Aberdeen 0 Celtic 2: Moussa Dembele and Kieran Tierney settle feisty clash at Pittodrie as both Hoops ace Mikael Lustig and Dons star Sam Cosgrove see red

CELTIC restored their nine-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership after emerging victorious in a feisty clash at Aberdeen.

It was the Hoops’ tenth straight triumph over the Dons, and the ninth under Brendan Rodgers.

But they were made to work hard for it at Pittodrie as both sides finished with ten men apiece in a bruising encounter.

Aberdeen and Celtic each had chances to break the deadlock before Moussa Dembele struck on 37 minutes.

The French forward headed home his tenth goal of the campaign when he met James Forrest’s cross at the back post.

The Hoops’ hopes of running away with the game quickly evaporated as the Dons rallied after the restart.

And their hopes of a comeback were boosted in a dramatic final quarter of an hour when Celtic’s Mikael Lustig received his marching orders for a second yellow card.

However, before Derek McInnes’ men could make their numerical advantage count they were hit with a KO blow.

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Dembele raced through the middle and threaded the ball to full-back Kieran Tierney.

The defender took a touch before thundering a shot past goalkeeper Freddie Woodman to seal the points.

Frustration began to boil over for the Dons in the closing stages when debutant Sam Cosgrove was red carded just minutes after coming off the bench for a lunge on Scott Brown.

That result leaves Aberdeen, who have been runners-up for the last three season, 12 points adrift of the champions and three behind second-placed Rangers.

The Gers welcome table-topping Celtic to Ibrox in a fortnight following a clash with Dundee and the Scottish quarter-final against Greenock Morton.