A controversial VAR decision deep into first half stoppage time turned the game in Aberdeen’s favour as we left the Granite City empty-handed.
Despite a dominant first-half showing, we trailed at the interval as Bojan Miovski’s twice-taken penalty kick gave the hosts a slender advantage at half time.
Aberdeen started the second half the better of the two teams and scored twice from two set-pieces in quick succession - from then on it was an uphill battle to take something from the game.
Mykola Kuharevich’s third goal in as many games looked to have reduced the deficit only for Leighton Clarkson to quickly restore the Dons’ three-goal advantage.
Both sides made one change as third visited fourth in the cinch Premiership. Martin Boyle missed out with a minor injury and his place in the side was taken by Kyle Magennis, who returned following suspension.

Aberdeen started positively and were quick out of the traps but had little to show from their early possession other than a ball over the top that David Marshall read to clear downfield from outside his box.
After those first few moments, we gained complete control of the midfield and started putting the home side under intense pressure.
Joe Newell had two efforts in quick succession from the edge of the box that flashed off target before Chris Cadden lashed a shot high over the crossbar following a Ryan Porteous flick-on.
We were enjoying a lot of success down our right flank and on 15 minutes a cross from Cadden was glanced just wide of goal by Kuharevich.
The Ukrainian striker was involved again soon after when he latched onto a Ewan Henderson threaded pass, he attempted to cut the ball back to Newell, but Ross McCrorie was there to intervene.
We were knocking on the door, and it took an acrobatic stop from Kelle Roos to touch Henderson’s header over the crossbar. Roos was called into action again to save from Magennis and keep the scores level.
On 30 minutes a fine free kick from Kuharevich fizzed just over the crossbar from 22-yards as we again went close.
Yet, despite being second best for most of the evening until then, Aberdeen had the best chance of the first half on the counterattack when Miovski put Duk through on goal; he dinked the ball beyond the diving Marshall only for Marijan Čabraja to hook it off the line.
With the game heading into the interval, Aberdeen took the lead through a controversial penalty.
Forty-six minutes were on the clock when Duk went down as he knocked the ball wide of goal and although offside was given against the Dons striker, VAR showed he was onside, the referee then checked the monitor for a potential penalty and awarded the spot-kick shortly after.

Miovski struck his spot kick straight down the middle and his effort was saved by Marshall. As play raged on up the field, referee David Munro was given word from VAR that the goalkeeper was off his line when he denied the Dons’ striker and a retake was ordered.
This time - now eight minutes into added time - Miovski converted the retake to give the home side the lead.
We started the second half on the front foot and had early chances as Cadden flashed a ball across the face of the Aberdeen goal before Henderson’s ambitious lob had Roos backpedalling.
However, we would be undone at the other end by poor defensive marking as Miovski lost his man at a corner kick and headed home from close range.
Seven minutes later we were again punished as Ramadani was left unmarked at the edge of our box and he volleyed in to make it 3-0, once more from a corner kick.
Having been so dominant in the game, three goals in roughly 15 minutes looked to have killed off our hopes of taking anything from the game.
Aberdeen could barely believe their luck and now buoyed by their goals, they sensed blood and almost notched a fourth as Marshall tipped a Duk free-kick over his crossbar.
At the other end, Roos got down smartly to beat away a powerful Newell shot from the edge of the box before VAR once more intervened.
There were 21 minutes remaining when Kuharevich poked the ball into the net from close range following a shot from substitute Elias Melkersen and was immediately flagged offside. After another VAR review the goal was given as Richardson was shown to be playing the Ukrainian onside.
Any hopes of a comeback were quashed just moments later when Clarkson restored Aberdeen’s three-goal advantage.
Despite the scoreline, we pushed right to the end and went close to a second goal when Eli Youan struck the crossbar before Paul Hanlon’s cross was just out of the reach of Newell when the slightest of touches would have seen him convert.
In stoppage time, Newell had the final chance with a volley on the turn however his effort was just over the crossbar and referee Munro brought the match to a close.

Aberdeen: Roos, McCrorie, Scales, Stewart, Barron, Miovski (Duncan 89’), Duk (Watkins 73’), Ramadani, Clarkson (Kenedy 89’), Coulson, Richardson. Substitutes not used: Lewis, MacKenzie, Morris, Besuijen, Milne, Ramirez.
Hibernian: Marshall, Porteous, Rocky, Hanlon, Cadden, Kenneh, Newell, Henderson (Melkerson 64’), Magennis (Campbell 76’), Cabraja (Stevenson 81’), Kuharevich (Youan 81’). Substitutes not used: Dabrowski, Jair, Mitchell, McGregor, Fish.
Referee: David Munro.
Attendance: 16,479.