Thibault Klidje and Elie Youan were on target as high-flying Hibernian held on to claim a 2-1 William Hill Premiership victory away to Aberdeen.
Hibs maintained their strong league form and managed to clinch maximum points for the second-successive match, despite Marko Lazetic reducing the deficit in injury time for the Dons, for the second week in succession.
Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin made three changes to the side that started their record European defeat against AEK Athens in midweek, with Ante Palaversa, Gavin Molloy and Kevin Nisbet starting.
The visitors were sure to provide a stern test of the Dons’ improved domestic form and the side who started the weekend in third place were unchanged from their 4-0 win over Livingston last time out.
Aberdeen could have been in front after just three minutes at a sodden Pittodrie, as Jesper Karlsson’s corner fell to Molloy on the six-yard line, but the defender could only hit the ball over.
And the home side fashioned an even better opportunity with a flow passing move which ended with Adil Aouchiche disappointingly dragging an effort wide of target, when the on-loan Sunderland man really ought to have rippled the net.
Hibs began to get a foothold in the game and Josh Mulligan dragged an effort wide after 20 minutes as play started to go from end-to-end.
Karlsson and Chris Cadden exchanged half-chances at either end, before the offside flag brought play back when Karlsson’s shot looked to be blocked by a Hibernian hand.
But it would be the visitors who broke the deadlock. Stuart Armstrong was dispossessed far too easily in midfield, leaving the home defence exposed and Mulligan slid a neat ball through for Klidje to stroke into the bottom-right corner.
The Dons looked to hit back before the break but Armstrong and Aouchiche were unable to trouble goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger.
But it would be Hibs who came close to doubling their advantage, shortly after the interval.
Klidje again found himself in behind the home defence and he was denied first by Dimitar Mitov then by the knee of Mats Knoester, before Kieron Bowie’s follow-up deflected away off a sea of bodies.
Aberdeen attempted to strike back with substitute Leighton Clark forcing Sallinger into a low save at full stretch.
Martin Boyle’s blushes were spared by the offside flag as he failed to connect with a free header three yards out, but Hibs should have gone 2-0 up with 10 minutes left as Josh Campbell struck the base of the post following a Jack Milne error.
Aberdeen raced up the park and Lazetic will be disappointed to have hit his chance straight at Sallinger when he should have levelled the scores.
As the Dons threw men forward in a bid to equalise, they were hit with the ultimate sucker punch as Youan sprinted half the length of the park on his own to round Mitov and turn home the second.
Campbell thought ha had put the game beyond doubt when he turned home in injury time, but the goal was ruled out for offside and Aberdeen swiftly charged up the pitch to knock home what proved no more than a consolation through Lazetic.
