[DavidMc]

Aberdeen 1-1 St Mirren

Aberdeen's top six hopes were dealt a blow by 10-man St Mirren at Pittodrie.
Andy Dorman continued his recent scoring record with a fine goal on 10 minutes after lifting the ball over Lee Mair and volleying home.

Aberdeen equalised as Mair made amends with a header from a Barry Nicholson corner for his first Dons goal.

Buddies' David Barron was sent-off for a second bookable offence in the second half as the game petered out with the visitors looking the more likely.

Aberdeen made three changes to the side that defeated Cetic in the cup with Mair in for Zander Diamond.

Elsewhere, Sone Aluko and Chris Maguire came in for Jackie McNamara and Karim Touzani in an attacking looking side.

John Potter, Hugh Murray, Jim Hamilton and Franco Miranda replaced Mark Corcoran, Ian Maxwell, Craig Dargo and Andy Millen for the Buddies.

Despite opening brightly enough, the Dons went behind after just 10 minutes.

Dorman burst forward from midfield, flicked the ball over Mair and lashed it passed Derek Soutar for his fourth of the season.

Mair made up for that as the home side continued to dominate possession and he headed home the equaliser on the half hour mark.

The former Dundee United defender found himself in space in the box and took full advantage of the slack defending to convert Nicholson's corner from the left.

St Mirren had to make a switch up front not long before half-time when Billy Mehmet failed to shake off a knock and was replaced by Stewart Kean.

The second-half began with both sides struggling to create any clear-cut chances.

Mair had another opportunity from a Nicholson corner but failed to connect with the ball.

Midfielders were struggling to adapt to the poor playing surface and there was a lack of crispness about both sides' passing.


Lee Mair flicks Aberdeen back on to level terms

The visitors were reduced to ten men when Barron was booked twice in the space of just seven minutes - the first for a foul on Lee Miller.

Then he petulantly threw the ball off the back of Jackie McNamara's head in full view of referee Crawford Allan.

Within minutes of being reduced in numbers, the Buddies almost went back in front as Soutar somehow clawed a Kean effort away for a corner.

The visitors had the better of things as the clock ticked down, while Aberdeen spluttered their way to a point.

With Hearts and Falkirk drawing at Tynecastle, this match will go down as a missed opportunity for the Dons' top-six prospects.

But St Mirren thoroughly deserved the point they earned and it could easily have been a victory they went back to Paisley with.



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Aberdeen: Soutar, Maybury (Walker 81), Mair (Bus 61), Considine, Foster, Maguire (McNamara 59), Nicholson, Severin, Aluko, Mackie, Miller. Subs: Langfield, Touzani, Pawlett, Jack.

Goal: Mair, 29.

St Mirren: Smith, van Zanten, Haining, Potter, Miranda, Barron, Mason, Dorman, Murray, Mehmet (Kean 40), Hamilton. Subs: Howard, Corcoran, Maxwell, Dargo, Docherty, McGinn.

Goal: Dorman, 10.

Booked: Barron.

Sent off: Barron.