Jimmy Thelin praised Kevin Nisbet after his moment of magic lifted Aberdeen level on points with Hibernian in the battle for third place in the William Hill Premiership.
The on-loan Millwall forward lobbed in a magnificent 80th-minute volley to secure a 1-0 win for the Dons and inflict a first league defeat since December 7 on Hibs, the club at which he spent three years between 2020 and 2023.
It means Aberdeen are now behind the third-placed Hibees only on goal difference, with four games each remaining.
“It was a super goal,” said Thelin. “Just the idea to find a way to take a shot in this situation and the quality he has at this moment.
“He has done some similar goals this season before, so he’s a real asset for us when the games are so tight. And you need your goalscorers in these moments.”
Pittodrie was buoyant at full-time as Aberdeen supporters savoured their team’s timely return to form after a mid-season collapse in which they failed to win in 14 successive league games and looked in danger of slipping out of European contention following a stunning start to the campaign.
“I think it has been like this the whole season for us, away and at home,” Thelin said of the atmosphere. “Winning 1-0 and it was a tight game, the emotions are so high.
“Everybody is singing and the players are reacting. Dante Polvara came into the game and he raised everything, the emotions.
“The supporters have pushed us through this whole season.”
Hibs boss David Gray was disappointed that his side were unable to set a new club record of 18 top-flight matches in a row without defeat.
“It’s not a feeling we’ve felt for a very long time,” he said. “It certainly doesn’t make it any nicer when it comes along of course.
“I said to the players, one thing I’ll never be critical of is that they gave me absolutely everything again today.
“Performance-wise, did we do enough to win the game? Probably not. But it was a special goal to win the game for Aberdeen. There wasn’t much in it, especially in the second half.
“It’s made it a lot tighter, but if you told me three or four months ago, with four games to go, we’d be sitting third in the league with four games to go, I’d have been pretty happy with that, so there’s still everything to play for.
“We can’t dwell on this.”
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