St Johnstone midfielder Paul Kane hit a last-minute goal to give his side a dramatic victory and keep Aberdeen seven points adrift of Kilmarnock at the foot of the Premier League table.

The Pittodrie club cannot be relegated to the First Division but manager Ebbe Skovdahl has urged his side to finish strongly and go above Kilmarnock before the season is over and boost their Scottish Cup Final dreams.

Aberdeen would have taken a draw after Darren Dods had levelled Robbie Winters' opener but Kane popped up in the dying seconds to give his side the points with just three games remaining.

St Johnstone should have taken the lead in as early as the sixth minute when midfielder Keith O'Halloran drifted a free-kick into the area and Dods rose to meet it but Aberdeen goalkeeper Jim Leighton palmed away his header.

The visitors came more and more into the game but Derrick Young found David Rowson down the right and he crossed for Arild Stavrum who could only head straight at St Johnston goalkeeper Stephen Robertson.

Three minutes later the visitors came close again when Winters found Rowson but he too fired straight at a grateful Robertson.

But Aberdeen were turning the screw and Stavrum tried to catch Robertson off-guard in the 20th minute when Rachid Belabed's pass broke off Jim Weir and the Norwegian curled his effort just wide.

But the writing was on the wall and Aberdeen did take the lead in the 26th minute after a fabulous move as Young crossed for Winters to score with a diving header.

That, however, fired St Johnstone into life and they should have equalised in the 29th minute but for the heroics of Leighton.

John O'Neil's cross was headed down by Cane and Jones swivelled in the area to fire on target but Leighton threw himself to his left to touch the ball around the post.

However, from the resulting corner St Johnstone were on level terms when Kieran McAnespie crossed for Dods to head home from six yards for his second goal in as many games.

A minute later St Johnstone should have gone in front when Gary Bolan crossed for the unmarked Dods, who should have been celebrating his second of the night, but the defender headed well wide.

Aberdeen woke up after the break with Hicham Zerouali, on for the injured Belabed, quickly involved.

He played the ball down the right to Stavrum, who took it to the byline before firing a dangerous effort across the goal mouth but luckily for St Johnston O'Halloran was on hand to put the ball behind the goal.

Moments later the action switched to the other end of the field and Weir tried to join his defensive partner Dods on the scoresheet but he played high over the bar from Jones' knock-down.

But St Johnstone were threatening as the match wore on and in the 68th minute Aberdeen were warned when McAnespie hit the outside of the post.

St Johnstone maintained their momentum and in the 82nd minute they had a glorious chance to go in front.

Jones rose highest in the area to head McAnespie's corner against the upright and Weir was once again presented with a great chance but Young cleared off the Aberdeen line as the visitors breathed a sigh of relief.

The home side then went agonisingly close again two minutes from the end when Weir glanced McAnespie's corner just passed the upright.

Aberdeen had settled for a share of the points but St Johnstone had other ideas and in the last kick of the match Jones headed substitute Marc Millar's corner down and Kane fired home from close range.

Teams:

St Johnstone: Robertson, O'Halloran, Weir, Dods, Bollan, O'Neil, Kane, McBride (Millar 74), McAnespie, Jones, Parker.

Subs Not Used: Gow, Griffin, McMahon, Thomas.

Goals: Dods 30, Kane 90.

Aberdeen: Leighton, Anderson (Perry 87), Solberg, Whyte, Stavrum, Bernard, Rowson, Lilley, Belabed (Zerouali 46), D. Young, Winters.

Subs Not Used: Preece, Mayer, Dow.

Booked: Solberg.

Goals: Winters 26.

Att: 4,217