Celtic 3-2 Aberdeen

Patrick Roberts' stunning opener set Celtic on their way to victory

Celtic sealed a fifth successive league title but only after a second-half scare from their closest challengers.

Their triumph was already an inevitability, but the celebrations began in earnest as Patrick Roberts scored two fine early goals.

Aberdeen, who offered a stout challenge all season, looked dead and buried when Mikael Lustig scored after the break.

But quickfire goals from Niall McGinn and Andrew Considine took some of the gloss off the title party.

Champions profit from high-tempo opening

Celtic may have lost just three league games on their way to this latest triumph but manager Ronny Deila is departing in the summer.

The Norwegian cannot match the points tally from his debut season and this victory illustrated an inconsistency that has dogged his side throughout his second campaign.

The champions were irresistible in the first half but disjointed after the interval as Aberdeen ate into their lead.

Innjured captain Scott Brown (right) celebrates with his manager after the final whistle

The Dons - runners-up for a second year running - knew even a first league victory at Celtic Park since 2004 would have no bearing on the destination of the Premiership trophy since they trailed by nine points and a huge goal difference margin with three games to play.

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But Derek McInnes was determined to beat Celtic for a third time this season, to reaffirm his belief that they have narrowed the gap.

Had Niall McGinn not directed a shot wide from point-blank range inside the opening five minutes, they may have had a chance of doing so. As it was, Celtic went on to be utterly dominant in the first period.

Roberts - the teenage winger on loan from Manchester City - again showed why the English club paid £12m for his services, as he darted in off the right touchline, away from Graeme Shinnie and found the top corner with a ferocious strike from 25 yards.

Aberdeen were sitting too far off their opponents, who looked hungry to secure the championship in style, and allowed Leigh Griffiths time and space to pick out Roberts inside the box. This time the youngster curled inside the far post.

The third goal was every bit as impressive. Callum McGregor did brilliantly to trick his way past Shinnie and his cutback was swept into the net by Lustig.

The atmosphere inside a packed Celtic Park was joyous, with the team looking every bit like the best team in the land.

Spirited Dons reply

But as has been the case on several occasions on Deila's watch, Celtic's concentration slipped and after a couple of warnings, Aberdeen got a foothold in the game when Jonny Hayes provided McGinn with the chance to slide the ball past Craig Gordon.

That was compounded seven minutes later when McGinn's free-kick was headed emphatically past the keeper by Considine.

Considine (centre) brought Aberdeen back to within a goal of Celtic

Shay Logan missed the best chance Aberdeen had to equalise when he headed wide from only a few yards as Celtic held on to move 12 points clear at the top of the league.

All sense of anti-climax vanished at full-time as the stadium broke into rapturous applause and the players basked in the glory of the club's 47th league title.