Race for second hots up as Dons dump Saints
Derek Mcinnes is relishing racing Rangers for second place but his excitement will go into overdrive if they edge in front before the split.
Aberdeen got the perfect pre-match boost with Rangers dropping another two points at Fir Park before a ball was kicked in anger at Pittodrie.
The Dons certainly made the most of the situation as goals from Ryan Christie, Stevie May and a Greg Stewart double blew away St Johnstone.
It was enough to move the Dons level with Rangers on points with the chance to move three points clear by winning at Motherwell on Tuesday.
Not that Mcinnes is taking anything for granted ahead of that and a trip to Tynecastle before the table splits in two.
But whatever happens the man who turned down the chance to take charge at Ibrox last December is relishing the chance to finish runners-up for a fourth successive year.
He said: “There’s going to be loads of exciting fixtures with loads riding on them and some cracking games.
“That’s the way the split was designed to be. Everyone apart from St Johnstone have so much to play for and will be fighting tooth and nail.
“We want to go into the top six fixtures with any advantage we can and that now continues on Tuesday at Motherwell.”
The real surprise was that Aberdeen should produce such an impressive win after a truly turgid opening 35 minutes.
Misplaced passes were all too common with the only moment of excitement coming when former Saint May burst clear.
The striker who has struggled to make an impact since his £400,000 move from Preston last summer certainly looked a lot sharper against his old club.
His pass into the path of Christie in 16 minutes saw the on loan Celtic midfielder curl a teasing effort narrowly wide from the edge of the box.
In fact he might well have had a hat trick by the break after making the breakthrough by catching the visitors defence too square.
Christie had to settle for one as he burst clear catching Saints on the counterattack before rounding Alan Mannus to score his eighth of the season.
He created their second in 41 minutes setting up May for his first goal since November with a fine, angled drive.
From then on it looked like the Dons could score at will as they produced some fluent attacking football with Stewart next to capitalise.
Shay Logan’s header from Graeme Shinnie’s cross in 51 minutes looked like going in but the striker on loan from Birmingham City made sure from close range.
Then for good measure he doubled his tally for the day and the season with a much more impressive strike from distance eight minutes from time.
That meant an Aberdeen side who had scored just two goals from open play in the previous six games had claimed twice as many in under 50 minutes.
St Johnstone, who lost halftime sub Blair Alston within eight minutes of coming on, had scored one of their own by then.
But a header from on-loan Manchester United midfielder Matty Willock was no consolation to a team destined for a bottom six finish for the first time in seven years.
At least Tommy Wright could take solace from the fact they can see out a disappointing season without the worry of relegation post-split.
He said:“the good thing about winning midweek was getting to 37 points and gives us a cushion and an opportunity to try and finish seventh!
“I know the restraints we work under and if we stay in the league it’s still a good season for us.” The game was crying out for a moment of skill after a dreadful start and RYAN CHRISTIE produced it with the opening goal. On another day he could have had a hat-trick.