackay when a goal looked likely.

There were two or three other manoeuvres in that vein for the home side as the swirling wind took hold and might have prompted calls to the RSPCFF (the Royal Society for the Protection of Footballers and Fans) and the half-time chat turned to summer football.

Still, there was entertainment; Frazer Wright scooped Mackay's low cross over the bar from six yards, then McGinn had his shot from a similar distance saved by the feet of Mannus, before the keeper succumbed to his countryman's free kick from the edge of the area then again, following a barrage of shots – principally from McGinn as well as from Josh Magennis and Scott Vernon – from his late run into the area from Smith's through ball.