Aberdeen crash as slick Celtic march on

The champions never looked back after Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink's 14th-minute header, and goals from Aiden McGeady and Scott McDonald reinforced their superiority.

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However, there was some concern for Gordon Strachan after goalkeeper Artur Boruc was ruled out just before kick-off.

The Pole was named on the team sheet before being replaced by Mark Brown and his injury will worry Strachan ahead of Wednesday's Champions League game against Shakhtar Donetsk.

Paul Hartley was also not in the squad and saw his place taken by Massimo Donati.

Aberdeen made four changes with Jamie Smith and Chris Clark back from injury and Richie Byrne and Sone Aluko recalled, while Jimmy Calderwood played Scott Severin as a sweeper in a 3-4-3 formation.

But his tactics failed to stop Celtic taking control. Zander Diamond made a crucial block from Jiri Jarosik and McGeady fired in a low drive which Jamie Langfield held at full stretch.

The visitors had an opportunity when Lee Mair lobbed over after a Severin free-kick, but the action continued at the other end.

Diamond produced another great block from Vennegoor of Hesselink after a good run from Scott Brown, and the Dutchman headed home from the resulting corner.

Severin skied an attempted clearance and the former PSV Eindhoven man beat Langfield to Jarosik's header at close range to net his first goal for two months.

Langfield parried McDonald's effort and produced another decent stop from Brown's powerful strike. The Dons goalkeeper could only watch as Jarosik lashed a 25-yard strike off the top of the bar.

And McGeady went one better in the 27th minute when he fired his second goal in two games.

The winger easily drifted inside Mair and had space 20 yards out to blast a left-footed strike just inside Langfield's near post.

Aberdeen rallied and John Kennedy cleared dangerous crosses three times in quick succession.

Langfield just beat McDonald to a through-ball at the other end but Celtic seemed happy to sit back and Donati was booked for a hefty, late challenge on Clark.

Miller had a half chance when Smith found him unmarked on the edge of the box, but his volley flashed just wide.

Clark did not reappear after the interval and Chris Maguire came on as Calderwood reverted to 4-4-2.

But Aberdeen's chances disappeared in the 49th minute when McDonald exploited a handling error from Langfield to net his 14th goal of the season.

The Aberdeen goalkeeper had saved from the Australian after a Brown through-ball but Langfield lost control of the ball as he lay on the ground and McDonald sidefooted home.

Celtic looked dangerous whenever they pushed forward and had numerous chances for a fourth.

The unmarked Jarosik headed badly wide from eight yards after great wing play from McGeady and Diamond produced another last-gasp block to defy Brown.

Celtic briefly looked like easing off but whenever they did Scott Brown grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck.

He raced forward from defending a corner, destroyed Severin for pace and sprinted into the box before back-heeling the ball into Lee Naylor's path.

However, Langfield atoned for his earlier blunder by diverting Naylor's strike behind.

McGeady was also proving a handful and Langfield prevented his shot curled into the top corner.

Langfield then produced a superb double stop from McGeady and Vennegoor of Hesselink after Naylor's back-post cross.

Maguire was looking lively but he was well off target with his shooting, and Celtic were able to take off their front pair for Chris Killen and the fit-again Maciej Zurawski.

Zurawski and fellow substitute Evander Sno got sights of goal in a low-key finale but Langfield got down well to stop the Pole's low strike and Sno headed wide.

At the other end, Mark Brown struggled to deal with a high ball under extreme pressure from Dons sub Steve Lovell, but that was as troublesome as his unexpected afternoon in goal got.