ONLY one of the Aberdeen eight was thrown into the thick of the action as Derek McInnes’ side returned from their spell on the naughty step with a win in Perth. 

Jonny Hayes was given the nod from his manager, while Dylan McGeouch, Craig Bryson and Matty Kennedy were selected for a position on the bench.  

It was another substitute who proved to be the difference at McDiarmid Park however, as Ryan Hedges clambered out of the cold and damp stands to grab a crucial match winner for his side.  

An unofficial trip to a city centre bar by the eight Aberdeen stars, and two subsequent positive Covid-19 tests, forced the original date of this fixture to be postponed. 

Some argued St Johnstone were dealt a harsh blow with the Dons being able to field their bad boys, however Callum Davidson played down those claims in the build-up. 

The Saints boss wanted to do his talking on the park and it was obvious he had his players riled up for the occasion as they dominated in the opening stages. 

The Perth outfit controlled possession and confidence looked high after a snatch and grab victory over Kilmarnock at the weekend.  

Danny McNamara, who has impressed since arriving at McDiarmid Park on loan from Millwall, had the first chance of the match when he forced Joe Lewis into a parried save after he paraded forward on the right flank. 

Callum Hendry then came close to an opener when he controlled neatly on the chest before sending a volley on the swivel against the post.  

Despite the heavy pressure by Davidson’s team, Aberdeen almost found themselves ahead in one of only a few flurries forward in the first half.  

Funso Ojo did terrifically to engineer a hooked volley effort within inches of Elliott Parish’s goal from a Hayes cross. 

The half-time whistle was a welcome break for the Dons, but what happened after the break will have them hitting the headlines for the right reasons for the first time in two weeks. 

McInnes’ men emerged for the second period with a determination to ensure they took something from this match, after being forced to postpone their previous three. 

The Dons left everything on the pitch and were awarded for their efforts when Ryan Hedges produced the only piece of real quality in a lacklustre 90 minutes. 

The winger danced in from the right flank, leaving Scott Tanser in his wake, before firing beyond Parish in the Saints net. The strike took a wicked deflection off Liam Gordon, but that didn’t matter one jot to Dons boss McInnes. 

Hailing his players at full-time, after an on-field team huddle, he said: “We could have played better but we will do that in the weeks ahead. The players sometimes need to be reminded that the feeling of winning is what we do this job for.  

“We will get better as we go along, we knew the game here would be a tough one. St Johnstone are well drilled, well organised and you have to fight for any space.  

“We had one or two moments of quality and contained them. It looked like one goal would be enough and thankfully we got it and then had something to hang on to.  

“The subs at the right time gave us energy because we had a few players flagging out there. Nothing prepares you for competitive football and you improve as you play.  

“The character, resilience and effort of the team was outstanding.”  

Saints boss Davidson was impressed by his sides’ showing and felt there was positives to take despite the defeat. 

He added: “We worked hard as a team and limited Aberdeen to few chances so I was really pleased with that. In the first half we moved the ball well but the one criticism was the lack of quality in the final third.  

“I was happy with the way we pressed and the discipline we showed. Aberdeen defended well and we could say it was poor balls into the box, but I won’t criticise them too much for that.  

“I don’t get too high with wins and two lows with defeats. I would be in a worse mood if we played badly and got beat but there were good signs there.  

“I was pleased with the performance.”