Do not let the score-line fool you. Stephen Glass will have his work cut out transforming this Aberdeen team into a Premiership force once again.
Glass takes over officially as Derek McInnes’ successor as manager on Tuesday after a period of enforced quarantine on his arrival from Atlanta.
But he will not have the chance to ease himself into the role on the evidence of this performance, more especially in the first 45 when St Johnstone were made to rue their inability to make more of their overall superiority.
Jonny Hayes’ early second half strike may have ended a four-match winless Premiership run and earned his side their first top flight away win since December but it cannot be allowed to disguise several shortcomings that need to be addressed with a degree of urgency.
Three goals and as many wins in their last 12 matches — two of them scored by Callum Hendry — highlights Glass’ most pressing need.
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Hendry was unavailable yesterday due to terms of his switch from McDiarmid Park to Pittodrie during the transfer window.
But at least Aberdeen had the satisfaction of closing to within four points of third placed Hibs who face Rangers at Ibrox today.
St Johnstone, meanwhile, remain in sixth place, 12 points behind the Dons after suffering their first defeat in seven games.
Tommie Hoban emerged as the Dons saviour when he twice denied the opposition scoring opportunities in the opening five minutes.
The centre-half blocked a fiercely struck shot from Glenn Middleton in the fourth minute before then showing the presence of mind to halt Craig Conway’s progress and a clear run on goal with a perfectly timed tackle.
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Having weathered a storm of sorts, Aberdeen gradually began to assert themselves to some extent, albeit St Johnstone’s organisational skills in defence denied them further progress.
But Hoban proved himself almost as effective as an attacking force when he out-jumped his shadow to put his head to Niall McGinn’s corner kick and only just missed the target after the ball had taken a slight deflection off a defender.
It had become a more even contest but St Johnstone continued to offer a more potent threat, although Jason Kerr failed to test Joe Lewis when he shot wide before Ali McCann fired straight at the keeper.
Aberdeen began the second half with much more purpose and poise, catching their opponents somewhat by surprise when they scored after 52 minutes. Matthew Kennedy’s alertness allowed the midfielder to spot Hayes attempting to run in behind the defence and he slipped the ball to his team-mate with a precision pass before he shot right footed past Zander Clark from the centre of the box.
The St Johnstone players were entitled to wonder exactly why they had got themselves into such a pickle, given they had appeared to comfortably have their opponent’s measure in the first half.
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But it was perhaps more about their counterparts having raised their game several notches rather than a lowering of standards on the part of the opposition.
Aberdeen also enjoyed a stroke of good fortune when Shaun Rooney’s 78th minute header from Callum Booth’s cross struck the junction of the crossbar and post with Lewis beaten.
Star man: Tommie Hoban (Aberdeen)
St Johnstone (3-4-2-1): Z Clark 6 – J Kerr 7, L Gordon 6, J McCart 6 – S Rooney 7, A McCann 6, C Bryson 6 (G Melamed 79min), C Booth 7 (S Tanser 79) – G Middleton 6 (D Wotherspoon 70), C Conway 6 (M O’Halloran 82) – C Kane 6 (S May 70). Booked: McCann.
Aberdeen (4-4-1-1): J Lewis 6 – R McCrorie 6, T Hoban 8, A Considine 6, J Mackenzie 6 – M Kennedy 7 (C McLennan 76), L Ferguson 6, D Campbell 6, J Hayes 7 (E Ross 90) – N McGinn 6 (C Ramsay 76) – F Kamberi 5 (F Hornby 46, 5). Booked: Considine, McGinn.
Referee: J Beaton.