Aberdeen 1 - 0 Kilmarnock: Dons celebrate their first home win of the season

ABERDEEN boss Jimmy Calderwood made one change from the side that earned a point against Hearts at Tynecastle last week as the Dons looked for their first home win of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League season.

Dead-ball specialist Charlie Mulgrew started for the Dons in place of Lee Mair who dropped to the bench.

For Kilmarnock, Gavin Skelton and Conor Sammon replaced the injured duo of Frazer Wright and Danny Invincibile – who both hobbled off in the midweek Co-operative Insurance Cup defeat to Celtic.

Aberdeen lined up with an attack-minded formation with wing-backs Jared Hodgkiss and Charlie Mulgrew encouraged to get forward at every opportunity.

However, it was the visitors who started brightest.

Slack defending from Aberdeen gave Manuel Pascali the first opportunity of the match but Jamie Langfield managed to gather the Italian's effort at the second attempt.

The frenetic early pace continued when Sone Aluko picked up the ball inside his own half and went on a surging run before firing harmlessly over Alan Combe's bar from 20 yards.

A clever ball from Zander Diamond found Aluko at the edge of the box who unleashed a fierce shot from the edge of the penalty area that Combe did brilliantly to tip over. From the resulting corner desperate defending from David Lilley prevented Diamond opening the scoring with his head. The ball eventually fell again to Aluko who jinked past two defenders before firing over.

James Fowler picked up the first booking after 17 minutes for tripping Darren Mackie.

Langfield had to be alert to push a dipping effort from David Fernandez over the bar after good work by Mehdi Taouil on 23 minutes.

Mulgrew had his first attempt at the Kilmarnock goal from a free-kick after 30 minutes but his ambitious effort from 35 yards sailed well over the crossbar.

The Killie defence struggled to deal with a long throw into the box from Scott Severin but when the ball eventually fell to Aluko, the young midfielder was unable to find the target.

Lee Miller had a great chance to net his fourth goal of the season from a Hodgkiss corner after 34 minutes when he out-jumped Manuel Pascali but his header went inches over.

Langfield was furious with his defence moments later when Jamie Hamill was allowed time and space to cut inside and shoot from the edge of the box just past the post.

Aluko was Aberdeen's most promising outlet throughout the half and he did well to meet Mulgrew's cross but his volley crept wide of Combe's post.

Simmonds almost had an immediate impact when he made a yard for himself on the edge of the box but he could not keep his powerful shot down.

William Gibson came on for the tiring Fernandez with 12 minutes to go as the Rugby Park side upped their efforts to get an equaliser.

Aluko was again terrorising the Killie defence and he bewildered Lilley but his eventual shot did not trouble Combe.

Aberdeen were given a warning with less than 10 minutes left when substitute Gibson put a dangerous ball into the penalty area that was just too high for the onrushing Hamill.

The pressure continued on a nervy Aberdeen defence when Hamill crossed but Langfield gathered under pressure from Skelton.

Langfield was then helpless as Simmonds crashed an effort off the bar in an absorbing final period.

Kilmarnock brought on David Cox for Taouil, while Aluko and Young were replaced by Stuart Duff and Chris Maguire as the game drew to a close.

Duff could have sealed the points for the Dons in injury-time but Combe saved well at full-stretch.

Cox and Diamond were then booked in angry scenes after the full-time whistle.