If Celtic is to surrender their Premiership crown after a four-year reign, it seems it will only be after a tremendous battle.
Surprisingly, Martin O’Neill’s squad has now emerged as the main contender trailing Hearts as the season’s final stretch draws near.
In a typical season, experiencing seven league losses by March would usually signal the end of title aspirations. Yet, this is no ordinary season.
Their latest triumph came by the slimmest of margins. Benjamin Nygren, who came off the bench, barely stayed onside when he netted the decisive goal, marking a pivotal moment in this title race.
Currently sitting five points behind and in second place, Celtic still faces the daunting task of defeating Hearts in Glasgow post-split, while hoping for assistance from other quarters. It’s a challenging, though not impossible, scenario.
Kieran Tierney put Celtic ahead early in the match, only for Aberdeen to fight back
Without O’Neill’s influence over two stints this season, a team lacking in quality might have already seen its chances evaporate.
Of his 14 games in charge, he’s overseen 11 wins and suffered just one loss. At the age of 74, he remains capable of ringing every drop out of a squad.
This was another hard watch for the visiting supporters. These days, they tend to see little else.
Put in front inside five minutes through Kieran Tierney, O’Neill’s players looked set to ease towards a rare comfortable victory.
Liam Scales will argue until he’s old and grey that there wasn’t enough in his tackle on Toyosi Olusanya to merit a penalty. Few will honestly see it that way.
His unforced error midway through the first half allowed Kevin Nisbet to convert a spot-kick which gave a hitherto disjointed Aberdeen side a road back on to the game.
Yet again, though, it was Nygren who rode to the rescue. What a debut season the Swede is having. Were it not for his 19 goals, Celtic would already be done for.
While Aberdeen will take some comfort from pushing the champions all the way, one point from 18 does not make for good reading.
Their ambitions of finishing in the top-six are now officially over. A trip to East End Park in the Scottish Cup on Saturday night presently holds limited appeal for the holders.
O’Neill’s plans were upset by Dane Murray picking up an injury in the warm-up. In came Benjamin Arthur for his first league start in professional football. The on-loan Brentford player didn’t do much wrong.
Nygren, a veritable goal machine this season, surprisingly found himself among the substitutes with the verve of Luke McCowan preferred.
On Tuesday, O’Neill had urged his players to cut out the sloppy starts which were forcing them to continually dig themselves out of holds late on.
Within five minutes, he had the desired response. Tierney drove a shot off Lyall Cameron which earned his side a corner.
McCowan delivered an out-winger. Scales extended his left leg to help it on. Completely unmarked on the six-yard line, Tierney smashed the ball high into the net with his right foot to claim his second goal in as many games.
A dream start for Celtic. A shambolic one for Aberdeen.
Peter Leven had started with a back-five, clearly with the intention of containing the visitors. Behind so early in the game, it was hard to see how they could change the game-plan.
Celtic dominated the early exchanges. Seb Tounekti teed up Callum McGregor who drilled a shot straight at Dimitar Mitov.
Aberdeen were in danger of going under. They needed help from somewhere. It came from a former loan player in Scales.
The defender had no need to win the loose ball which he and Olusanya were contesting in the area. The contact on the forward was soft but significant enough for referee Nick Walsh to point to the spot.
Celtic substitute Benjamin Nygren finally secured the three points in the second half
Nisbet calmly put the spot-kick to Viljami Sinisalo’s left as the keeper gambled by diving in the opposite direction. After such a bright start, Celtic had it all to do again.
Tounekti looked well placed to restore the visitors’ advantage after being slipped in by McGregor. The winger twisted and turned then fired the ball into the side-netting.
Olusanya was a proving a handful for the Celtic central defence. He secured the ball, won fouls and offered a focal point. He was careless, though, when he carelessly caught Tierney on the ankle. He deserved to join Sivert Nilsen in Walsh’s book.
Tierney might already have had his second goal of the night. To Mitov’s relief, a deflection took the sting out of his strike.
By half-time, Celtic’s hopes of getting the job done with something to spare had evaporated. This season has been one of toil.
Only a quite brilliant stop by Sinisalo prevented the Dons from turning the game on its head two minutes after the turnaround. Nisbet met Mitchel Frame’s cross and momentarily thought his header had the beating of the Finn. An acrobatic stop left the Scot with his head in his hands.
Scales spurned a fine chance to make amends for his costly earlier error. Rising to meet McCowan’s corner, his header bounced wide without Mitov being tested.
While Celtic showed more urgency, Aberdeen were also energised by the way they’d worked their way back into contention.
The unlikely figure of Jack Milne thought for a second that his long-range effort had handed his side the lead only for it to rise at the last.
Just after the hour mark O’Neill, threw on Nygren and Daizen Maeda with James Forrest and Marcelo Saracchi soon joining them.
The gamble paid instant dividends. Reo Hatate showed composure to feed Julian Araujo with the Mexican playing in Forrest. The winger centred and Nygren clipped the ball home. A lengthy VAR check showed Gavin Molloy had narrowly played the Swede on.
Maeda ought to have quickly wrapped up the win but fired wide of the target as Mitov advanced from his line.
Although Celtic were largely in control from that point on, the slender lead ensured O’Neill cut an agitated figure on the touchline. Goodness knows what he’ll be like as this gripping race enters the final weeks.
