Amoruso sinks Aberdeen

Amoruso hit the game's only goal at Pittodrie

Aberdeen 0-1 Rangers

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Rangers remain 13 points behind league leaders Celtic after a narrow win at Pittodrie, but the match will be remembered for ugly scenes of crowd disturbance.

Aberdeen striker Robbie Winters was struck by a coin and supporters of both teams spilled on to the trackside area as tempers frayed.

The game was delayed for almost 20 minutes as the atmosphere in the stadium sizzled with bile.

Once order was restored, with riot police lining the pitch, Lorenzo Amoruso struck a wonderful goal to give the visitors the points.

The crowd disturbance began after 24 minutes when Winters was prevented from taking a corner in front of the Rangers fans when objects were thrown at him.

Amoruso tried to calm the supporters down and referee Mike McCurry went across to the dug-outs to report the incident to the police and the fourth official.

Robbie Winters was hit by a coin

But before play could restart Winters was hit on the head by a coin and a gang of about 20 home fans broke onto the sidelines to try and confront the Rangers fans.

Several visiting supporters also poured out of their seats but both sets of fans were successfully intercepted by police.

McCurry then decided to take both teams off and the game was suspended with 27 minutes on the clock.

Riot police, who had been in evidence in the city centre before the game, were called in, with more than 50 officers lined up along the side of the ground that housed both sets of fans.

Play re-started after a 17-minute delay with police officers still forming a cordon along one side of the ground.

Rangers took the lead soon after when Amoruso crashed the ball in from 30 yards, having first switched the ball from one foot to another to fool his challenger and set up the shot.

The game began in entertaining fashion with Tony Vidmar firing in the first shot which was just wide from outside the area and de Boer lost his marker to meet the free-kick, but headed straight at Kjaer.

Lorenzo Amoruso appeals for calm

All the early attacking had come from the visitors and Amoruso fired a free-kick into the sidenetting.

Caniggia had the ball in the net in the ninth minute, converting a Vidmar throughball, but the flag was already up for offside.

Amoruso almost grabbed a second goal when he burst through the Dons defence but fired wide of the target.

Aberdeen's best chance fell to Darren Mackie but his first touch took him too wide and, despite taking the ball past Stefan Klos, he could find only the side-netting as the angle was too tight.

Aberdeen started the second half in bright fashion with Klos punching away under pressure from Eugene Dadi only as far as Mackie, whose shot was blocked by Ricksen.

Darren Young sent Winters away down the left and his cross was met by Dadi, who headed just over.

With 15 minutes remaining, only a goal-line clearance from Kevin McNaughton prevented a de Boer glancing header from doubling the visitors' advantage.

Aberdeen: Kjaer, McNaughton, McGuire (Anderson 83), Whyte, McAllister, Derek Young, Darren Young, Guntveit, Winters, Mackie (Clark 85), Dadi (Thornley 79).

Subs Not Used: Esson, Tiernan.

Rangers: Klos, Moore, Amoruso, Vidmar, Ricksen, Ferguson, Konterman, de Boer, Caniggia, Flo, Arveladze.

Subs Not Used: Christiansen, Mols, McCann, Ross, Hughes. Booked: Flo.

Att: 17,846

Ref: M McCurry