What the manager told the press after the game:

“It’s a game we should have won, I think that is clear to see.

“We set up with a team that could go and be positive and ask questions of them and I thought at times we were excellent, there are loads of positives to take from the game.

“For all our dominance though it took a scrappy goal to get us the lead although our set-piece delivery was excellent all night. I thought we should have been more than 1-0 up at half time but at least we got the lead that our first half play deserved.

“When Peter got a good second goal for us it was no more than we deserved. From then on in there was still opportunities to go and score but when they get that first goal back we should be doing so much better. It gave them a lifeline when we had them exactly where we wanted them at 2-0, they were struggling to stay in the game at that stage.

“We have passed up two points tonight.

“Credit to St Mirren, they kept going and there was a bit of spirit about them but as good as we were at times it doesn’t really count for a lot when you have tossed away two points.

“The two goals that we lost were poor, there is no doubt that it was a penalty kick and we made the decision easy for the referee.

“We should have been out of sight but we have to look at the positives as well as the things we should be doing better and there was a lot to like about us tonight, our hold up play from the front two was excellent and we showed good pace in the sides.

“We need to take responsibility collectively as a team as almost every player in an Aberdeen shirt had a chance to score tonight from set-plays or open play and we should be scoring more than two goals in a game like tonight but we should also make sure that two goals is enough as well.”

“It was good to get Niall back, it was always our intention to play him for an hour or so, Jonny Hayes played after getting an injection today and his performance tonight was terrific. When we were good tonight we were very good but we have to learn to convert that good play into three points rather than just taking the one.”

“We want to be difficult to play against but still carry a threat, that’s what all the good teams have and that is what we strive for.”

“We want to be difficult to play against but still carry a threat, that’s what all the good teams have and that is what we strive for.”