Aberdeen 2-0 St Mirren

Darren Mackie wheels away after giving Aberdeen the lead

Darren Mackie came off the bench to fire Aberdeen into second place in the Premier League with a hard earned win over St Mirren at Pittodrie.

In a match of very few chances, it took until the 77th minute for the Dons to make the breakthrough as the Buddies frustrated their hosts.

Mackie latched onto a Gary Dempsey free-kick for the first from six yards.

The striker made the points safe six minutes from time as he lashed home when Jamie Smith played him in on goal.

Dons boss Jimmy Calderwood went with the same starting line-up that defeated Motherwell last week but there was a place on the bench for Karim Touzani, fit again for the first time since August after a hamstring injury.

St Mirren made two changes to the side that lost to Celtic with John Potter and Alan Reid replacing Kevin McGowne and Garry Brady with the latter dropping to the bench.

There was a scare for Aberdeen in the fifth minute when Jamie Smith received treatment off the pitch following a challenge from Hugh Murray but the former Celtic man returned to the fray soon after.

In a poor first half, Steve Lovell had the best opportunity for the Dons, but his shot was well stopped by Tony Bullock at his near post.

St Mirren rarely threatened in attack, although Billy Mehmet drove into the side-netting just before the break after capitalising on a slack header from Richard Foster.

Calderwood hails Mackie at full-time as the Dons moved into second

The second half began in similar fashion which led to Calderwood changing to a back three, moving Scott Severin into a more effective midfield position.

Darren Mackie then came off the bench to replace the tiring Steve Lovell as the Buddies began to impose themselves on the match without creating much in front of goal.

But it was the Dons who struck first when substitute Mackie rammed the ball home from six yards from a Gary Dempsey free-kick with thirteen minutes to go.

Gus MacPherson then brought Stewart Kean on for John Sutton who had been well marshalled by Russell Anderson.

Just as the Paisley side looked to be in the ascendency, Aberdeen made the points safe five minutes from time and it was Mackie again.

Following a defensive mistake, Jamie Smith found Mackie is space and the striker drilled the ball past the exposed Tony Bullock in the Saints goal to take Calderwood's side into second place.

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Aberdeen:Langfield, Hart, Anderson, Severin, Foster, J Smith, Nicholson (Considine 63), Dempsey, Clark, Miller, Lovell (Mackie 69). Subs not used: Soutar, Diamond, Touzani, D Smith, Maguire.

Goals: Mackie 77, 85.

St Mirren:Bullock, Potter, Millen, Broadfoot, van Zanten, Murray, Brittain, Reid (Burke 82), Lappin, Sutton (Kean 75), Mehmet. Subs not used: Smith, Brady, Molloy, MacKay, McKenna.

Booked: van Zanten.

Att: 11,426.

Ref: E Smith.