Aberdeen secured a 2-1 victory against Rangers at Pittodrie, keeping pace with Celtic at the top of the table and opening up a nine-point gap over their opponent. Nicky Devlin fired in the hosts’ opener at Pittodrie after 31 minutes, Topi Keskinen flicking on a cross from the left-back Jack McKenzie to his counterpart on the right side. Devlin had time and space to take a touch and hammer the ball high into the roof of the net, earning Aberdeen a reward for their strong start to the match. Jimmy Thelan’s team were dominant and should have made it 2-0 six minutes before half-time. Soon after Graeme Shinnie crashed a shot off the post, there was a VAR check when John Souttar appeared to block a Keskinen shot with his arm. The referee, John Beaton, checked his pitchside monitor and pointed to the penalty spot, but Jack Butland guessed right to save Jamie McGrath’s unconvincing spot-kick. The Rangers keeper also kept out Jack McKenzie’s long-range effort and, in a rare Rangers attack just before the break, Ross McCausland tapped in Nedim Bajrami’s pass from a yard out but was ruled offside. The lethargic Light Blues did offer a response after the break and were back level when Bajrami levelled in the 63rd minute with a fine solo goal. The Albania winger was able to escape several defenders before finishing low inside Dimitar Mitov’s far post. Rangers pushed to take the lead, but James Tavernier’s cut-back failed to find either Tom Lawrence or Cyriel Dessers. Moments later, Aberdeen were back in front as Rangers failed to clear their lines. Devlin’s toe-poke from a tight angle went through Butland’s legs and hit the far post, with Morris, on as a substitute, first to the rebound. A frustrated Philippe Clement picked up a yellow card in the final five minutes for remonstrating at a decision against his team as time ran out for Rangers to find a second equaliser. Thelin, meanwhile, is now unbeaten in 16 games since taking over as Aberdeen manager in the summer, winning 15 of those. It was a particularly tough night for the midfielder Connor Barron, returning to Pittodrie for the first time since leaving for Rangers in the summer and booed loudly throughout. By the final whistle, his former club had opened a nine-point gap to his new team, and hopes of bringing the title to Ibrox look increasingly forlorn.