It has been said Dundee United need a miracle to avoid relegation so it was rather ironic that someone called Church made survival less likely.
The Tangerines had hoped to close the gap on second-bottom Kilmarnock to five points and a game in hand with victory over title-chasing Aberdeen at Tannadice.
However, it was the Dons who took the three points up the road with them thanks to a 29th-minute header from Simon Church.
The fight to stay up goes on from United, albeit they will have a break for their William Hill Scottish Cup quarter-final at Ross County on Saturday.
They didn’t play badly and much of the spirit so evident in recent matches was there again.
The big problem, though, is that time is running out, with just 10 league fixtures left now.
The visitors, meanwhile, got back on track after recent lukewarm results and, thanks to Dundee’s draw at Parkhead, now just trail Celtic by four points.
The Tangerines had made just the one change from the side that started the league win in Dingwall at the weekend, with striker Edward Ofere dropping down to the bench and being replaced by Florent Sinama-Pongolle.
The Dons were without attacking pair Adam Rooney and Jonny Hayes, while central defender Mark Reynolds was only a substitute.
It was a bitterly cold and windy night at Tannadice but perhaps because of what was at stake the match took a while to warm up.
On 15 minutes, United’s John Rankin played the ball into the Dons’ box and when it broke to Gavin Gunning the big Irishman shot into the arms of keeper Scott Brown.
Three minutes later there appeared to be a break on for the home team but Paul Dixon lost his footing as he neared the Aberdeen penalty area and the chance was gone.
A worry for United was the fitness of keeper Eiji Kawashima, who was throwing the ball out from the back or letting Gunning take the place kicks.
The Dons had the ball in the United net on 28 minutes but the offside flag went up against “scorer” Church after he tapped a Kenny McLean cross over the line.
However, the visitors did go 1-0 up just a minute later.
It was a bad one to concede for United, with Church getting his head on the end of a lovely ball in from the right from Shay Logan.
With United on the ropes, Dixon deflected ball into his own net on 36 minutes but referee Bobby Madden chalked it off again, having decided to book Aberdeen player Graeme Shinnie for simulation in the build-up.
An absolutely furious Dons boss Derek McInnes was sent to the stand by the ref for complaining.
United brought on sub Henri Anier for Sinama-Pongolle for the second period.
The Tangerines looked like they had been given a collective boot up the backside by manager Mixu Paatelainen at the break.
They were on the front foot without really causing the visitors problems, though, and it was Aberdeen who came close to scoring on 58 minutes when McLean volleyed past.
An impressive run into the visitors’ box by United defender Coll Donaldson saw him square the ball to the inrushing Anier but the striker’s shot was blocked.
Anier was involved again on 65 minutes when he got a shot in after Billy Mckay cut the ball back to him but Brown was there to save for the Pittodrie men.
Rankin then blasted the ball over the bar from outside the box before McLean broke clear at the other end and really should have done better with his low drive.
On 82 minutes, United looked certain to level when the ball broke to Donaldson inside the box but Brown pulled off a superb stop from point-blank range to break home hearts.
United brought on Ofere for the final few minutes as they chased an equaliser but they needed Donaldson to head away from under his own bar to stop the Dons getting another.
There was late pressure from the hosts and the ball bobbled about the Aberdeen box but it just wasn’t to be.
Attendance: 9,737.
Dundee United: Kawashima, Dixon (Erskine 79), Paton, Mckay (Ofere 87), Rankin, Durnan, Gunning , Spittal, Fraser, Donaldson, Sinama-Pongolle (Anier 46). Subs not used: Zwick, Dillon, Knoyle, Dow.
Aberdeen: Brown, Logan, Shinnie, Considine, Taylor, McLean, McGinn (Flood 83), Robson (Storie 90+4), Pawlett (Reynolds 62), Church, Jack. Subs not used: Collin, Smith, Wright, Ross.
Referee: Bobby Madden.