IT is not just goals which can change games, mistakes can play a telling contribution in deciding them also and a dreadful error from St Mirren's Alan Reid gift wrapped three points for Aberdeen.
For 85 minutes neither side served up what could be described as appealing football. St Mirren never looked capable of altering their woeful home record, which has now stretched to just two wins in the whole of 2007, as they simply huffed and puffed. Meanwhile, Aberdeen struggled to come remotely close to the attacking form which saw them dispatch of FC Copenhagen 4-0 in the Uefa Cup.
Out of the blue, however, Reid, under no real pressure from anyone in red, made a shocking mistake as his attempted header back to Chris Smith fell well short of it's intended target; and Aberdeen substitute Steve Lovell pounced and slotted the ball beyond the exposed St Mirren goalkeeper.
Although a draw would've been the fair outcome, Aberdeen won't feel any guilt on their long drive back to the north east having departed with all three points, which now takes them up to joint fourth in the SPL table.
It has been more than two long months since St Mirren last recorded a win at Love Street but they were hoping to finally bring this unwanted statistic to an end against Aberdeen.
While Gus MacPherson, the St Mirren manager, has been able to mastermind crucial wins at both Tynecastle and Easter Road, as well as depart Parkhead with a point to show for their endeavour, he remained perplexed as to why they have been so poor in Paisley.
It was a case of role reversal for Aberdeen, who had managed to build up an unbeaten run of 11 games at Pittodrie but had toiled on their travels unable to secure a win in their last six on the road, losing five of those.
The last of that sequence against Gretna on Boxing Day had left Jimmy Calderwood, the Aberdeen manager, fizzing with rage at his team's sub-standard display and he would have been looking for a significant improvement.
It would be fair to say that improvement did not emerge during a lacklustre first half in which neither goalkeeper was called into action but for a few routine catches or scuffed shots.
St Mirren could have opened the scoring after just six minutes and little did those inside Love Street know that would be as near as either side would come to breaking the deadlock until the half-time interval.
With both manager's opting for a 3-5-2 formation, Franco Miranda collected possession on the left flank and was allowed to run until the edge of the Aberdeen penalty area. Miranda decided to try his luck but he dragged his left-foot shot well wide of Jamie Langfield's goal. The ball, however, went through the legs of Scott Severin and reached Billy Mehmet but as he slid in he was unable to divert his effort on target sending it narrowly wide.
That was pretty much as good as it got during the opening 45 minutes. There were a few half chances for either side. Stewart Kean glanced a header over the crossbar from an Alex Burke corner, while at the other end Derek Young headed wide from Richard Foster's cross.
Aberdeen's players had been on the receiving end of a few choice words from Calderwood after their Boxing Day display and a few more would be heading their way unless they could improve prior to the interval.
But Aberdeen were unable to do this, which was typified when they worked Lee Miller into a decent position in the penalty area and a few of the midfelders had burst forward in support, but rather than cut the ball back across the six yard area he wildly sliced the ball into the stand.
The half-time interval did not lead to an alteration in the football on display. St Mirren came close to edging in front on the hour mark as Burke drilled a low free-kick into the penalty area and it was kicked up onto the head of Miranda but he was unable to get his effort on target.
Aberdeen had rarely crept into the St Mirren final third but the introduction of Sone Aluko and Lovell for the ineffective duo of Young and Daniel Smith, gave them an impetus which had been sadly lacking.
Aluko, who is on loan from Birmingham City, played in a low cross from the left which Miller turned goalwards and for practically the first time all afternoon St Mirren's goalkeeper Smith was called upon to get his hands dirty.
Smith then pulled off a fine save as he plunged down to his right to push Lovell's low shot round the post after the striker had reacted quickest to get a shot in.
With just five minutes remaining the deadlock was finally broken as Lovell, who had notched his first goal of the season on Boxing Day against Gretna, doubled his tally. Lovell pounced on a woefully short back header from Reid to his goalkeeper and slotted the ball beyond the exposed Smith.
It was cruel on Reid and St Mirren but none of the Aberdeen supporters who had made the long journey south, having already travelled to Gretna on Boxing Day, would have cared.
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