Celtic maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a 4-1 win over Aberdeen that looked more comfortable on paper than it did on the pitch.

After a strong opening period, the Hoops has established a lead through Leigh Griffiths before Adam Rooney levelled things. Further goals from James Forrest before half-time and then two late goals from Scott Sinclair and Tom Rogic gave them an easy finale, although there were periods in the second half where Aberdeen had made them sweat a little.

The most significant news of the afternoon, though was the switch between the sticks with Craig Gordon displaced by Dorus de Vries. With an international break looming before the next game against Rangers, a game followed just three days later by the opening game in Group C of the UEFA Champions League, if Gordon was ever going to find himself benched, then this was the game when it was going to happen.

Whether or not Gordon manages to re-curry the favour of Brendan Rodgers remains to be seen. And although this afternoon proved to be a relatively routine win for Celtic in their first home league game of the season, there were one or two incidents which suggested de Vries was not quite so comfortable with the ball at his feet as might have been expected.

The keeper’s first act was to pick the ball out of the net after Adam Rooney had cancelled out what was a cracker of an opening from Leigh Griffiths.

Almost immediately afterwards de Vries was caught in possession, a misjudgement that didn’t entirely blot his copybook since Aberdeen could not manipulate the error in their favour.

Griffiths had opened the scoring after just 13 minutes with an eye-catching strike. The forward nutmegged Kenny McLean on the edge of the box before unleashing a strike that cannoned off the inside of the crossbar and then bounced behind the line. In a tribute to 13-year-old schoolboy Kieran McDade, a young Celtic fan who tragically died this week, Griffiths celebrated by holding up a t-shirt in tribute to the teenager.

Ronney levelled proceedings after Celtic had conceded the ball cheaply inside their own half, but parity was short-lived. James Forrest restored Celtic’s cushion after Tom Rogic – who had had a cracker of an effort cannon off the crossbar in the opening stages – had slipped the ball through to him.

With his first touch Forrest used the outside of his boot to bend the ball around Joe Lewis and into the net.

Patrick Roberts and Moussa Dembele were brought into the fray early in the second period as Celtic looked for further goals. Roberts, who will be eligible to play against his parent club, Manchester City, in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League, looked most likely to add to the scoring.

Yet, as the game wore on Aberdeen forced their way into proceedings as Celtic started to look heavy-legged after their mid-week exertions in Israel.

Graeme Shinnie brought out a punch from De Vries when the keeper had to clear a looping ball, while another effort from Shinnie went just over the bar as Aberdeen pressured Celtic in the closing stages.

It was Celtic though who closed the game out when Scott Sinclair when down in the box under a challenge from Mark Reynolds, who had been booked minutes earlier. The defender was dismissed while Sinclair dispatched the spot-kick to allow the Parkhead side to ease to the points.

Rogic completed a fine week for the Parkhead side with a sumptuous free-kick on the stroke of the 90th minute.