Beauty and the best

Title challenges can take may turns, and while you love to see scintillating football, played at tempo, with intricate passing moves and spectacular goals - not every game can be won in the manner you enjoy. Yesterday's game at Pittodrie was a prime example of how a dogged team, playing at their best, compounded with blustery conditions, can cause a potential upset. Could Celtic stand up to the conditions and a resurgent Dons team?

The champions made a change at the back with Bitton coming in for Simunovic in order to maintain the 3-5-2 formation that had been blowing teams away recently.

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The first 10 minutes of the game passed without much to talk about. It was a scrappy affair brought to life by a long clearance out of defence by Ajer that bounced awkwardly in front of McKenna in the Aberdeen defence. Griffiths managed to use his body to cause an error from the defender and get a nod on into his own path. He broke down the left and into the box before McKenna recovered, but just as it looked that he would get a tackle in - Griffiths cleverly laid the ball of to Edouard. The in form striker touched it into the path of Forrest, who jinked between the falling bodies of three Aberdeen players, but his shot was parried by Lewis into the path of Callum McGregor. McGregor calmly side footed the bobbling ball into the corner of Lewis's goal for the opener.

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26 minutes into the game and Aberdeen equalised through Ash Taylor. Ntcham was adjudged to have fouled Ojo in the centre of the park. The resultant free kick was cleared to the left hand side of the box by Julien but found itself back to Logan, who flighted in a cross that was flicked on to the chest of Taylor. The big defender had all the time in the world to control the ball on his chest before unleashing a right footed strike past the right hand of Forster and into the net.

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Aberdeen pressed for a while after the goal, culminating in a mid range strike from Ojo which stung the hands of Forster in goal. The big keeper parried the shot but McGinn headed wide from the rebound. Connor McLennan tried to cheat the referee into giving a penalty shortly afterwards. He broke into the box between two players and Jullien pulled out from the tackle to avoid the player. McLennan threw himself to the ground in appeal, but thankfully the ref spotted the infringement and booked the Dons diver for his deception.

Honours even at half time seemed about right on the balance of play, but the conditions continued to cause a few issues. A cross from the Dons left was headed high in the centre of goal by Bitton, but the wind seemed to move it as it dropped back downwards and Forster was forced to bat it away for a corner.

A rare moment of silky soccer broke out when McGregor passed to Edouard down the left channel. The big French magician cleverly backheeled the ball to Forrest. Wee Jamesie played it one touch to Hayes who linked well with Edouard, and the one two saw him race in on goal. The shot from Hayes from a tight angle was easily saved by Lewis, but over in the centre was Ntcham virtually unmarked, and the pass would surely have brought about a more favourable outcome.

The winner was a thing of beauty and would happily grace any game as the deciding factor between teams. On a day lacking in finesse, it was fitting that true quality broke the deadlock. Aberdeen had pressed and a shot at goal was easily saved by Forster. The big Englishman saw an opportunity for a quick break though and he launched a ball to the centre of the park to the waiting Odsonne Edouard. One touch controlled the ball and the second was a sublime backheel in to the path of the onrushing McGregor.

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Forrest had pulled left and he was found by McGregor. The tricky winger pulled in from the flank and past a pocket of four Dons defenders before passing to an unmarked Kris Ajer, coming in from a lung busting run from defence. The silky defender, always comfortable with the ball at his feet, took a touch to take the pace from the ball, then firmly lifted it over the onrushing Lewis to see the net bulge, with what would turn out to be the winner of a tense game.

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Brown broke up a midfield move by Aberdeen and touched the ball infield to Mcgregor. His visionary pass down the right wing landed perfectly at the feet of James Forest running towards the byline on the right hand wing. He clipped the ball into the six yard box to Eduoard who mishit the ball initially. The keeper and another defender were sprawling on the ground as the ball dropped once again for Eddy to have a second attempt at a shot. He caught it fine but somehow Lewis managed to get a heel out to block it behind for a corner.

It finished 2-1 to the champions in what may very well be a crucial point in deciding the destination of the title. It may have been winning ugly - but it was winning, and on days like this - sometimes that is what you have to do.

Team stats
6 Shots 6
3 Shots on target 4
50% Possession 50%
10 Fouls 14
2 Yellow cards 1
0 Red cards 0
1 Offsides 2
5 Corners 3​