Inspirational captain Graeme Shinnie fired Aberdeen to within two points of second-placed Rangers with a double in his side's 2-0 win at St Johnstone.
The victory stretched the Dons' winning away run to six, wrecking the Saints' hopes of edging past Hibernian to reclaim a top-six spot.
Shinnie's all-action display posted another reminder of why Pittodrie manager Derek McInnes is eager to tie him down to a new contract.
Despite the result, the early chances fell to the home side, with a well-timed intervention by Andrew Considine closing down Matty Kennedy at the expense of a fifth minute corner.
From a following corner kick, Liam Craig turned on Murray Davidson's header but was unable to muster the power required to squeeze home from close range.
After Kennedy tested keeper Joe Lewis in the 12th minute after cutting inside from the left flank, Aberdeen seized the initiative two minutes later.
It may have been against the run of play but Shinnie's touch to shake-off QPR loan player Sean Goss and steer his 16-yard finish into the bottom corner was immaculate.
The goal rattled the home side and it was not until the 28th minute before they threatened again, with Chris Kane looking in vain for a penalty when he tumbled trying to connect with David Wotherspoon's teasing cross.
Within minutes the Perth striker was denied by a crucial tackle from backtracking midfielder Shinnie, with Considine stranded on the turf.
Referee Euan Norris then rubbed salt in Kane's wounds by producing a yellow card for clipping Shinnie, who was joined in the book by St Johnstone defenders Kerr and Richard Foster before the end.
Gary Mackay-Steven warmed the hands of home keeper Cammy Bell with a ferociously angled volley, while at the other end Lewis tipped over a Davidson header before the interval.
Minutes after the restart Connor McLennan managed to get on to the end of Shinnie's square ball in the penalty area, only to scoop a gilt-edged chance high over the bar.
In the 57th minute a Kennedy strike was deflected by Mikey Devlin, crashing back off the frame with Dons keeper Lewis stranded.
Eighteen minutes later Shinnie topped a superb individual performance by driving home his second from 25 yards after advancing unchallenged when home substitute Danny Swanson lost possession in midfield.
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