Michael Duberry and Cillian Sheridan celebrate Saints' goal

Confident St Johnstone took a further step towards a top-six Scottish Premier League finish with a narrow victory over Aberdeen at McDiarmid Park.

Saints' Graeme Smith kept out an early effort by Michael Paton, but Cillian Sheridan tapped home after Jamie Langfield saved Danny Grainger's shot.

The Dons keeper then produced a brilliant save to prevent Dave MacKay's bullet header from finding the net.

Mark McGhee changed his formation to push for an equaliser but to no avail.

This was a match both teams were desperate to win. St Johnstone, seventh in the league at kick-off, were six points behind sixth-placed Hearts but had played three games fewer.

In the pre-match build-up, Aberdeen manager Mark McGhee had urged his players to prove that they are worthy of a top-six finish.

A point behind their hosts and having played a game more, victory was essential.

The visitors should have taken the lead with their first attack, a quick break up the pitch in 14 minutes.

Steven MacLean fed Michael Paton who flicked the ball over last defender Chris Millar, ran in on goal but pulled his shot narrowly wide of Graeme Smith's left-hand post.

Saint Johnstone's opener came after Dons defender Jerel Ifil had conceded a cheap corner kick out on the left.

Liam Craig's delivery was perfect for Grainger whose powerful volley flashed past a ruck of players but not Langfield.

Unfortunately for the Aberdeen keeper, Sheridan was more alert than the Reds' defenders and he pounced to tap the ball home.

That 22nd-minute goal made the Perth Saints the third-highest scorers in the Scottish Premier League, 18 of their number having contributed to the goal haul in their first season back in the top flight.

The home team continued to look the more dangerous, and only a stunning instinctive save by Langfield from a MacKay bullet header in 28 minutes kept the Dons in it.

Paton and Steven MacLean did their best to hold the ball up when they received it in forward positions, but too often they found themselves lacking in midfield support and suffering from nervy distribution by defenders Ifil and Zander Diamond.

The Dons suffered an injury blow when Gary McDonald had to go off 10 minutes before the interval with what appeared to be a hamstring injury. He could be out for six weeks.

McGhee gave Darren Mackie the chance to level the score and rekindle the Dons' fading hopes of finishing in the top half of the league.

The start of the second period should have been marked by an equaliser by Kenny Deuchar, who connected with an accurate ball from Gary Irvine that eluded Liam Craig but the forward shot with insufficient venom to bother Langfield.

A minute later, Paton failed to truly test Smith with a shot, then Deuchar had a header comfortably saved by Langfield.

St Johnstone boss Derek McInnes would have been dismayed to lose Kevin Moon, who was stretchered off in 54 minutes after a challenge by Mark Kerr, to be replaced by Filipe Morais.

McGhee sent on Sone Aluko for Jim Paterson, Paton went out to the right and Mackie joined MacLean through the middle as Aberdeen put a greater emphasis on attack.

But although the Dons looked slightly more threatening, it was St Johnstone who had the next opportunity, Morais finding Sheridan, who outmuscled Richard Foster but shot directly at Langfield.

Aberdeen rarely looked like levelling the match and when Charlie Richmond blew to end the contest they found themselves, with five games remaining before the league split, seven points away from sixth-placed Hearts.

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