Aberdeen 0-0 Hibernian

Aberdeen and Hibs failed to produce a goal between them in their Scottish Premier League encounter at Pittodrie.

A Niall McGinn penalty was saved by Hibs keeper Ben Williams in the 11th minute after Tim Clancy had brought Jonny Hayes down.

On the stroke of half-time, Williams kept out a powerful drive from Clark Robertson, but Hibs' chances were few.

The Dons failed to capitalise on several extended periods of pressure and so it ended a point apiece.

The result keeps the Dons in fifth place, just two points directly behind Hibs, and manager Craig Brown will undoubtedly be unhappy with another dominant performance that failed to produce a win.

Williams denied McGinn in the first half

After just two minutes played, Peter Pawlett earned himself a yellow card for appearing to dive inside the Hibs penalty area under pressure from Tim Clancy as his team-mates appealed for a penalty.

The first opportunity of the match fell to Aberdeen when a clumsy 11th-minute challenge from Clancy on McGinn led to a penalty for the hosts. However, the Northern Irishman delivered his spot-kick low to the left and Hibs keeper Ben Williams made the save.

In the 21st minute, Joe Shaughnessy sent in a looping header for Pawlett to nod towards goal from six yards out, but the ball drifted over the top of the Hibs crossbar.

Gavin Rae looked deadly breaking free down the right-hand side as the 30-minute mark approached, but Hayes took a fresh-air swipe at the ball from the edge of the Hibs penalty area, and the momentum was lost.

Robertson produced a left-footed shot from just outside the Hibs penalty in the dying seconds of the first half, but Williams pulled off a superb save to maintain the stalemate.

Immediately after the interval, Leigh Griffiths could have opened the scoring for the visitors when he broke free inside the Aberdeen penalty area, but hesitated and failed to make more of the effort as Jamie Langfield smothered the ball.

Aberdeen responded with a sustained period of possession and pressure that failed to produce an opener, although Rae should have done better with a close-range effort after good work by Pawlett.

With an hour played, Isaac Osbourne blasted in a shot towards the Hibs goal that drifted wide, then Shaughnessy forced a save out of Williams with a pile driver of his own.

One of the best chances of the match for Hibs fell to Doyle in the 68th minute, but his header lacked power and failed to challenge Langfield.

Moments later, Hayes turned and delivered a powerful angled drive that inched past the Hibs post.

Stephen Hughes sent in a forlorn effort that sailed wildly over the bar in the final 10 minutes of the match, and Griffiths should have done better at the other end with a close-range effort when Doyle lined him up on the six-yard line.

Aberdeen were unable to capitalise on an injury-time slip-up by Williams when the ball broke for Josh Magennis inside the six-yard area, with the former Grimsby man losing his footing at the crucial moment.