Leigh Griffiths scores twice as Celtic beat Aberdeen

Leigh Griffiths scored twice as Celtic eased past Aberdeen 3-1 to open up a seven-point advantage over Aberdeen in the Premiership table.

The striker was on target either side of half-time, while James Forrest added a third before Adam Rooney netted a late consolation for the visitors.

Although Celtic clearly deserved the three points, the hosts had to wait until the 44th minute to break the deadlock by which stage Rooney had missed a great opportunity to fire Aberdeen ahead.

It was all Celtic during the early stages, with the visitors somehow surviving each wave of green and white attack.

Griffiths used his pace to fashion the first chance of the match in the 10th minute, when the striker found some space just inside the box but could only drag his shot wide of the far post.

Yet the Dons almost went ahead against the run of play a few minutes later when Rooney flicked Niall McGinn's low cross inches over the bar.

Rooney came close again, turning a Jonny Hayes cross over the bar for a second time.

The first clear opportunity arrived in the 28th minute when Kris Commons, with his back to goal, back-heeled the ball into the penalty area where the lively Griffiths once again found space - but his shot from seven yards was deflected brilliantly past the right post by keeper Danny Ward.

Six minutes later an unmarked Rooney missed a great chance to break the deadlock when, from eight yards, he glanced a Hayes cross narrowly wide. But that was as good as it got for the men in red.

At the other end there was a narrow escape for Kenny McLean who headed the ball against his own post as he tried to clear Dedryck Boyata's nodded attempt.

Griffiths then blazed over from 12 yards before the same player opened the scoring with half-time looming.

From Kiernan Tierney's superb cross, a clinical Griffiths header from 14 yards left Ward with little chance of preventing the Hoops from taking a 44th-minute lead.

And the hosts dominated the early stages of the second half too. First, a Tom Rogic shot was punched clear by Ward before Commons missed a great chance to make it 2-0 when he sliced wide from 12 yards.

However, the next goal was not long in coming as Griffiths grabbed his second of the match from the spot.

With 52 minutes played, Dons defender Ash Taylor sliced through Commons, unnecessarily, on the edge of the box and Griffiths converted with a fierce, low strike.

The match finally slipped out of Aberdeen's reach on the hour when Rogic fed James Forrest who showed great flair and touch to clip home the third.

As Griffiths chased a hat-trick, Ward tipped his effort over the bar while Stuart Armstrong also went close for Celtic.

Craig Gordon saved well from Peter Pawlett with 10 minutes remaining before Rooney pulled a goal back two minutes from time. His looping header from a Hayes's free-kick sneaked inside Gordon's right-hand post but by then it was far too late to trigger any comeback by the Dons.

Aberdeen, who last won on September 20, have collected just one point from the last 15 while losing at Celtic Park in the league for the 21st-straight time dating back to October 2004.

Next up for Celtic on Thursday is Molde in the Europa League.