Celtic 3 Aberdeen 2: Jan the man for Celtic as changes pay off in the end

Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink chose the perfect time to end his barren campaign, finding the net twiceyesterday and conjuring up the dramatic winner in stoppage time that completed a remarkable comeback for Celtic.

The Scottish champions looked as if they would be haunted by their former player Charlie Mulgrew, who scored two spectacular goals for Aberdeen to overhaul Vennegoor's first-half strike, but Scott McDonald equalised before the Dutchman applied the killer blow to lift Celtic ahead of their Champions' League mission in Spain against Villarreal.

Gordon Strachan's rotation policyin recent weeks has created a hunger in the Celtic dressing-room, with players such as Aiden McGeady and McDonald, the heroes of last season's title triumph, forced to take a back seat.

Vennegoor could empathise with that pair. The Dutch striker has watched as his place was usurped by Georgios Samaras, but this time they were the striking partnership and dovetailed perfectly in the 14th minute to allow Vennegoor to break his duck for the season.

Vennegoor began the move with a chest-down to Samaras midway into Aberdeen's half, and the Greek playerembarked on a surging ran that carried him into the Aberdeen box. In panic, the visiting defender Ricky Foster could only hack the ball to Scott Brown, whose lay-off was swept beyond the goalkeeper, Jamie Langfield, by the boot of Vennegoor from 14 yards.

Aberdeen might have restored parity six minutes later when Lee Miller crept in behind the Celtic defence but Artur Boruc came out to block the shot. However, it was Strachan's side who monopolised the threat in the first half, with Vennegoor's header drawing a save from Langfield and Shunsuke Nakamura watching his effort parried after another deft Samaras link-up.

Aberdeen had been forced into a change when their captain, Scott Severin, was injured midway through the first period but his replacement, Mulgrew, rewarded Jimmy Calderwood's faith in him. The former Celtic left-back equalised in the 56th minute when he finished off a sublime Aberdeen move that saw Jared Hodgkiss whip a cross to the back that was volleyed beyond Boruc by Mulgrew.

Nine minutes later, Mulgrew struck again. This time Glenn Loovens fouled Miller and allowed Mulgrew to curl a 28-yard free-kick over the wall and past Boruc's dive to silence Celtic Park, apart from raucous pocket of 1,000 Aberdeen fans.

However, Strachan did not flinch. The Celtic manager sent on McGeady and then McDonald and his switch to 4-3-3 paid off. McDonald equalised in the 76th minute when McGeady delivered a low ball across the face of goal and the Australian met it at the back post with a predatory header.

Celtic then went for the jugular and netted the winner in the 90th minute. McGeady robbed Mulgrew with a crunching tackle and clipped in a low cross that was backheeled into the net by Vennegoor. Celtic Park erupted.