THIS was Aberdeen’s new year party a month late, with their first Pittodrie appearance of 2006, but Kilmarnock are the last visitors they would have wanted to turn up for a special occasion. The Rugby Park side, relishing their place in the top six, had already beaten the Dons on two occasions this season and they turned party-poopers yet again to spoil the celebrations. They fought back after twice going behind, snatching a draw with only five minutes left of an excellent, exciting game. It means Jimmy Calderwood’s side have now gone three miserable months without a home win.

Kilmarnock manager Jim Jefferies made no changes to the side which defeated Hearts 1-0 last weekend after James Fowler overcame a slight knock to start.

Kilmarnock striker Colin Nish proved to be a handful for the Aberdeen defenders in the opening stages.

First, the towering forward flicked a second-minute Garry Hay corner just over the crossbar, before a free-kick from the left-back was headed against the post by the luck-less Colin Nish six minutes later.

However, in order to win the ball, the striker clearly nudged Aberdeen defender Anderson and a free-kick was awarded to the home side by referee Craig Thomson.

The Dons had been slow to settle, but Darren Mackie looked threatening on the counter-attack thanks to his blistering pace and, in the 10th minute, he led the charge which resulted in a goal for Aberdeen.

Mackie charged up the touchline before laying the ball back to McNaughton, who swept a cross towards Stevie Crawford who was positioned on the edge of the penalty area.

The former Dunfermline striker immediately played the ball into the path of team-mate Nicholson and the midfielder calmly swept the ball into the bottom right-hand corner of Alan Combe's goal.

The away side responded with a shot from Nish 10 minutes later which drifted well wide.

But the Dons should have doubled their lead when Byrne connected with a Smith corner in the 25th minute.

However, from 10 yards out and in a central position, the unmarked left-back knocked his header just past the far post.

Despite the Dons being largely in control, an aimless ball forward by Frazer Wright caused problems for Byrne and when Gary Wales skipped inside the Irishman, a clumsy challenge brought Wales to the ground inside the penalty area.

Referee Thomson had no hesitation in awarding a penalty kick and Steven Naismith coolly rolled the ball into the net from 12 yards out after Langfield dived the wrong way.

Just as Kilmarnock struggled after the conceding the opening goal, Aberdeen also lost a degree of self-belief after surrendering their advantage, but the home side had their own faint appeals for a penalty waved away three minutes before the interval.

Simon Ford appeared to push Byrne in the 18-yard box as the two jostled to win Danny Griffin's free-kick, but Thomson did not even flinch as the home fans howled at the referee to award a spot-kick.

Nevertheless, Aberdeen gathered their composure and from Smith's low drive 20 yards from goal, Combe was forced into a diving save where he tipped the ball around the post.

The second half started in the worst possible way for McNaughton as the 23-year-old left the field on a stretcher in the 50th minute.

Allan Johnston sent Danny Invincibile scampering down the right touchline with a fine through ball but, when the Australian tried to move into the penalty area, he was met by a well-timed sliding tackle from McNaughton.

Unfortunately for the defender, Invincibile's trailing boot appeared to strike the Scotland international on the head and McNaughton had to be substituted for MacFarlane.

Aberdeen's first chance of the second period fell to Crawford on the hour mark after Griffin's long throw was flicked on by Severin at the edge of the box.

However, the striker failed to connect with the ball properly and his shot looped into the grateful arms of Combe who made a comfortable catch.

Three minutes later, Crawford was afforded another chance to fire an effort at goal, but, this time, the ex-Dundee United forward's low drive clipped off the heels of Lilley and was well saved by Combe.

Aberdeen manager Calderwood made his last throw of the dice in the 72nd minute replacing Mackie and Byrne with Lovell and Foster respectively.

The Irish defender had failed to shake off an arm injury after clashing with Kilmarnock goalkeeper Combe midway through the second half, although his knock did not appear as serious as the one which led to McNaughton's departure.

However, two minutes after those changes Aberdeen took the lead thanks to Anderson who scored his third goal against the Rugby Park side this season.

Smith's in-swinging corner was flicked on by the head of MacFarlane and in the melee that followed, Anderson bundled the ball into the net.

That strike had appeared to give Aberdeen a deserved win but with only five minutes remaining the Dons slipped to their sixth draw in their last ten games.

Aberdeen looked comfortably in the possession of three points, but they chucked two of them away when their defence copied Kilmarnock and got into their own tangle at a corner. They, too, failed miserably to deal with Garry Hay’s cross and substitute Paul Di Giacomo got a touch on for  David Lilley and from eight yards the former Don sent a downward header past Langfield.

Amazingly though the defender then almost handed the Dons a dramatic victory deep in stoppage time.

Lilley's weak header back to Combe was intercepted by Smith, but the midfielder's low shot was pounced upon by the Kilmarnock goalkeeper.

For Aberdeen, that's five games unbeaten, which is some consolation. For Kilmarnock's their stubborn refusal to buckle continues to impress.

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