Pape Habib Gueye was on the double as Aberdeen overcame Motherwell 2-1 to keep up their 100 per cent document within the Scottish Premiership.
The Senegalese gave the Dons the lead with a shocking solo strike within the first half and was readily available to move residence his fifth of the season to double the lead with 10 minutes remaining.
The factors appeared safe however a late strike from Motherwell substitute Moses Ebiye led to a nervy ending for the 17,155 inside Pittodrie.
How Aberdeen stored up their profitable run
Jimmy Thelin’s aspect have been lacking captain Graeme Shinnie via sickness however handed first begins to Croatian midfielder Ante Palaversa and on-loan striker Kevin Nisbet, who netted the winner towards Ross County final trip.
Having gained their final three, Motherwell named an unchanged beginning XI however survived an early scare as Topi Keskinen’s low cross obtained caught beneath the physique of Liam Gordon, prompting a VAR test for handball which was not given.
Keskinen was concerned once more as Nisbet held the ball up for him and he in flip performed in Jamie McGrath, who dragged his shot inches large of the far submit.
Motherwell’s first probability got here as Aberdeen did not clear their strains from a Stephen O’Donnell throw however Andy Halliday’s effort from the sting of the field went large.
Halfway via the primary half, tempers threatened to spill over following a tug on McGrath within the midfield, the resultant melee ending in yellow playing cards for Aberdeen’s Sivert Heltne Nilsen and Motherwell pair O’Donnell and Davor Zdravkovski.
The impasse was damaged after 27 minutes – and in some type.
Aberdeen broke shortly on the counter, with Gueye choosing the ball up inside his personal half and bursting away down the left earlier than chopping inside onto his proper foot and firing a low strike simply contained in the left-hand upright.
The house aspect continued to poke and prod on the Motherwell defence, although it will be into the second half earlier than they got here shut once more with a Slobodan Rubezic header going large and left-back Ewan Wilson doing nicely to dam a low effort from Keskinen.
Motherwell made a triple change simply earlier than the hour and inside a minute two of the incomers had linked up for what ought to have been an equaliser.
Marvin Kaleta clipped a cross in from the appropriate channel and Tony Watt met it on the six-yard line however might solely direct his flying header straight at Dimitar Mitov, who was capable of block.
Debutant Palaversa was spectacular in midfield for the house aspect and got here near capping his efficiency with a purpose, ‘keeper Aston Oxborough pushing his 25-yard drive large after a McGrath free-kick.
Motherwell have been coming into the sport as an attacking risk now and Jair Tavares flashed a shot large earlier than one other effort from the identical participant was blocked.
As they upped the ante, Mitov needed to be alert to carry a 30-yard drive from Liam Gordon however Gueye’s second appeared to place the sport past doubt.
The Dons labored the ball into the field nicely and Oxborough should have thought he had accomplished sufficient when he unfold himself to dam from Nicky Devlin. However slightly than clear the crossbar, the ball remained in play and Gueye adopted in to move residence from shut vary.
The sport appeared gained for the house aspect however there was a late comfort for Motherwell as Ebiye sneaked in on the again submit to faucet residence Watt’s low drive.
They may have snatched an unlikely level in stoppage time as Mitov threw himself throughout the purpose to show a strong Gordon header large of the submit.
