Aberdeen cut the gap on fourth-placed Hibernian to three points and moved into fifth place in the Bank of Scotland Premier League after recording their highest home win of the season against Tony Mowbray's side at Pittodrie.

Stevie Crawford opened the scoring by turning in Russell Anderson's flick from Barry Nicholson's corner, before Steve Lovell doubled the Dons advantage after Derek Riordan had struck the crossbar.

Lovell then scored his second eight minutes after the interval and Richard Foster completed the rout, although Paul Dalglish also struck the woodwork with a header.

Hibs began the match in enterprising fashion and in the fifth minute Ivan Sproule surged into the Aberdeen penalty area, but from 12 yards could only direct a weak shot at Jamie Langfield who calmly gathered the ball at his near post.

Aberdeen responded with an Anderson-led attack, which saw the Dons captain confidently advance o the halfway line before dispatching the ball to Jamie Smith who in turn played a neat one-two with Crawford.

The former Celtic midfielder then found Foster stationed to the left of the visitor's 18-yard-box and from his cross, Gary Dempsey saw a diving header tipped over the crossbar by Zbigniew Malkowski.

Five minutes later though, Hibs resistance was broken when from Nicholson's corner, Anderson flicked the ball across goal and Crawford was on hand to score from barely two yards out.

Ten minutes later, the visitors were extremely unfortunate not to have equalised when Riordan's shot from 20 yards rattled Langfield's crossbar, before the forward saw a right-foot volley well saved by the Dons keeper.

However, Hibs resurgence was short-lived as Aberdeen capitalised on some slack defending from Stephen Glass, who found his wayward pass to Oumar Konde intercepted by the alert Nicholson.

The Dons midfielder then fed a measure pass to Lovell who beat both Chris Hogg and Gary Caldwell with a neat body swerve before coolly beating Malkowski with a low shot from 12 yards.

In the final minute of the half, the away side thought they had fashioned a leveller when Sproule's smart turn and cross was turned in by Steven Fletcher, but the forward was ruled to be in an offside position and the goal was chalked off.

That proved to be a vital call as Aberdeen all but secured the three points when Alexander Diamond found Lovell with a 54th minute cross and the former Dundee striker scored his 10th of the season by directing a close range shot high into the roof of the goal.

Four minutes later Foster saw a shot blocked by Malkowski, but the 20-year-old was not to be denied his first goal of the season and netted the Dons fourth of the afternoon following a neat passing interchange with Crawford.

After the ex-Dunfermline striker saw a shot saved, Foster latched on to the rebound and linked up with Crawford before placing a right-footed shot past Malkowski from six yards.

Hibs then struck the crossbar once again when Riordan's inswinging corner found Dalglish standing only three yards out, but despite beating Langfield with his header the former Livingston forward could not direct it under the frame of the goal.

Aberdeen comfortably maintained their four-goal advantage though and now know victory over Hearts and Celtic in their remaining two games could see the Dons finish fourth in the table for the second successive season.

Teams:

Aberdeen Langfield, McNaughton, Anderson, Diamond,Smith (Macauley 88), Severin, Nicholson, Dempsey (Snoyl 77),Foster, Lovell (Stewart 69), Crawford.

Subs Not Used: Esson, Mackie, Byrne, Considine.

Booked: Diamond.

Goals: Crawford 15, Lovell 30, 54, Foster 65.

Hibernian Malkowski, Shields, Caldwell, Hogg (Benjelloun 45),Murphy, Whittaker, Konde, Glass, Sproule (Shiels 61), Fletcher,Riordan, Benjelloun (Dalglish 55).

Subs Not Used: Brown, Gary Smith, Murray, Konte.

Booked: Shields, Caldwell.

Att: 10,490

Ref: B Winter (Scotland).