Aberdeen, Scotland (SportsNetwork.com) - Celtic was handed its first Scottish Premier League loss of the season on Tuesday as it suffered a 2-1 defeat at Aberdeen.
The hoops were against it from the beginning after Virgil van Dijk was sent off in just the 13th minute.
Aberdeen capitalized on the extra man before the close of the opening period, scoring twice in the final five minutes of the first half.
Jonathan Hayes opened the scoring in the 40th minute, and just when it looked as if Celtic could make it to halftime with only a one-goal deficit, Adam Rooney added another for the home side in stoppage time.
Celtic managed to cut Aberdeen's lead in half through James Forrest in the 62nd minute, but the visitors failed to find an equalizer in the final half- hour.
While the Hoops drop their first league match in 27 outings this term, their lead atop the Scottish league dwindles to just 21 points. The club remains on 72 points, maintaining a healthy lead over second-place Aberdeen.
Elsewhere in Tuesday's Scottish Premier League action, Inverness cruised to a 3-0 defeat of Ross County while Steven MacLean's brace led St. Johnstone to a 3-0 win over Motherwell.
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