HUNGRY, combative, relentless, and confrontational, Scott Brown is many things and he packaged all of them together in the space of a matter of seconds at Pittodrie yesterday to ensure Celtic will end this championship-winning campaign having beaten their nearest rivals four times out of four.

The captain's unquestionable drive and energy was needed, though, to keep Aberdeen, these upstarts who dared to make the SPFL Premiership a contest for the lion's share of this season, firmly in their place.

There was a slackness in elements of Celtic's display, perhaps understandably when you consider the league has already been won. They were bombarded by their hosts over the first 20 minutes or so of this encounter and most definitely played second fiddle in the latter stages as Derek McInnes's side fought gamely to restore parity.

With a minute left on the clock, Lawrence Shankland, on for Ryan Jack, headed wide from a matter of yards out from an excellent Jonny Hayes cross. Had he earned the point, it could hardly have been grudged.

There was no conviction in his attempt to convert, though. Compare that with the decisive nature of Brown's match-winning intervention in the 49th minute, a marvellous piece of play marked by a burning intent.

Brown blocked Barry Robson on the edge of his own penalty area with a typically lusty challenge as his one-time team-mate was seeking to find a way through the defence. He got back to his feet quickly to gain possession and played the ball out left to Stuart Armstrong.

As the former Dundee United midfielder set off on a quite spellbinding little meander that took him past Shay Logan and Ashton Taylor to the bye-line, Brown set his trajectory for the heart of the Aberdeen box.

Armstrong, all twinkle toes and daintiness, had left the hosts vulnerable and open through his invention and rolled a ball into the heart of the danger area that was just begging to be converted.

Brown, sent off in the Granite City in November, saw his chance. There was only one way his lung-bursting 80-yard run was going to end.

Andrew Considine was alive to the danger, but it would have taken an army of men to prevent Celtic's No.8 from putting the ball into the net from close range.

Brown had been booed roundly from the early exchanges by an Aberdeen support outraged by their players giving a Glasgow team a guard of honour before kick-off and clearly re-energised by the fact they have a team worthy of the name again. In his moment of glory, he just couldn't resist eyeballing them behind the goal as he celebrated in gallus, wholly unapologetic fashion.

When a meat pie was thrown at him from among the home fans, he simply picked it up and pretended to eat it. Hated, but rated, Brown is not a fellow easily fazed.

There was a very definite need for everyone in Celtic colours to show an appetite for battle, though. Aberdeen meant business. Despite the title race being over, there was plenty of niggle and a number of rather nasty tackles. It remains something of a surprise that only three men - Robson, Hayes and Considine - were booked by the referee, Craig Thomson.

Robson flashed a shot wide from more than 25 yards early on after some intelligent lead-up work from Jack and Kenny McLean. Craig Gordon was called into action just after the quarter-hour mark as the home side threatened to turn it into a siege.

Jason Denayer cleared a low cross from Niall McGinn before getting his body in the way of another powerful drive from Robson. The ball was headed back into the heart of the danger area by Ashton Taylor and Gordon had to be quick off his line to deny the onrushing Mark Reynolds at the edge of the six-yard box.

It took 33 minutes for Celtic to muster an effort of note with Stefan Johansen sending a poor effort wide from 20 yards or so after moving on to a diagonal pass from the recalled Armstrong.

Johansen is a player at the top of his game right now, though. Robson, despite making a very positive impression in the early stages of this affair, has his best days behind him and the difference between the two was shown eight minutes before the interval as Celtic almost caught their hosts napping.

Robson lost the ball in midfield and Emilio Izaguirre immediately pinged a diagonal pass out left and over his head. The former Parkhead midfielder, now aged 36 and linked recently with the manager's position at Arbroath, was never going to catch Johansen as he scampered after the loose ball and must have breathed a sigh of relief - if he had any puff left - when the Norwegian's attempt to chip the goalkeeper, Scott Brown, was pawed wide of the post.

The tide was clearly changing, though, and the opening goal duly arrived four minutes after the interval when Aberdeen simply failed to match the desire possessed by Brown as he charged the length of the pitch to put his team in front. Celtic had two golden opportunities to extend their advantage just before the hour when Leigh Griffiths latched on to a long ball from Virgil van Dijk and forced a decent save from Brown with an angled effort.

The ball fell nicely for Kris Commons inside the area and it took another decent block from Brown to deny him.

In truth, Aberdeen could have folded at that stage. They didn't. They closed the match strongly and that must give McInnes great encouragement.

Celtic did have further opportunities, Brown making another excellent double save from Johansen and James Forrest in stoppage time. But McInnes has warned his players will be back waiting for Celtic next season with the hope of improving.

This match was not a classic, but it was a good scrap. For the game's sake, it would be good to Aberdeen keep Celtic embroiled in a fight.