Celtic 3-2 Aberdeen

JAN Vennegoor of Hesselink's 90th-minute strike gave Celtic a dramatic win over Aberdeen in their Clydesdale Bank Premier League clash at Parkhead.

When the Dutchman fired them into a first-half lead after only 14 minutes it looked like the champions would stroll to victory.

However, former Celtic player Charlie Mulgrew, on as a first-half substitute for Scott Severin, drilled home the equaliser in the 56th minute before curling a wonderful free-kick past Artur Boruc eight minutes later.

Scott McDonald, on for Marc Crosas, headed home the equaliser in the 77th minute and with the Parkhead side moving back into top gear, there was almost an inevitability about the winner although normal time had just elapsed when the Holland international squeezed Aiden McGeady's cross in at the near post.

As a warm-up for their crucial Champions League clash with Villarreal in Spain on Tuesday, this might not have been ideal but it was certainly exciting for the fans.

Aberdeen's disjointed defensive performance at Rugby Park did little to suggest they could hold an on-form Hoops side which had Georgios Samaras leading the line having scored nine goals in his last seven games.

The home side pressed from the first whistle and, when Scott Brown headed a Shunsuke Nakamura cross past the back post with less than five minutes gone, it promised to be a long afternoon for the Dons.

When Celtic took the lead through Vennegoor of Hesselink it promised to be longer.

Samaras's driving run deep into the heart of the Dons penalty area was initially blocked by sheer numbers in the Pittodrie defence.

Brown picked up the loose ball at the edge of the six-yard box and played a short pass back to the Dutchman who carefully placed his shot from 14 yards past Dons keeper Jamie Langfield into the far corner.

The champions, however, lapsed into fits of slackness from which they found it difficult to escape for the rest of the half.

Zander Diamond's header from a Derek Young corner was cleared off the line by Crosas and, when the ball returned to the box, Dons striker Lee Miller flicked the ball past Parkhead keeper Artur Boruc but over the bar.

But Aberdeen's chances of a comeback received a blow in the 26th minute when captain Severin limped off to be replaced by Mulgrew, whose first involvement was to test Boruc with a 25-yard free-kick which the Poland international saved comfortably.

At the other end, a terrific block tackle by stopper Lee Mair prevented Nakamura grabbing number two after a good move involving Vennegoor of Hesselink.

As Celtic probed rather than surged, the big Dutchman had a header from a Nakamura cross easily saved by Langfield soon after.

Parkhead defender Lee Naylor missed a decent chance a minute before the interval, shooting wide from 16 yards after getting the break of the ball inside the Dons penalty area.

Samaras forced Langfield into a good save down at his left post with a curling drive from the edge of the box three minutes after the interval, Nakamura's 25-yard free-kick a minutes later testing the Pittodrie keeper at his other post.

But Celtic were made to pay for their complacency in the 56th minute when Mulgrew fired in an unexpected equaliser.

Darren Mackie sent Jared Hodgkiss scampering down the right flank and when his cross came in to the box, Miller could only help it on to the former Hoops defender at the back post.

Mulgrew teed up his left-foot shot before driving the ball low past Boruc from around eight yards out.

The mood inside Celtic Park changed in that instant and minutes later McGeady replaced Shaun Maloney as Strachan tried to fire his side up but there was more despair in the 64th minute when Mulgrew put the visitors ahead.

After Glenn Loovens conceded a foul against Miller 30 yards from goal, the Dons defender curled the free-kick over the wall and in off the post.

A minute later Celtic skipper Stephen McManus missed a great chance to equalise when he headed a Nakamura free-kick from wide on the left down on to the ground and over the bar.

McDonald came on for Crosas to add to Celtic's firepower and seven minutes later he was in the right place to head in McGeady's cross at the back post.

The home side stepped up the pace in their quest for the equaliser and it looked doubtful that the Pittodrie side, their defending becoming increasingly desperate by the minute, could hold out until the final whistle.

Amid a period of unrelenting pressure, Nakamura uncharacteristically fired a shot from 16 yards over the bar, but in the 90th minute
Vennegoor of Hesselink squeezed in the winner and Parkhead exploded.

There was one more moment of drama to come.

In the second minute of injury time Mackie missed a sitter when he fired past the post with only Boruc to beat.