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Aberdeen's fourth 1-0 win in five games

Adam Rooney's 14th goal of the season

Dons four points off top spot in Premiership

Adam Rooney's first-half penalty at Firhill strengthened Aberdeen's grip on fifth spot in the Premiership.

With Partick Thistle protesting the award of a corner, the spot-kick was given when Mark Reynolds' header struck the arm of Abdul Osman.

A great stop from Paul Gallacher kept out a Rooney header after the interval.

James Craigen and Stuart Bannigan were guilty of glaring misses for the hosts, with visiting keeper Scott Brown not called upon to make a single save.

The Dons have won four of their last five matches, with each of those successes settled by the same 1-0 scoreline, and Derek McInnes' side were very well organised and disciplined.

The only away win in the Premiership this weekend also meant the top five teams were all victorious, with just four points separating Aberdeen from leaders Celtic.

Aberdeen's Jonny Hayes was asked to fill in at left-back but that did not stop the Irishman from bombing forward at every opportunity.

Careless play from Steven Lawless allowed Hayes to drill in an early cross, with Dan Seaborne blocking Cammy Smith's shot and then sticking out a leg from a prone position to divert Rooney's close-range effort.

Niall McGinn had two shots repelled before Rooney hooked the ball into the net but the striker was penalised for an over-zealous barge.

Paul Gallacher was much the busier of the two goalkeeper at Firhill

The hosts struggled to find any fluency in the first half but were presented with a golden chance on 10 minutes when Craigen shot wide following a headed knock-down from Kris Doolan.

Gallacher, deputising for flu victim Scott Fox, pushed away a sharp shot on the turn from Rooney and did the same when McGinn curled a free-kick beyond the wall.

The veteran keeper was then central to the controversial corner that led to the opening goal.

Waiting for an offside decision against David Goodwillie that never came, Gallacher reacted late to push away a bouncing, volleyed delivery from Smith.

From the set-piece, Reynolds' header hit the arm of Osman and Rooney tucked away the spot-kick for his 14th goal of the season.

Andrew Considine, in an unfamiliar right-back role due to Shay Logan's suspension, then stung the palms of Gallacher with a fierce shot from the edge of the area.

Thistle continued to struggle after the break, with their tendency to surrender possession cheaply suddenly mirrored by the visitors.

Despite the increasingly ragged nature of play, the Dons continued to do most of the pressing and Gallacher needed to make a great reflex save to keep out a Rooney header.

Substitutes Kallum Higginbotham and Ryan Stevenson injected some much-needed urgency for the home side in the latter stages.

And a wonderful opportunity came the Jags' way when Stevenson curled in a cross for Bannigan to meet six yards out but the midfielder mis-timed his header and the ball cannoned wide via his shoulder.

Osman then glanced a header from similar range high over the top from a flashing Stephen O'Donnell cross, leaving Thistle in ninth place in the standings.

Adam Rooney had an early effort disallowed for a push

Paul Gallacher went the right way but could not reach Rooney's firmly struck penalty

Niall McGinn and Rooney celebrate the game's only goal