ABERDEEN did not so much put down a marker at Pittodrie today as make a statement that Celtic just might have a title race on their hands.

A goal down, they came back, a man down and somehow they still found a winner with only minutes left of a pulsating encounter that really did hark back to the days when this was THE fixture in Scottish football.

Aberdeen deserved their win. That’s six out of six in this campaign. Derek McInnes is doing some job. Ronny Deila and Celtic would be foolish in the extreme to discount their one and only rivals. You would not bet against Aberdeen keeping up this form.

It was a great match and terrific advert for our game.

Tom Rogic almost scored within two minutes when he found himself clean through on Danny Ward, courtesy of a bad mistake by Ashton Taylor, but the Aberdeen keeper made a fine save.

Play was frantic and fun to watch. Aberdeen began playing some good passes and on 12 minutes, Niall McGinn couldn’t quite get his shot on target at the back post after some sustained pressure from the home side.

Celtic, however, came within inches of a goal on 16 minutes. A free-kick was awarded just outside Aberdeen’s box pretty centre of goal. Leigh Griffiths stepped up and his effort took a wicked deflection off the wall and hit Ward’s crossbar.

Within a minute, and at the other end, Andrew Considine rose well to meet a Jonny Hayes corner but put his header over – he should have done better and knew it.

And then on 22 minutes, Considine missed another. A terrific cross from Kenny McLean picked out his team-mate at the back post, but Considine’s touch was poor when he really needed to put his boot through the ball from a few yards out.

Celtic made Aberdeen pay for those misses when they opened scoring on 35 minutes.

Johansen played a lovely ball over the top which Griffiths controlled on his chest having got the wrong side of Considine who pulled him back. A penalty was duly and rightly awarded and Griffiths beat Ward despite the keeper guessing correctly.

But the game should have been level before the break. Hayes crossed from the left for McLean, unmarked and a few yards from goal, but he fluffed his lines and the ball only grazed his forehead instead of being put in Craig Gordon’s net.

However, Aberdeen were level eleven minutes after the break.

Dedryck Boyata went in way too strong on Graeme Shinnie when the ball looked to be going out and referee Craig Thomson pointed to the spot. Adam Rooney stood up and sent Gordon the wrong way.

It was all Aberdeen and then Hayes was sent off on 72 minutes.

He dived into a tackle on Mikael Lustig, in midfield he was high and late, indeed the Swede had to go off, and Thomson did not hesitate for a second to show his red card.

Celtic then went looking for a winner that previously had seemed unlikely. James Forrest put a shot across goal then shot when he has three hooped jerseys to aim for inside the box.

But with six minutes remaining, Efe Ambrose conceded a silly free-kick, McGinn sent in a fine cross which was watched by Gordon and his defenders, and Paul Quinn powered home a header at the back post.

In injury-time, Griffiths should have scored having taken the ball past Ward, but Considine cleared off his own line.

It was Aberdeen’s day.

Aberdeen: Ward, Logan, Taylor, Quinn, Shinnie, Considine, Jack, Hayes, McGinn (Flood 86), McLean, Rooney (Parker 80)

Subs not used: Brown Robson, Pawlett, Goodwillie, McLaughlin

Celtic: Gordon: Lustig (Ambrose 72), Boyata, Mulgrew, Blackett; Brown, Bitton; Johansen, Rogic (Forrest 72), Mackay-Steven (Ciftci 75); Griffiths

Subs not used: Bailly Commons, Janko, McGregor

Bookings: Aberdeen (Considine 35, Hayes s/o 72 ), Celtic (Mulgrew 38, Johansen 60, Lustig 68, Ambrose 84)

Referee: Craig Thomson

Attendance: 20,385