Peter Ambrose came off the bench to score a crucial late goal, leading Aberdeen to a 1-0 victory over Dundee United and propelling them three points ahead at the top of the Scottish Premiership.

The match, held at a packed Pittodrie, was tense as Jimmy Thelin’s team struggled against a determined United side. The breakthrough finally came in the 84th minute when the Nigerian forward, just two minutes after his substitution, sent the home crowd into a frenzy with his decisive strike.

This victory marked an impressive 15-game unbeaten streak for the Dons under Thelin, with 14 of those being wins. It also allowed them to gain an advantage over Celtic, who are scheduled to face Motherwell on Sunday. Aberdeen now holds a nine-point lead over third-placed Rangers, who are set to visit Pittodrie on Wednesday.

In terms of lineup changes, Thelin made three adjustments from the previous week’s 2-2 draw with Celtic, bringing in Ante Palaversa, Duk, and Esther Sokler in place of Graeme Shinnie, Leighton Clarkson, and the injured Kevin Nisbet. Meanwhile, United’s manager, Jim Goodwin, who previously managed Aberdeen, made one change following their dramatic 3-2 victory over Hibernian, replacing Miller Thomson with Kristijan Trapanovski.

Before kickoff, the atmosphere among the home supporters was electric, but Aberdeen initially found it difficult to penetrate a well-organized United defense that skillfully limited their chances and aimed to counterattack. The first notable opportunity for the Dons came in the 24th minute when Topi Keskinen, responding to a long diagonal from Jack MacKenzie, seemed set to score until Kevin Holt intervened with a critical tackle.

Despite dominating possession, Aberdeen struggled to create clear-cut chances in the first half, with their only shot coming in the 33rd minute when Palaversa missed just wide from distance. United also posed a threat occasionally, with Sam Dalby and Luca Stephenson both heading over before the half-time break.

Frustration grew for Thelin as Aberdeen failed to score in the first half of a home league match for the first time this season. To spark some offense, he sent on Shayden Morris for Keskinen at the start of the second half. Morris wasted no time, sprinting down the right flank and delivering a low ball across the six-yard box, but no one capitalized.

Aberdeen continued to pressure, with MacKenzie slicing into the box and setting up Jamie McGrath for a shot that was deflected behind by Jack Walton. The United keeper was called into action again, pushing Morris’s angled effort wide after the winger had linked up beautifully with Sokler.

As the match progressed, Aberdeen seemed on the verge of taking the lead when Sokler headed a Morris cross goalward, only for Walton to execute a stunning save. Just when it appeared the Dons might be left disappointed, Ambrose found the net from close range after Gavin Molloy’s cross had been deflected back into the area by Nicky Devlin.

In other action, St Johnstone launched a remarkable comeback to secure a 2-1 victory over Dundee at Dens Park, marking their second consecutive win in the Premiership. Captain Simon Murray put the Dark Blues ahead in the first half, but Saints’ substitute Graham Carey equalized after the break. Nicky Clark then netted a dramatic last-minute goal to seal the win for St Johnstone.

Additionally, Ross County turned the tide in their match against Kilmarnock after Liam Donnelly’s red card. Although Kilmarnock initially took the lead in the 39th minute through Corrie Ndaba, Donnelly’s second yellow card shifted momentum. Jordan White quickly equalized, followed by an own goal from Joe Wright in the 82nd minute, ensuring Ross County secured a 2-1 victory and climbed one point above Kilmarnock in the standings.