ABERDEEN

The Dons can’t be accused of not getting into the festive spirit - for the second week in a row we’ve gifted two goals and three points to our visitors. Saturday’s performance mirrored the tripe on display against Hamilton: bitterly cold weather, yet more erratic refereeing and the majority of possession resulting in zero points for the Dons, but there was some improvement.

Much of the progress came from the return to the starting eleven of the much-maligned Derek Young whose bite in midfield provided Aberdeen with a clear edge up until the opening goal.

Another positive from the game was the sending off of inept striker Lee Miller, who failed to get on the end of numerous chances and instead spent much of the afternoon involved in a petty squabble with Zemmama which concluded in inevitable fashion. His suspension looks a blow but with numerous youngsters pushing for a start we could see the emergence of a new, worthy hero.