Celtic - 2 Aberdeen - 3: Aberdeen enhanced their growing reputation and breathed life back into the championship race with a dramatic victory at Parkhead last night.
Substitute John Stewart pounced well into injury-time after more poor defending to give Aberdeen the points when it looked like they had thrown away a two-goal lead.
The third-placed side were gaining some rave reviews under new manager Jimmy Calderwood - but not even he could have envisaged their incredible start.
Darren Mackie and Fernando Pasquinelli fired them into a two-goal lead inside the first six minutes and not even a John Hartson double could prevent Celtic suffering their first defeat of the new domestic campaign when Stewart fired home.
The home crowd were stunned in the fifth minute when Aberdeen went ahead. Bobo Balde was forced to put the ball behind for a corner after his short backpass but the Celtic defence failed to learn from that from the resulting corner.
Pasquinelli flicked Derek Adams' corner across the face of goal and Mackie was left in acres of space to bundle the ball home from close range.
The home crowd had barely had time to rally their heroes from the shock before Aberdeen had doubled their lead just a minute later - and it came from another mistake.
Neil Lennon passed the ball back to David Marshall and he made a hash of his clearance by hitting Pasquinelli, who ran around the teenager to slot the ball home.
Celtic woke up and moments later Balde collided with David Preece at the back post as both tried to reach Didier Agathe's header.
Calderwood was forced to replace Preece with substitute goalkeeper Ryan Esson before Celtic went close to pulling a goal back.
Sutton's header, from Petrov's corner, looked to be a heading into the back of the net - but Kevin McNaughton was on the line to make a vital clearance.
But Aberdeen continued to rip Celtic apart on the break and Philip McGuire headed Adams' free-kick just past the upright to give them a huge let-off.
Sutton helped his side get back in the match just before the break when he pulled the ball back for Hartson to crash a low drive past Esson.
And Celtic dragged themselves on level terms in the 68th minute to set up a grandstand finish. Hartson swivelled on a Stanislav Varga ball into the box and even though Esson got a touch to it the power of the shot took it over the goal line.
Four extra minutes were shown by the fourth official - and it was Stewart who capitalised on more terrible defending to latch onto Russell Anderson's punt and finish in style.
Rangers came back from behind to win at Dunfermline. The Pars had been ahead at the break through Craig Brewster but within seconds of the restart Jean-Alain Boumsong headed Rangers level. Nacho Novo slotted home a 57th-minute penalty to seal victory.
CELTIC: Marshall, Agathe, Varga, Balde, McNamara, Petrov, Lennon, Juninho Paulista (McGeady 59), Wallace, Sutton (Sylla 59), Hartson. Subs Not Used: Hedman, Pearson, Lambert, Beattie. Goals: Hartson 45, 69.
ABERDEEN: Preece (Esson 13), McGuire, McNaughton (Stewart 79), Anderson, Severin, Tosh, Hart, Clark, Adams, Pasquinelli (Foster 56), Mackie. Subs Not Used: Morrison, Considine, O'Leary. Booked: Tosh, Anderson. Goals: Mackie 5, Pasquinelli 6, Stewart 90.
Referee: W Young (Scotland).
