Two goals by Arild Stavrum and a third from Derek Young gave Aberdeen a 3-1 half-time edge against Dundee United at Pittodrie.

The Norwegian struck either side of a superb Danny Griffin leveller in a game which also saw an irate Rachid Belabed manhandled off the pitch by a member of his own team after sustaining a nasty injury in a midfield collision with Derek Lilley which the Moroccan felt had not been punished properly.

United were aiming to take another stride away from the foot of the Scottish Premier League.

A repeat of the victory over Rangers on Saturday would take the Tangerines six points clear of basement dwellers St Mirren.

Not surprisingly manager Alex Smith opted to retain the side which finished the 2-0 Ibrox win, with midfielder David Hannah having to be content with a place on the bench following his return from suspension.

Aberdeen boss Ebbe Skovdahl made three changes from the team beaten 1-0 by Celtic on Sunday, Moroccan midfielder Belabed the most notable inclusion.

With Thomas Solberg and David Lilley occupying the full-back berths, Aberdeen were effectively playing a quartet of centre-halves across the back four.

Paul Robinson's low shot just evaded Lilley as the former Leeds man charged into the box but Aberdeen had a shock in store for the visitors when top scorer Stavrum rattled home a fifth-minute opener.

David Rowson played the Norwegian into the Taysiders' box and though Jason de Vos tried to muscle his way onto the ball Stavrum had the strength to hold him off and power a shot into the corner across a helpless Paul Gallacher.

Stavrum nearly had a second shortly afterwards when Young hammered a drive across the face of goal, just evading his team-mate's outstretched leg.

However, the Tannadice outfit are brimming with confidence just now and pulled level when Griffin curled in a superb free-kick after Solberg had bundled Charlie Miller over on the edge of the box.

Rowson headed behind after a goalmouth scramble in the Aberdeen box and from the resulting corner Griffin volleyed harmlessly wide after Gallacher had punched clear.

Lilley was fortunate to escape a caution for a lunging foul on Belabed but his talents were put to more productive use when he hacked away after Steven Thompson had floated a dangerous ball into the box.

Belabed limped off shortly afterwards as a direct result of the previous tackle but not before berating referee John Fleming and earning himself a yellow card.

The incensed Aberdeen man had to be manhandled off the pitch by Rowson as he continued his protest and was then marched down the tunnel by a member of the Dons backroom staff before he could land himself in further trouble.

A Jim Lauchlan foul on Derek Young gave the home side another free-kick in a promising position and Stavrum arrived on cue to power home a close-range header after Winters swung the ball into the near post.

Lauchlan reacted quickly to deny Stavrum another shooting chance after a loose pass rolled into the visitors' box.

In a fascinating battle United almost pulled level again when Derek Lilley turned his namesake David and drilled a low cross into the danger area but Robinson could not make contact from barely three yards.

Jamie McCunnie was booked for a foul on Winters as play swung the other way and three minutes before the interval Aberdeen grabbed another to make it 3-1.

Stavrum was the architect this time, firing in a shot which looped off Gallacher and spun wickedly away from Griffin as he attempted to clear leaving Young the simplest of tasks to blast into an empty net.