Scott Severin is hoping Jimmy Calderwood, his manager at Aberdeen, will be a Cratchit rather than a Scrooge this week and allow him and his teammates a Christmas Day away from the training ground, even though they face the toughest of tests when Heart of Midlothian come calling at Pittodrie at the weekend.

Calderwood had promised his squad that, if they won their four games in the lead-up to the Hearts visit, there would be time off on Thursday, but with the match away to Kilmarnock falling foul of the weather and being postponed, Severin will hope his manager will still bestow a reward for their recent results.

The Aberdeen captain, a former Hearts player, was outstanding in defence against an Inverness Caledonian Thistle side that has lost its way and managed just one home win this season. Craig Brewster, their manager, must wonder what can be done to transform decent displays into goals and much-needed points.

“I hope the deal still stands,” Severin said yesterday. “We will find out in training on Monday if the gaffer is going to be true to his word. Everyone is enjoying training at the minute and you can see that in the way we are going about our business.”

Aberdeen certainly stamped their authority on the game, starting with Charlie Mulgrew’s stunning 25-yard free kick into the net after only six minutes, and while the visitors allowed their opponents most of the possession later in the first half, goals from Gary McDonald and Darren Mackie before an hour had been played put them on easy street.

“It sets us up for Saturday’s match,” Severin said, “and it also has opened up a gap on the sides in the bottom six. We were delighted with the performance and I think that in patches that was the best we have played this season. We are on a good run and it has been nice that we’ve only conceded one goal in the last three games.”

For Inverness, the road to recovery will be tough as they battle it out in the relegation zone alongside Motherwell and Hamilton Academical.

David Proctor, now established in the centre of their defence, agreed yesterday that the loss of the early goal knocked the stuffing out of his side but dismissed suggestions that Brewster’s job was in danger.

“I don’t think there should be any knee-jerk reaction by the club regarding the manager’s position,” he said. “It wouldn’t do the club any favours at this point. Other teams have gone through bad runs this season. Sacking the manager is not the answer.

“The scoreline was not a true reflection on how the game went and the loss of an early goal was a blow. We have been guilty of individual errors and we are under no illusions as to how important our visit to Motherwell next weekend.”

Inverness Caledonian Thistle (4-5-1): R Esson 5 – R Tokely 6, D Proctor 5, G Munro 5, R Hastings 5 – D Imrie 6, D Cowie 7, R Duncan 5 (sub: A Rooney, 60min 6), I Black 6, R McBain 6 – G Wood 5. Substitutes not used: M Fraser, P McGuire, A Barrowman, A Sutherland, J Duff, I Vigurs. Booked: Duncan, Black, Hastings, Tokely.

Aberdeen (4-4-2): J Langfield 7 – L Mair 7, A Diamond 7, S Severin 8, C Mulgrew 7 – J de Visscher 7 (sub: R Foster, 46 7), G McDonald 8, M Kerr 8, S Aluko 6 (sub: C Maguire, 80) – L Miller 8 (sub: M Paton, 87), D Mackie 8. Substitutes not used: J Bateman, J Hodgkiss, A Considine, S Stewart.