Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin conceded that it was St Mirren who found the special moment necessary to crack a game that looked destined to end in stalemate. 

 “I think the game was a typical 0-0 game, but they did really well in the set play, there are always dangers there. Someone has to step forward sometimes when the game is blocked like this one, and they were better in that moment today. That’s football sometimes, when teams are taking out each other in the game, you need a special moment.

 “We thought we had it in the first half, but then after the VAR check disallowed the goal, we have to trust the referee and move on in the game. You must not think about these things when they happen, you have to continue with the game. 

 “I think we need to improve in some parts when we play away. But we also had an opponent on the other side who’s really strong at home. We were close sometimes when we arrived for the last pass, but we had some miscommunications in the box. We didn’t find each other, that happens sometimes. 

 “We needed an extra punch and today it was not there, but that was also partly because of the way they played. They played well and made it hard for us.

 “But the league is not over yet. There are three more difficult games to come for us, but we have to believe, and to keep going, and to get as many points as we can now.”