Scottish Premier League: Dundee Utd 3 Aberdeen 1

Dundee United moved into the Scottish Premier League top six and halted Aberdeen’s unbeaten run with a 3-1 win at Tannadice Park on Monday.

Barry Douglas and Craig Conway scored inside four first-half minutes to put Dundee ahead 2-0 at the break, and Danny Swanson sealed the points after Josh Magennis pulled one back for Aberdeen early in the second period.

Aberdeen, who had not conceded a goal in a run of four unbeaten results in the SPL, have all but missed out on a place in the top six after dropping back to 10th.

Dundee, meanwhile, rise to fifth on the back of their own four-game unbeaten streak, with a tough run of four games in 12 days ahead as they catch up on a clutch of postponed fixtures.

It was end-to-end stuff early at Tannadice as Alexander Diamond went close on seven minutes, only to be left bloodied in a nasty collision with Dundee goalkeeper Dusan Pernis.

The defender’s absence for treatment aided in the hosts taking a 1-0 lead, with Douglas rising at the near post to deflect Conway’s corner into the net in the 29th minute.

An error from Aberdeen custodian Jamie Langfield gave Dundee their second goal four minutes later.

Conway unleashed a powerful drive right at Langfield that the keeper fumbled and allowed to trickle over the line.

Magnennis was introduced at half-time for Sone Aluko and needed just six minutes to find the net for Aberdeen, nodding home from four yards out after Scott Vernon pulled back a cross for the Northern Irishman.

But Aberdeen’s resurgence was short-lived, with Swanson and David Goodwillie combining on the hour to ensure Dundee would take the spoils.

Goodwillie nearly got on the scoresheet himself with a spectacular overhead kick that struck the crossbar, but the striker followed up by chipping his own rebound over to Swanson for a superb finish into the far corner.