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Aberdeen scored their first Premiership goals of the season as they survived a late Partick rally at Pittodrie.

Niall McGinn curled a sublime 20-yard free-kick over the wall to open the Dons' account in he first half.

A dreadful defensive error caused the second as Liam Lindsay dithered, Graeme Shinnie nicked in and Miles Storey slotted his first Dons goal.

Thistle's Mathias Pogba headed wide before substitute Chris Erskine lashed home from the edge of the box late on.

Even then the visitors might have grabbed an equaliser deep into injury time but Kenny McLean's desperate clearance denied Abdul Osman.

It was a spirited response from Thistle, who had Sean Welsh sent off with four minutes remaining after he was yellow-carded for a foul on substitute Wes Burns, then booked again for complaining to referee John Beaton.

While they slipped to their first league defeat of the campaign, Aberdeen's first victory lifted them to fourth in the early Premiership table.

Dominant Dons

Thistle were able to welcome back Tomas Cerny in goal after missing their League Cup defeat at Dundee United and he immediately showed his importance with two excellent saves to deny Peter Pawlett a goal in the first 15 minutes.

Aberdeen survived an early scare of their own when Danny Devine headed Welsh's corner wide when he should have hit the target.

But the home side largely controlled matters with some pacey, fluent attacking football.

It was a reckless tackle from Osman though that gave McGinn the chance to break the deadlock after 28 minutes, the Thistle captain flattening Shinnie on the edge of the box.

That earned Osman a booking and the Northern Ireland international exacted further punishment by curling a sublime free-kick into the top-right hand corner.

Niall McGinn gave Aberdeen the lead with a sweetly struck free-kick

Adam Rooney could have added a second six minutes later when he stole in behind the backline but Cerny blocked his first attempt and Lindsay deflected his effort from the rebound wide.

Visitors revived

Despite Aberdeen's dominance, the visitors could have been level by the interval after a brilliant run from deep in his own half by David Amoo left Mark Reynolds floundering.

He advanced into the Dons penalty area but waited too long to get a shot away and Shay Logan got across to make a vital block.

The lively Ade Azeez nearly fashioned a leveller after 52 minutes when he volleyed a Ryan Edwards cross narrowly wide.

That made it all the more galling for Thistle when Lindsay was caught on the ball and dispossessed by Shinnie, allowing Storey to open his account for the club.

There was further late drama after Erskine's left-foot strike as Aberdeen were left holding on when they should have seen the game out comfortably.

Post-match reaction:

Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes: "I think we knocked off in the last 10 minutes when Welsh was sent off and one or two thought the game was done, but that was a reminder that there is still work to be done.

Sean Welsh was aggrieved after being sent off for a second yellow card late on

"But I would rather concentrate on the first 80 minutes because we were very good, we had moments of quality and it was a terrific free-kick from Niall McGinn.

"I thought we were the better team and thoroughly deserved our victory. There were a lot of strong performances and it was important ahead of a big game next week at Celtic Park.

"I watched Celtic at St Johnstone for the first hour before our game and they were terrific. We have to go there confident and ready to try to take them on, and show we are worthy of me saying we can compete with them this season."

Partick Thistle boss Alan Archibald:

"I was delighted with the spirit the boys showed, especially when they went down to 10 men for the last 10 minutes.

"I don't think it was a foul for the first yellow that [Sean Welsh] got and he said it wasn't, which is why he was so aggrieved. But regardless of whether you agree with the decision or not, you can't have dissent and the consequences are we lose him next week.

"Sean will be fined. He's let the team down and let the boys down for next week."