Aberdeen left it very late to pick up all three points with Scott Severin scoring in the final minute of the match.
Jimmy Calderwood will be pleased that his side played for the full 90 minutes and this result cemented them with third place in the SPL, particularly as his side have to face both of the Old Firm away from home over the next seven days.
Terry Butcher will be naturally disappointed not to leave Pittodrie with a point but in truth his side didn't do enough in the second half to merit a share of the spoils.
The games first opportunity came on four minutes, Michael Hart's deep free-kick into the area was missed by Gordon Marshall, the ball finally breaking to Chris Clark, under pressure from Martyn Corrigan, he drove the ball wide of the target.
On 11 minutes Scott McDonald picked up a lose ball in midfield and ran at the Don's defence, as they backed off he tried an audacious lob which drifted harmlessly over the crossbar.
Good play down the right by Aberdeen's Severin and Steve Tosh should have brought the opening goal on 17 minutes. Tosh's driven cross was controlled by DarrenMackie, his eight-yard shot was lifted over Marshall but cannoned off the underside of the crossbar and away to safety.
Midway through the half McDonald's cross into the area found Kevin McBride who was unceremoniously upended by Kevin McNaughton's rash challenge leaving the referee no option but to award the visitors a penalty kick.
McBride dusted himself down before expertly dispatching home the resulting spot kick straight down the middle of the goal.
Mackie was again the sinner on 50 minutes when Derek Adams and Clark combined well down the left, from the latter's cross the young striker got ahead of his marker but his left-foot shot from 12 yards was off target.
Aberdeen again came close to getting back on level terms on 58 minutes when Adams' deep cross was just missed by Tosh at the far post while under pressure from keeper Marshall.
A long ball from Corrigan into the Dons box caused all sorts of panic for the home side's rearguard, the ball falling to Clarkson 14 yards out, but the Well man's effort failed to trouble David Preece.
Aberdeen where back on terms on 68 minutes, Tosh found Mackie wide on the right, the youngster atoned for his earlier misses, when he found the head of Adams who glided his header past the despairing Marshall and into the corner of the net.
Well showed they were very much in the game when David Partridge got on the end of a Steve Hammell corner to power in a header that thankfully for the home side was straight at Preece.
On 75 minutes Marshall fumbled a 20-yard Severin shot but reacted quickest to clear the danger with Mackie ready to pounce.
Aberdeen were denied a goal in the 88th minute when Clark drove off the left wing to thread the ball through to Adams inside the area, the Dons midfielder did everything right but Marshall did brilliantly to block his effort.
Pittodrie erupted in the final minute when Clark slipped the ball inside to Severin and from 25 yards out his effort flew just inside the post giving Marshall no chance, to give Aberdeen what had seemed an unlikely home win.