Aberdeen survived a late scare as they ran out 2-1 winners over St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park to get their Premiership campaign off to a winning start.
The Dons looked to be cruising to victory in their opening game of the league season in routine fashion thanks to goals from Nicky Devlin and Jamie McGrath.
But an own goal from Gavin Molloy set-up a nervy finale before the Dons secured all three points in Perth.
An impressive attacking display and a miserly defence had Jimmy Thelin’s side firmly in control until they handed Saints a late lifeline, and with it, a finale which was more taxing than it needed to be.
Perth packed out for former chairman Brown
McDiarmid Park was sold-out for the first league game of the season as Saints fans paid thanks to outgoing owner Geoff Brown, whose 38-year tenure has come to an end following the sale of the club to American Adam Webb.
Aberdeen fans did their part by snapping up every ticket for their end to roar on Jimmy Thelin’s Reds in his first league game in charge.
The injury to Leighton Clarkson meant a first start of the season for in-demand striker Bojan Miovski.
The North Macedonia international, who was the subject of a £3million bid from Espanyol last week, led the line with Ester Sokler filling the void in the absence of the injured Clarkson behind the Dons’ number nine.
Dons slow starters in Perth
The theme of slow starts in the League Cup continued from the Dons at Perth as Saints had a couple of early chances for Saints full back Lewis Neilson.
The defender fired over from the edge of the box with his first chance before heading wide from a corner with his second.
Aberdeen slowly got into the game, however, and the Dons did have the ball in the back of the net, but it did not count.
A clever break involving Miovski and Graeme Shinnie ended with the Dons captain sliding Sokler through on goal to score – only for the offside flag to go up.
Sivert Heltne Nilsen then saw his header from a Jamie McGrath corner tipped over by home goalkeeper Josh Rae.
Saints struggled to contain Thelin’s Reds as first half progressed
With Heltne Nilsen and Shinnie dominating the midfield, the visitors had a grip on the game and swarmed all over Saints.
From winning the midfield battle and breaking forward at pace, the visitors had taken control of proceedings, and Miovski saw a shot blocked before he clipped the crossbar with a 25-yard effort.
The striker then sent Sokler clear on goal only for Rae to parry the striker’s shot out for a corner.
It was from the resulting delivery where Saints’ luck ran out as McGrath’s ball into the box was glanced into the net by Nicky Devlin.
For Saints it was a troubling development as they have not recovered from conceding the first goal in the league since December 17, 2022, against Ross County.
The home side tried to respond, but they reached the break having failed to trouble their former goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov on his return to McDiarmid Park.
Aberdeen double their lead after the break
Saints suffered a blow at the start of the second half as defender Sam McLelland was stretchered off after landing awkwardly following an aerial challenge with Miovski.
The lengthy stoppage affected the flow of the game, but the Dons doubled their lead just after the hour mark with the first attack of the second half.
It was another devastating break as Shinnie won possession before finding Morris. The winger passed to Sokler, who laid the ball off to Nilsen and the midfielder played McGrath through on goal to slot past Rae.
It is a measure of how comfortable Aberdeen were that it took the home side until the 79th minute to test their former goalkeeper, but Mitov was equal to the task as he dived to his left to keep out Matt Smith’s curling 20-yard effort.
Perhaps the Dons were too comfortable as a moment of poor concentration let Saints back into the game with two minutes remaining.
Substitute Makenzie Kirk found himself in space behind the Dons defence and his low driven ball into the box was put into his own net by Aberdeen defender Molloy.
The home side piled on the pressure in search of an equaliser, but the Dons held on.
Line-ups
ST JOHNSTONE (4-4-2) – Rae 6, Neilson 6, Cameron 5, McLelland (Sanders 52) 5, Raymond 5, Wright 5, Essel (Carey 71) , MacPherson (Clark 86) 6, M. Smith 5, Kimpioka (Kirk 86) 5, Sidibeh 6. Subs not used – Sinclair, C. Smith, Sprangler, McPake, Franczak.
ABERDEEN (4-2-3-1) – Mitov 6, Devlin 7, Rubezic 7, Molloy 6, MacKenzie 6, Heltne Nilsen 7, Shinnie 7, Morris (Ambrose 75) 6, McGrath 6, Sokler (Gueye 64) 6, Miovski 6. Subs not used – Doohan, Jensen, McGarry, Besuijen, Milne, Duncan, Stewart.
Referee – Kevin Clancy 7
Man of the match – Jamie McGrath.
Attendance – 9203.
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