Celtic win only confirms Aberdeen as contenders for team of the year

Two victories over Celtic in a month, one cup final already reached and still alive in another. Derek McInnes has a touch that even Midas might struggle to replicate.

The most recent of these successes spoiled Celtic’s chance of going through the whole SPL season unbeaten and represented the latest positive in a campaign that has breathed new life into one of Scottish football’s fallen giants.

Four-time champions and former Cup Winners Cup victors, Aberdeen haven’t won a trophy since 2000 and have finished no better than eighth of 12 in the SPL for the past four seasons.

Experienced pair Mark McGhee and Craig Brown were unable to mastermind improvement in their individual stints, but it should be no great surprise that McInnes has stepped up to the challenge.

In four years at St Johnstone, McInnes oversaw their promotion and security in the SPL and then avoided Championship relegation in England with Bristol City, which has been shown to have been no easy feat since.

Even though Aberdeen sit second in the SPL standings, a 21-point deficit to Celtic means the title is already as good as over, but the race to finish runners up remains up for grabs.

Seven wins in eight has been followed by just two victories in five, although a four-point gap does exist to Motherwell, who have faltered of late with back-to-back away defeats.

Aberdeen are tough to oppose at 4/9 in the outright market without Celtic this season.

Second place and a cup success is far more than any Dons fan could have dreamed of at the start of the campaign and the chance of silverware comes on March 16th in the Scottish League Cup final with Inverness.

Golfer Paul Lawrie has already kept the date available in his diary, missing the Trophee Hassan II event in Morocco to watch the game.