Georgios Samaras scored a wonder winner for Celtic four minutes into stoppage time as they fought from 3-1 down to record a remarkable 4-3 win over Aberdeen on Saturday.
The Greek striker, a second half substitute for Beram Kayal, popped up five yards out to send an unstoppable overhead kick past Jamie Langfield to cap a dramatic comeback that keeps Celtic 15 points clear in the Scottish Premier League.
Kris Commons had got the home side off to a dream start with a goal after just 12 seconds.
However, Celtic failed to build on their advantage and Scott Vernon levelled on the stroke of half time.
Josh Magennis rifled the Dons into the lead in the 53rd minute before his back-flick diverted Gavin Rae’s shot past Fraser Forster on the hour mark.
Aberdeen looked to be heading to their first league win at Celtic Park since October 2004 before Charlie Mulgrew’s deflected shot gave the Hoops some hope in the 68th minute.
Gary Hooper nodded the equaliser in the 87th minute before Samaras popped up deep into stoppage time to spark wild celebrations.
Celtic manager Neil Lennon praised his side’s fighting spirit.
“It was absolutely brilliant. People were accusing the players of complacency and not showing enough desire but I think when the fourth goal went in you could see what it mean to them and the supporters,” Lennon said.
“We keep giving cheap goals away but our desire to win the game was fantastic today.”
Aberdeen manager Craig Brown was distraught in defeat.
“You would have to see it to believe it. We didn’t competently withstand the aerial bombardment at the end and that’s where we have let ourselves down having got into a good position.
“At 3-1 you would have thought a draw was a bad result so a defeat is a very bad result considering where we were.”
Neil Lennon had demanded a response from his players following two successive defeats in the league and he got it within 12 seconds of the start. Anthony Stokes fed Commons down the inside left channel and he took a touch before firing a low angled shot into the bottom right hand corner of the net.
Aberdeen came close to an equaliser in the 44th minute when Vernon glanced a header just wide of Forster’s post from Ryan Jack’s cross from the left.
That should have served as a warning to the Hoops but they failed to heed it with Vernon firing the Dons level on the stroke of half time. Magennis muscled Wilson off the ball in the box and cut it back for Vernon, who smashed home.
Aberdeen then stunned the home support as they took the lead in the 53rd minute. Rae broke out of midfield before playing in Magennis, who drilled an angled shot into the net.
The home crowd was silenced as Aberdeen moved further ahead on the hour mark. A loose ball fell to Rae 20 yards out and Magennis stuck out a foot to divert his bouncing shot past Forster from close range.
The Hoops pulled one back in the 68th minute as Mulgrew’s shot took a deflection off Russell Anderson and looped over the helpless Langfield.
The Dons’ defence then held out until the 87th minute when Ambrose’s header from a Mulgrew corner was headed off the line by substitute Peter Pawlett but Hooper was on hand to nod in before Samaras showed great skill and vision to send an injury-time overhead kick past Langfield.
Samaras cements Celtic recovery
