Aberdeen 2-2 Celtic

The Champions ended a double winning season with a draw against Aberdeen at Pitoddrie. Strachan rotated his team to give fringe players like Marshall, Camara, Thompson, Lawson and Pearson a run out and Virgo made a rare appearance from the bench.

Celtic made the perfect start when Alan Thompson's free-kick from the left was only partially cleared to the edge of the box where Aiden McGeady met it powerfully, only for the ball to come back off the crossbar. But Hartson was in the right place at the right time and was left with the simple task to head into the net from 10 yards out.

Darren Mackie tried to reply for Aberdeen, and after neatly turning Stephen McManus he could only drag his shot wide of the far post.

Clear-cut chances were few and far between as the game struggled to get any fluency into it, but in the 34th minute, Andrew Considine just failed to connect properly with a Barry Nicholson free-kick from the left as Aberdeen pushed for an equaliser.

David Marshall then made a terrific save after Nicholson's clever pass set up Stevie Crawford 16 yards to keep his side in front at the break.

John Stewart replaced Danny Griffin at the interval as the home side went with three attackers in search of the equaliser. However, they fell further behind when McManus's long ball was picked up by the player of the year Shaun Maloney, who hit a fantastic low drive from the edge of the box past Esson.

Aberdeen pulled a goal back on 68 minutes when substitute Chris McGuire, on for Stevie Crawford, sent Stewart clear of the visitors' defence and he confidently rounded Marshall before slotting the ball home and just two minutes later Mackie's low cross from the right was missed by everyone before it reached Stewart who slammed the ball gleefully into the net from close range to continue his magnificent record against Celtic.

Celtic should have won the game late on when in the 85th minute Stephen Pearson was through with only Esson to beat but the Dons keeper pulled off a fine save, diving to his right to save the midfielder's right-footed drive from 14 yards. But the game was academic and Celtic can look back proudly on a fine domestic season.


Aberdeen: Esson, Griffin (Stewart 45), McNaughton, Considine, Byrne, Nicholson, Macauley, Dempsey (Donald 74), Foster, Mackie, Crawford (Maguire 66)

Subs Not Used: Langfield, Skinner, Thomas.


Celtic (4-4-2):

Marshall

Telfer Varga McManus Camara

McGeady (Wilson 76), Lawson, Pearson, Thompsom

Maloney Hartson(Virgo 77)

Subs Not Used: Boruc, Dublin, Quinn, O'Dea, McGowen.


Attendance: 14,597

Referee: C Murray