Aberdeen's final Pittodrie fixture of 2024 ended in bitter disappointment as an impressive display from Martin Boyle handed the Dons yet another defeat.

The winless run looked like it could be ended on Saturday afternoon when Topi Keskinen fired the Reds ahead, but an immediate equaliser from Elie Youan was followed up by a thunderous second from Nicky Cadden, with Boyle assisting both strikes.

He then bagged a goal of his own after the restart, and that proved to be enough for the visitors to take the points back to Leith, leaving Jimmy Thelin's Aberdeen side winless in six Premiership games and down to third in the table.

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It's a third league defeat for the Reds who had looked to stop the rot after a break from Premiership action, but they couldn't overcome David Gray's side in their second meeting in a month.

Aberdeen came into the game looking to show an immediate burst of the energy they had recouped from the fortnight off, and Nicky Devlin did just that when he broke down the wing and fired the ball into the box, but Hibs were able to deal with the cross.

Graeme Shinnie handed Hibs a free-kick after a foul on Joe Newell, but Nicky Cadden's effort was blocked by the wall, with Martin Boyle forced out of play by the Dons defence.

Hibs were in ascendency, but Aberdeen had the first big chance of the game when Topi Keskinen raced down the wing and teed up Ester Sokler from six yards out, but a last-gasp block by Rocky Bushiri shut out the hosts.

However, Bushiri couldn't stop Keskinen on his second visit to the Hibs box as Leighton Clarkson released the Finn down the wing before firing the ball through the defence to open the scoring.

Minutes later, a defensive error from Slobodan Rubezic gifted Elie Youan an immediate equaliser for the visitors. Last time they met it ended 3-3 at Easter Road, and they were already serving up a goalfest.

Aberdeen's attack was being funnelled entirely through Keskinen, as Shinnie chipped the ball up to the former Helsinki player but he couldn't control the ball and Jordan Smith gathered the ball.

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Keskinen then took aim from 20 yards at goal, clattering the ball off the inside of the post and across the face of goal, with the winger dominating the action in the opening 30 minutes.

But Nicky Cadden would land the next blow as he gave Hibs the lead after coming back from 1-0 down, with Boyle's run cutting the defence and Cadden blasting the ball beyond Ross Doohan.

Aberdeen came into the game winless in five Premiership games, and despite the extra weekend off the struggles were still evident on the pitch.

The main struggle however was handling Boyle, with the Aberdeen-born striker sparking panic among the defence almost every time he got onto the ball, with his effort at the end of the half firing wide of the mark.

The Dons made a bright start to the second-half, with Slobodan Rubezic testing Smith with a header from Clarkson's delivery before the Hibs keeper had to tip a Jamie McGrath cross over the bar.

But that promising start was immediately crushed by Boyle, as he added a third for Hibs when Nector Triantis pinched the ball off Sivert Nilsen in the Dons half to tee up the striker's goal.

His goal and two assists left Thelin's Reds in big trouble, but there was plenty of time on their side if they were to mount a comeback having gone from 1-0 up to 3-1 down in 35 minutes.

Thelin turned to his bench, with Clarkson and Sokler making way for Dante Polvara and Peter Ambrose, but the fear of yet another injury crept in at Pittodrie shortly after.

In a week where the Dons have lost both Vicente Besuijen and Jack Milne to long-term injuries, Devlin appeared to be limping and in bother having looked to be struggling in the warm-up.

McGrath's effort was almost met by Polvara in the box, but the American couldn't connect with the header as Keskinen then fired over the bar from distance.

Ambrose looked to claw back the deficit, with Polvara sending the forward goal-bound, but he could only drag his effort wide of the goal.

With less than 15 to go, Thelin rolled the dice once again with a triple change, as Devlin, Heltne Nilsen and Shinnie made way for Shayden Morris, Duk and Ante Palaversa.

But there was little sign of the substitutes bringing the goals needed to take something from the game, with seven minutes stuck on at Pittodrie.

A late coming together between Boyle and Jack MacKenzie, back in the side after missing three games through injury, saw the pair booked by Steven McLean.

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But the additional seven minutes came and went, and 2024 at Pittodrie was brought to an end with a defeat to Hibs, with Youan sticking it to the home crowd by wrapping his shirt around the corner flag and celebrating with the raucous away fans.

Rangers' 1-0 victory against Dundee at Ibrox was enough for them to overtake the Dons, having been nine points adrift previously and now up to second with a game in hand.

Aberdeen will now have to try and bring their fans a late Christmas gift in the form of a first win in seven games when they face Kilmarnock on Boxing Day at Rugby Park.