Debutant Kris Commons took just six minutes to net his first Celtic goal as a 4-1 win against Aberdeen propelled Neil Lennon's men into the Co-operative Insurance Cup final.
Commons scored with what appeared to have been an attempted cross before his corners led to goals for Charlie Mulgrew and Thomas Rogne.
Anthony Stokes converted a 34th-minute penalty to leave Aberdeen fans fearing a repeat of their recent 9-0 thrashing by Celtic but they improved markedly and Scott Vernon netted the only goal of the second half.
Celtic, fresh from an impressive 4-0 defeat of Hearts, drove forward with impressive purpose from the start and it soon paid off. In the sixth minute Aberdeen failed to clear a corner and when the ball fell to Commons just outside the box, he flighted the ball over the head of hapless Dons goalkeeper Jamie Langfield.
It was downhill from then on for the Pittodrie men. In the 10th minute Commons' corner from the right was headed towards goal by Stokes and Mulgrew, playing again in the relatively unfamiliar central defensive role alongside Rogne, rose a yard out to knock the ball into the net.
The Dons looked rattled but moments later, in their first real attack, Vernon beat Celtic goalkeeper Fraser Forster with a drive which struck the outside of the post.
In the 20th minute Stokes had a shot touched onto the bar and again Aberdeen failed to deal with the resultant corner. When Mulgrew knocked the ball back into the six-yard box, Rogne headed past Langfield.
There was more woe for Aberdeen in the 33rd minute after Celtic were awarded a free-kick 20 yards from goal. Midfielder Derek Young, standing in the Dons' defensive wall, inexplicably stuck his hand in the air to block Stokes' curling shot giving referee Craig Thomson no option but to point to the spot.
After Young was booked, Stokes sent Langfield the wrong way with the penalty and some Aberdeen scarves began to hit the trackside with more vehement boos following on the half-time whistle.
The second half was a formality although Craig Brown's side at least showed some fight. In the 61st minute, after Celtic left-back Emilio Izaguirre earned a booking for a foul on Maguire wide of the penalty area, the Dons pulled a goal back when Rob Milsom's free-kick was met by the head of Vernon 10 yards out.
Source: PA
