Aberdeen’s bid to reach the Premiership top six suffered a set-back when twice blowing a lead to draw 2-2 with bottom side Dundee.
Pittodrie boss Jim Goodwin said the Reds needed to win the remaining pre-split games against Dundee and Ross County to keep alive hopes of top six.
Cheered on by 3,500 strong travelling support. Aberdeen couldn’t deliver the three points.
The Reds’ top six hopes are now hanging by a very thin thread.
They trail sixth-placed Hibs by two points with only one game, at home to Ross County on Saturday, remaining before the split.
The result at Dundee continued Aberdeen’s shocking away form. The Reds have only registered one win in their last 16 Premiership outings on the road.
Twice the Reds were ahead, via Calvin Ramsay and then Ross McCrorie.
But each time they let that advantage slip, with Jordan McGhee and then Danny Mullen netting for the Dens Park side.
Goodwin fields unchanged staring XI
Aberdeen were unchanged from the starting line-up that defeated Hibs 3-1 at Pittodrie prior to the international break.
Three players returned unscathed from recent international duty and retained their starting slots – Lewis Ferguson, Connor Barron and Calvin Ramsay.
Ferguson made his first Scotland start in the 2-2 friendly draw against Austria in Vienna to earn his third cap.
Teenagers Barron and Ramsay both started in the 2-2 Euro U21 qualifier draw with Kazakhstan on Tuesday.
They had a nine-and-a-half-hour flight back from Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Woodwork denies Aberdeen opener
Aberdeen threatened in the third minute when an in-swinging cross from Vicente Besuijen on the right was punched clear by keeper Ian Lawlor.
The ball fell to Barron 25 yards out and the midfielder unleashed a powerful drive that flew well wide.
Moments later Lewis Ferguson tried his luck from range, but his 22-yard drive ballooned over.
Aberdeen were denied a superb goal by the woodwork in the 10th minute.
Bursting down the right wing, Connor McLennan curled in a 22-yard shot that cracked off the cross-bar before being cleared behind for a corner.
From the resultant corner, Jonny Hayes’ delivery found Ferguson, who flicked on to David Bates.
The defender got up well, but keeper Lawlor pushed his header over the bar.
Aberdeen were looking dangerous on the attack.
In a lively start from both sides, Mullen fired a vicious strike just wide from the edge of the penalty area in the 15th minute.
Cheered on by a vocal travelling support, the Reds threatened again in the 24th minute when Ferguson sent an effort wide of the far post from 15 yards.
The Dons came close in the 35th minute when Ramsay broke down the right flank and stepped inside to tee up a shot.
His 25-yard strike was parried at the near post by keeper Lawlor with the loose ball dropping to Christian Ramirez.
The United States international unleashed a 12-yard strike on the turn, but Cammy Kerr cleared off the line.
Moments later, Besuijen broke in from the right hand side and took on four players with sublime skill.
Besuijen was breaking in on goal trying to engineer the space to set up a shot. The Dons winger and Cammy Kerr were battling for the ball with Kerr falling to the ground and trying to retain the ball between his legs.
Besuijen rightly tried to win back possession only for referee John Beaton to penalise the Dons’ winger by awarding a foul against him.
It was a poor decision by the whistler.
Superb opening goal from teen star
Aberdeen deservedly went ahead in the 41st minute when Ramsay stepped inside from the right hand flank.
The right back unleashed a magnificent left-footed 20-yard drive into the near corner.
It was the 18-year-old’s first goal for the Dons.
What a strike for the teen’s first senior goal!
Ramsay had been the subject of rejected multi-million pound bids by Italian Serie A side Bologna during the January transfer window.
Italian top-flight Sassuolo had a scout at the defeat of Hibs to watch Ramsay.
His sensational goal underlined why he is wanted by Italian top-flight clubs.
Half-time: Dundee 0 Aberdeen 1
Aberdeen threatened early in the second half when a cross from Ramsay on the right found Ross McCrorie.
The midfielder’s powerful header from 15 yards was too high.
Dundee hit back to make it 1-1 in the 62nd minute when substitute Charlie Adam delivered a pinpoint free-kick deep to the back post.
The excellent delivery found Jordan McGhee, who headed in from a tight angle.
Frustration at penalty call denial
Aberdeen were denied a clear penalty in the 67th minute when Jordan Marshall clearly wiped out Ferguson in the box as he attempted to race on to a Jonny Hayes cross.
There was clear contact from Marshall on the Scotland international, but referee Beaton waved off appeals for a spot-kick.
Aberdeen then suffered a set-back when Calvin Ramsay was forced off with an injury.
He was replaced by Jack MacKenzie.
Aberdeen threatened soon after when Hayes dispossessed Kerr before breaking in on goal, but keeper Lawlor pushed his shot behind.
McCrorie fires Aberdeen ahead
The Reds deservedly regained the lead in the 81st minute when MacKenzie played through McCrorie.
Racing in on goal, the midfielder brilliantly rifled a low drive across goal, beyond keeper Lawlor, and into the far corner. It was a superb strike.
During that play Besuijen had been down on the ground in the Dundee box.
Dundee hit back via Mullen header
Dundee hit back in the 86th minute, again orchestrated from a dead-ball situation by Charlie Adam.
Playmaker Adam flighted in a free-kick to find Mullen, who got in between the defenders to fire in a header beyond keeper Lewis.
Substitute Marley Watkins fired in a low drive in the 88th minute, but keeper Lawlor got down well to save.
Full-time: Dundee 2 Aberdeen 2
ABERDEEN (4-1-4-1): Lewis 6; Hayes 6, Bates 6, Gallagher 7, Ramsay 7 (MacKenzie 77, Barron 6, McLennan 6 (Watkins 57), Ferguson 6, McCrorie 7, Besuijen 6, Ramirez 6.
Subs: Woods, Considine, Ojo, Jenks, Polvara, Ruth, Milne.
DUNDEE (4-3-3): Lawlor 7; Marshall 6, McGhee 6, Sweeney 6, Kerr 6, Elliot 5 (Adam 59), McGowan 7, Byrne 6, McMullan 6, Rudden 6, Mullen 6.
Subs: Sharp, McDaid, Mulligan, McCowan, Daley-Campbell, Anderson, Ibsen Rossi, McGinn.
Referee: John Beaton
Attendance: 7,815 (3,500 Aberdeen)
Man-of-the-Match: Declan Gallagher (Aberdeen)
