Aberdeen manager Stephen Glass was relieved his team finally ended their barren run with a narrow but deserved 1-0 win over Hibernian.
Christian Ramirez’s first-half goal gave the Dons their first victory in 11 matches in all competitions after five straight cinch Premiership defeats.
Glass this week received public backing from chairman Dave Cormack and his team stepped up to the mark to get back on track against a Hibs side which lacked a cutting edge.
Glass said: “I am relieved. You take away the opportunity for people to point the finger at ourselves as a group collectively and myself individually, especially the manner in which we dug out the result.
“The main aim is to try and prove people right that support you. Dave was very vocal in his support during the week on behalf of himself and the board but he fronted it up and I want to prove the people right that put me here.
“I want to prove my family right after I made the choice to come back here. It’s a big challenge and it’s one that I am up for.”
It was a resolute display that got Aberdeen over the line with defenders Calvin Ramsay and Declan Gallagher forced off in the first half through injury.
Scott Brown was forced to drop into the backline but the skipper marshalled the Reds to victory.
Glass added: “We had to reshape the team, throw bodies on and players had to play in positions that are not natural to them so that side of it was part of the win.
“Like recent weeks, I don’t think we gave up too many opportunities for the other team to score and if we had made the mistakes that we had previously, maybe I would be sitting here saying the same things again.”
Hibs faced up to a third straight loss after recent defeats against Rangers and Dundee United but Easter Road manager Jack Ross felt the outcome could have gone either way.
The visitors were passive in the first half but controlled the second period without ever troubling Joe Lewis.
Ross said: “I don’t think there was too much in the game between the two teams.
“Aberdeen possibly shaded the first half but in the second half we dominated the ball and a lot of territory but we didn’t create enough in that period and we didn’t work Joe Lewis enough.
“It was the type of game, because of the conditions, that you felt there would be very little between the sides and that one goal could settle it.”
