Aberdeen went into the interval at last beginning to show the signs that would end a long-standing goal famine in an academic match against fellow strugglers St Johnstone.

They responded well to counter John Paul McBride's 25th-minute opener with strikes by Darren Young and Robbie Winters to give the Pittodrie crowd at least a modicum of entertainment.

This fixture had the aura of anticlimax about it, as both side's chances of reaching the coveted top-six section of the Scottish Premier League had all but vanished, particularly St Johnstone after an alarming slump over the last three months.

The major news around Pittodrie was the shock departures of director Jim Cummings and chief executive Dave Cormack, underlining the current restlessness within the Dons' boardroom.

Saints were the first to cause a threat, when in the fourth minute an intelligent back heel by Tommy Lovenkrands set up Keigan Parker on the left, and from the youngster's low cross striker Paul Hartley side-footed narrowly wide.

One minute later, Saints had another opening when Aberdeen keeper Ryan Esson could only palm away Parker's close range shot, but the home defence reacted a split second before Hartley could pounce.

The busy Hartley was at the centre of Saints' attacking activity, and Esson redeemed himself when he tipped over a superb 18-yard shot.

The Perth outfit eventually crafted a breakthrough in the 25th minute and it was well worked.

Hartley, from a diagonal angle on the right, swept a precise 40-yard cross which picked out McBride at the corner of the six-yard box and the striker directed a header past the stranded Esson.

Surprisingly, Aberdeen refused to let Saints sit in a comfort zone and on 31 minutes they delivered an albeit rather fortuitous equaliser.

Winter picked out Young across the penalty area with a low pass and from Young's right-foot shot the ball took a deflection off Stuart McClusky to beat Alan Main in the St Johnstone goal.

St Johnstone scorer McBride was guilty in the 37th minute of gifting the Dons a surprise lead, when his lapse in concentration was punished by Winters.

From the pass-back Winters managed to pick up the ball before clipping the ball over Main from an acute angle to give Aberdeen a lead which they had scarcely merited.

It was the signal for St Johnstone to respond and they were unlucky when Hartley once again went close, only to see his 25-yard free-kick punched to safety by Esson.