ABERDEEN CAME FROM two goals down at Celtic Park to maintain their unbeaten start to the season with a thrilling draw.
The 2-2 draw kept the Dons level on points with the champions at the top of the William Hill Premiership and the manner of their second-half comeback will only fuel optimism among their supporters following Jimmy Thelin’s remarkable start to life as manager.
Two goals inside three first-half minutes from Reo Hatate and Kyogo Furuhashi had the home fans declaring the title was staying at Parkhead but replies from Ester Sokler and Graeme Shinnie — both of them teed up by Republic of Ireland international Jamie McGrath — had Aberdeen level by the hour mark.
There were disallowed goals at both ends as the top-of-the-table clash more than lived up to the hype.
Both sides brought perfect domestic records into the game with seven wins each in the league and another meeting in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final to come in two weeks’ time.
But recent results at Celtic Park highlighted the scale of the challenge for Thelin’s side – Celtic had scored 15 goals without reply in the three previous meetings.
The Swede went with an unchanged team and set-up and his side showed attacking intent early on with three attack-minded midfielders supporting Kevin Nisbet.
The first chances fell to Celtic’s Arne Engels, however. The midfielder hit the bar from out wide after Dons goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov had gifted him the ball, and the Belgian soon scuffed a shot wide after Alex Valle’s cutback found him unmarked on the edge of the box.
The opener came in the 24th minute after an Aberdeen move broke down deep in the Celtic half. Engels played Furuhashi down the right and, with Mitov retreating after initially going for the ball, the Japanese striker found compatriot Hatate, who swept home first time.
The same pair were involved as Celtic doubled their lead. Gavin Molloy set up Hatate with a terrible clearance before blocking the midfielder’s shot, but Furuhashi despatched the loose ball.
Leighton Clarkson missed a glorious chance to pull one back with a weak effort that was cleared by Valle after he was inadvertently set up by Alistair Johnston’s sliding challenge.
Some more slack play at the back almost cost the Dons a third before the interval but both Nicolas Kuhn and Johnston were denied.
Thelin brought on Duk and Sokler at half-time and his side dragged themselves back into the game with some aggressive pressing, although Kuhn missed another good chance to put Celtic three up.
The game turned five minutes into the second half on a wonderful through ball by Jamie McGrath which sent Sokler beyond the home defence and the forward slotted into the corner of the net.
Celtic were almost caught on the break but Topi Keskinen opted to shoot with Duk unmarked in the middle and Liam Scales got across to block.
However, Aberdeen were soon level after Daizen Maeda’s misplaced pass gave them possession deep in the Celtic half. McGrath fed Shinnie whose shot took a major deflection and flew into the roof of the net.
The visiting fans were celebrating again with 70 minutes on the clock but the goal was ruled out by video assistant Greg Aitken, who judged that Duk had diverted Slobodan Rubezic’s header home with his arm following McGrath’s free-kick.
Celtic pushed forward in the closing stages and Mitov saved from substitute James Forrest but Aberdeen continued to pose a threat on the break.
Forrest dragged another shot wide and Auston Trusty headed home from close range during more than 10 minutes of stoppage-time but Johnston was penalised for pushing Mitov.
There was further drama right at the death when Mitov made a brilliant save from Adam Idah’s header before Duk cleared off the line from Johnston, with Nick Walsh’s full-time whistle spelling the end of a resulting VAR check for handball.
