…to earn deserved draw.

Pittodrie witnessed a cracking SPL match this lunchtime as Aberdeen and Celtic battled to a thrilling 4-4 draw. Aberdeen showed tremendous fight and came back three times for a deserved draw which, on another day, could easily have been a win. In the first half Celtic raced out of the stalls to take the lead in the 3rd minute, but Paton levelled seven minutes later as the Dons look control. It was against the run of play in the 36th minute that Celtic regained the lead, but once again Aberdeen levelled as Mackie netted a minute later. In the second half the Dons had two efforts cleared off the line before Celtic went ahead again. When they grabbed a fourth five minutes later it looked as if Aberdeen were beaten. The Dons players had other ideas and a double from Maclean earned a deserved draw. He first converted a penalty for an obvious handball then with two minutes remaining he levelled as Pittodrie erupted. Celtic were reduced to ten men in injury time, but they held on for the draw.

Celtic kicked off and won a free kick in the opening minute, but fortunately the ball was fired over by Braafheid. Two minutes later Celtic went ahead when an attempted clearance from Aluko was blocked and fell to McGeady. He fed Keane and Langfield made a fine block, but Kamara followed up to score. Aberdeen tried to hit back immediately and won a corner on the right. Boruc was able to claim the delivery, but a free kick quickly followed as The Dons attempted to hit back. Foster did well in the 7th minute as he worked his way down the right, cut inside and fired a cross into the area that was scooped over the bar by Mackie.

Aberdeen levelled in the 10th minute as Paton managed to find the net again as he struck a sweet strike from the edge of the box when he latched on to a knock down. Mackie collected the first caution of the match a minute later for his first challenge of the match on O’Dea. Three minutes later Mackie himself was clattered, but no action was taken. A Mulgrew free kick in the 15th minute was scooped over the bar by McDonald, but the linesman had flagged offside in any case, although it looked tight. Celtic then won their first corner in the 18th minute, but Aberdeen defended well.

There was a strange decision a minute later when Aberdeen were attacking in a dangerous position and the referee stopped play to ask a Celtic player to leave the field for treatment. It was a totally inappropriate moment and the restart was a complete rammy resulting in two Aberdeen players being tripped as they headed foe goal. Unbelievably, given the Mackie booking, neither Celtic defender was cautioned. From the resultant free kick Boruc was out quickly to punch clear. After the poor start Aberdeen had taken control of the game.

Play was raging from end to end and O’Dea was spoken to for his umpteenth foul, but still no caution. A ball whipped into the box had three Dons players chasing, but Boruc did well to cut it out. This was a cracking match as both sides went hell for leather at each other. In the 32nd minute MacLean and Mackie combined well and Mackie hit the bye line but was unlucky to see his cross cut out by N’Guemo. Patterson was caught late by McGeady in the 34th minute and was very fortunate to escape a booking.

Celtic went ahead against the run of play in the 36th minute when Aluko was dispossessed and Brown raced forward and fed the ball to Keane. His cross was then turned in by Fortune. For some reason Paterson was booked in the aftermath. Aberdeen again showed great character as they hit back within a minute when Paterson swung the ball in. It missed Paton but fell to Mackie and he controlled it on his chest and fired the ball past Boruc. In the final minute of the half MacLean was flagged offside with yet another tight decision as he went one-on-one with Boruc.

The second half started as the first had finished and once again Aberdeen were pulled back with a tight offside decision. This time it was Aluko that was flagged. You couldn’t take your eyes off the game for a second and Mulgrew did well to dispossess Keane inside the Dons box. In the 52nd minute neat play saw MacLean go in for a challenge with Boruc and the Dons striker came off the worst as the keeper didn’t look to attempt to play the ball. A minute later Aberdeen won the first corner of the second half, but the ball was scrambled clear and Celtic broke before Scott Brown lost control in the vital area. Three minutes later Celtic won a corner and Langfield was forced into a fine save as he turned a Thomson header away.

Aberdeen won another corner on the hour mark and they went so close to taking the lead as the ball was twice hoofed off the line by a desperate Celtic defence. Celtic were then awarded a free kick in a dangerous area that quite frankly was embarrassing after a great tackle from Kerr on Keane. Fortunately the cross came to nothing as Aberdeen were awarded a free kick when Aluko was pushed to the ground. Celtic made a double substitution in the 65th minute then immediately went ahead again as Aberdeen lost a poor goal when the ball was played into the middle and turned in by Keane with the defence looking hesitant. A very scrappy affair and once again it was against the run of play.

In the 71st minute Fyvie replaced Aluko just as Celtic won a free kick 25 yards out. Langfield made a great save from the strike, but the resultant corner saw McGeady allowed to work his way into the box and he bulleted the ball past an exposed Langfield. Aberdeen were handed a lifeline in the 75th minute when an obvious hand ball allowed MacLean to score from the spot. A second spot kick should have followed two minutes later when a blatant push inside the box was ignored. A mistake by Boruc in the 79th minute almost let Aberdeen in, but Celtic managed to clear and a quick break produced another great save from Langfield.

A Celtic player found his way into the book in the 82nd minute when McGeady was cautioned for kicking the ball away. Aberdeen should definitely have had a second spot kick a minute later when MacLean was taken down inside the box. Boruc then denied the striker with a world class save as the ball looked certain to end in the net. At the other end a great Mulgrew tackle denied Celtic then the linesman awarded Rasmussen the softest of free kicks as Aberdeen were forced to defend. Mackie then forced a corner in the 88th minute and Aberdeen claimed a deserved equaliser. The ball was whipped in and the Celtic defence failed to clear as MacLean grabbed his second goal of the game.

Ifil replaced Paton after the goal as the fourth official held up the board for three minutes of injury time. In the second minute of the injury time Celtic hit the bar as the game came to dramatic end. Seconds later O’Dea was sent off for a second bookable offence. The free kick failed to create a final chance and Celtic held on to the point.