THE monkey has gone but it was only wrestled off the backs of the Dons after a nerve-jangling 90-minute nailbiter at Pittodrie.
This time there was no chorus of boos ringing out at the final whistle.
Just one almighty collective sigh of relief from everyone associated with Aberdeen that they are no longer saddled by owning the worst home record in British league football.
The performance from Jimmy Calderwood’s under-pressure side was not pretty and was nearly not effective.
Killie came within an inch of earning a draw when substitute Donovan Simmonds cracked the crossbar late on.
But all that matters for Aberdeen is that Sone Aluko’s second-half strike means they finally won a match on their own turf this season – at the sixth attempt.
Aluko was the sole Red-shirted player who really threatened and the Dons need more of a spark in attack when they return to Pittodrie a week tomorrow against St Mirren.
Aluko apart, Killie’s injury-hit defence was not put under enough pressure. But with the hosts desperate to avoid another disaster on their own turf, it was never going to be a day for free-flowing football.
Lee Miller was one of the Dons who took the physical battle to Kilmarnock.
The target-man improved in stature as the game progressed and his presence caused Killie’s central defenders all manner of problems.
He twice could have scored after connecting with corners from Derek Young.
The first chance saw Miller send a downward header into the turf and up over the crossbar.
Then in the second half Craig Bryson was perfectly placed to clear the striker’s nodded effort off the goal-line.
At the back, Andrew Considine was a tower of strength in a three-man rearguard with Scott Severin and Zander Diamond.
Substitute Mark Kerr can also be pleased with his contribution, as he added steel and composure to the midfield area in the second half.
In just two minutes, Manuel Pascali had a sight of goal, but his weak effort from eight yards out was well saved by Jamie Langfield.
Aberdeen’s retaliation came from Aluko, who had a 25-yard piledriver pushed wide by Alan Combe and blasted a shot high after Killie could not clear the resultant corner.
A Fernandez drive had to be tipped over by Langfield and Jamie Hamill came close when curling a shot that clipped the outside of a post.
Kilmarnock would have taken the lead in the 48th minute had it not been for a crucial intervention from Considine, who stopped Bryson’s pass leaving Connor Sammon with a tap-in.
Minutes later ALUKO gathered a pass from Kerr on the left-wing and drove into the penalty area.
The 19-year-old shimmied away from Hamill and smashed a shot from a tight angle past Combe, with the aid of a deflection from the Killie defender.
Yet Aberdeen never looked like building on their lead and became more anxious with every passing minute.
Simmonds almost robbed them of the win, but his 16-yard shot crashed back off the bar.
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