Aberdeen moved into the top half of the Premiership despite a second half fight-back from struggling Dundee.

After a shaky start on Tayside, it was Aberdeen who struck first when Adil Aouchiche latched on to Marko Lazetic's saved strike and fired beyond Jon McCracken in the Dundee goal.

Stuart Armstrong had the chance to double Aberdeen's advantage minutes later when his free-kick from the edge of the Dundee box crashed off McCracken's post.

Aouchiche grabbed the second when he latched on to a loose ball inside the Dundee box, following Jesper Karlsson's deflected effort, and side-footed into the back of the net.

Ryan Astley pulled one back for Dundee in the second half when he headed in at the near post from Congreve's corner and after a brief video assistant referee check for handball the goal was confirmed.

The hosts enjoyed the better of the chances in the second half but couldn't find an equaliser and Kevin Nisbet piled on the misery for Steven Pressley with a stunning strike from the edge of the box just before full-time.

The result pushes Aberdeen, who are now unbeaten in six, up into the top six while Dundee remain second bottom, four points off Livingston in last place.

Despite an underwhelming start, Aberdeen grew into the game in Dundee and bossed the majority of the first half. With 14 shots, five on target and eight inside the box, as well as 11 touches in the opposition box it was no real surprise they found themselves two goals to the good at the break.

Aouchiche had only scored one Dons goal before Saturday and doubled that tally inside the first 45 minutes with two clinical finishes. The midfielder was in the right place at the right time to score the rebound from Lazetic's effort and then when Jesper Karlsson's shot deflected off a defender, he was there again to smash the loose ball into the back of the net.

While Nisbet's late goal didn't decide the game, it was a thing of beauty and will do wonders for the striker's confidence ahead of a busy period for the Dons.

That Aouchiche first-half double made it 17 first-half goals in 16 games that Dundee have conceded, more than any other in the Premiership this season. But credit to Pressley's men, after a rough start they proved their mettle in the second period.

Cam Congreve was a bright spark for Pressley's side. He grabbed his sixth assist for the season when he fired in the corner for Astley's goal, having gone close to a goal himself minutes before. He forced Dimitar Mitov into a stretching save with a dipping shot from a difficult angle on the right.

Astley's goal turned the tide for the hosts who, after their goal, looked the more likely to grab the next. Ethan Hamilton's shot was blocked by a host of bodies in the Aberdeen box and Yan Dhanda's effort was deflected wide of Mitov's post as the clock ticked down.

They had six shots in the second half, compared to Aberdeen's four, and had 10 touches in the Dons' box. They had over 85% possession and 15 crosses (Aberdeen had two) and won four corners to Aberdeen's zero.

Ultimately it came to nothing but Pressley can surely take confidence from his team's display, albeit he'll need them to do it before they find themselves two goals down.

Dundee travel to bottom side Livingston on Saturday 13 December (15:00 GMT).

Aberdeen are at home to Strasbourg in the Europa Conference League on Thursday 11 December (20:00) before welcoming Kilmarnock to Pittodrie on Sunday 14 December (15:00).

Dundee head coach Steven Pressley: "I'm extremely disappointed because, especially with the ball, I think it's the best we've played all season.

"We controlled long periods of the game with possession, we always looked a danger and I was really proud of the group.

"Against the ball we were really aggressive in our pressure and we worked so hard in the game. We had a couple of mistakes that put us on the back foot but we responded brilliantly."

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin: "I think it was a game of two halves, I thought we were really good in the first half but Dundee came out in the second half and created some momentum.

"The mental capacity of the squad, the subs made a difference, so I think the team is growing."