IT was not the result Aberdeen wanted, but while there were glum expressions boarding the team bus for the Granite City last night, manager Derek McInnes hailed his side's remarkable season.

The defeat ended a commendable run of 18 wins and four draws which has helped the Reds secure the Premiership's runners-up spot and European football in the summer.

Robbie Muirhead's early strike as he finished-off a sensational pass from John Souttar, the game's top player, gave Dundee United a win they deserved, despite a spirited show from the visitors that added to a compelling atmosphere with more than 3000 members of the Red Army there.

The win by Jackie McNamara's exuberant side meant that Celtic cemented the Premiership title without the need to concern themselves with the scoreline when they face the Dons at Pittodrie in seven days time as McInnes set the bar for his energetic outfit for next season.

"We are ten points better off than we were last season," he said, "but even then we always knew Celtic would have to have a poor season.

"But we don't accept it, we will roll our sleeves up and give a bit more next season.

"The head-to-head games against Celtic have made a difference because last season we beat them but dropped points elsewhere.

"This season it has been the other way around. We need to put the two of them together."

The tension at Tannadice matched the tempo as Aberdeen sought to stamp their authority on it while United, whose form has disintegrated in the latter stages of the season , hoped to regain the kind of perfomance that, at one time, had marked them out as likely to challenge for the league's runners-up spot.

Yet, they could have been two goals down within the opening few minutes. Adam Rooney's touch from Niall McGinn's free-kick towards the United goal was clawed off the line by goalkeeper Radoslaw Cierzniak before the Dons striker's low cross would have been touched home by Peter Pawlett had not Souttar not intercepted.

Souttar, moved by McNamara into a holding role and attracting interest from Celtic, then fed Robbie Muirhead after 13 minutes and the youngster's powerful strike was too good for Dons keeper Scott Brown as the home side grabbed the lead.

It was a counter of which Floyd Mayweather would have been proud and suddenly United assumed a modicum of control they had not enjoyed to that point, though the visitors drove forward with a series of attacks and set plays that frequently created problems for their opponents with McGinn and Jonny Hayes particularly active in these moves.

The Dons defence, however, appeared unsettled, centre-backs Ash Taylor and Mark Reynolds not at their best under the pressure from Nadir Ciftci and Muirhead whose sizzling 15-yard effort would have extended his side's lead but for an acrobatic save by Brown.

Andrew Considine, too, found life turbulent in this his 300th game for Aberdeen and was replaced by Kenny McLean after an hour, McInnes recognising the need for improvement in his side, but not before Cierzniak's legs had been the barrier to Rooney's stinging low strike.

The drive and determination of both sides as palpable and as much as the visitors sought parity, United dug-in to deservedly retain their lead.

McNamara's was pleased with the commitment offered by his side and hailed the performances of Souttar and Ciftci, both of whom might be headed for the Tannadice exit at the season's close.

"This is just speculation," he said. "We have good players here and for me much has been made about us losing four key players [Andrew Robertson, Ryan Gauld, Stuart Armstrong and Gary Mackay-Steven] since he start of the season and from my point of view I want to build and not dismantle the squad and try and put up a challenge.

"We have some fantastic young players here; we started with four teenagers and had two others who came on as substitutes which shows we're doing things properly.

"Souttar has been outstanding in the holding role and he's only going to get better. We forget he's only 18-years-old and he's played more than 50 games for us.

"His composure and awareness is a joy to watch."

Dundee Utd (4-2-3-1): Cierzniak; McGowan, Fojut, Morris, Dixon;Souttar, Rankin; Spittal Connolly 46), Telfer, Muirhead; Ciftci. Subs not used: Szromnik, Dillon, Smith, Coote, Anier, Spark. Booked: Ciftci 75, McGowan 83.

Aberdeen (4-2-3-1): Brown; Logan, Taylor, Reynolds, Considine (McLean 62); Flood, Jack (Goodwillie 62); Hayes, Pawlett 3 (Smith 23), McGinn; Rooney. Subs not used: Langfield, Robertson, Shankland, Daniels. Booked: Reynolds 87, Flood 90.

Referee: J Beaton.

Attendance: 8686.

Man of the match: John Souttar.