Aberdeen moved one point behind second-placed Rangers in the Bank of Scotland Premier League courtesy of a comfortable victory over Dunfermline.

Darren Mackie broke the deadlock thanks to a smart first-half finish from an acute angle, while Barry Nicholson added a second with a 58th minute penalty after Stephen Simmons handled the ball in his own box.

Steve Lovell completed the scoring after rounding off a great team move with seven minutes left, as Dunfermline's scoreless run in the top flight was extended to nine matches.

Aberdeen created the first opening in only the second minute of the match, when a lofted pass from Dan Smith - starting only his second game for the Dons - sent Lovell racing into the Dunfermline penalty area.

The former Dundee forward attempted to drive a half-volley high inside Dorus de Vries's near post, but put too much power into his effort and the ball carried over the crossbar.

The Fifers retaliated nine minutes later, when goalkeeper Jamie Langfield did well to smother a cross-shot from Simmons, before a long ball from Richard Foster completely opened up the Pars backline.

Mackie found himself through on goal, but under pressure from the recovering Scott Wilson, the Aberdeen striker completely fluffed his effort, clipping the ball well wide of goal.

Mackie atoned for that miss in the 33rd minute, as the Dons finally found a way past De Vries.

Scott Severin started the move with a pass to Mackie, who just managed to stay

onside, and the 25-year-old moved into the 18-yard-box, before cutting the ball back to Chris Clark.

The Aberdeen midfielder's instant shot was blocked from finding the back of the net by a clutch of black shirts, but from the rebound Mackie steered a well-measured shot inside the far post from the tightest of angles.

Soon after that breakthrough Wilson fired over at the other end of the park, while Clark should have doubled the lead just before the break, but could only direct a poor shot over the crossbar after being put through by Nicholson.

The second half started in livelier fashion with Severin's swerving shot forcing De Vries into a strong parry, while Langfield had to be on his toes in order to win a challenge with Mark Burchill, after Michael Hart under-hit an attempted back-pass.

However, the Dons soon found themselves two goals to the good when Simmons was penalised for handling the ball inside his own penalty area and Nicholson confidently beat De Vries with a crisp right-footed strike low into the centre of the goal.

Unperturbed, the Pars should have pulled a goal back when Phil McGuire beat Langfield to an Adam Hammill free-kick, only to place a header wide of an unguarded goal.

Langfield was in far better form in the 69th minute though, producing an excellent save to block a point-blank Jim Hamilton volley, after the former Motherwell striker connected forcefully with a James O'Brien cross.

Any doubts over whether Aberdeen could hold out were dispelled 14 minutes later though, when a fine piece of passing football rounded off a good afternoon's work for the Pittodrie club.

Langfield's throw was collected by Mackie and the ball was worked across the pitch, via Lee Miller to Hart on the right wing.

The defender sent a brilliant cross into the Pars' box and Lovell was perfectly placed to push a controlled right-footed shot past the cruelly exposed De Vries.

Teams:

Aberdeen Langfield, Hart, Anderson, Considine,Daniel Smith (Miller 71), Nicholson, Severin,Clark (Dempsey 86), Foster, Lovell (Daal 83), Mackie.

Subs Not Used: Soutar, Touzani, Winter, Maguire.

Goals: Mackie 33, Nicholson 58 pen, Lovell 83.

Dunfermline De Vries, Ross, Wilson, McGuire, Glass, O'Brien,Simmons (Ryan 70), Mason, Hammill, Crawford (Hamilton 60),Burchill (Williamson 74).

Subs Not Used: McKenzie, Muirhead, Scott Morrison, Bamba.

Booked: De Vries.

Att: 9,379

Ref: B Winter (Scotland).