Aberdeen failed to delay Celtic’s title celebrations as they lost 3-0 at Pittodrie.
Celtic needed just a point to secure an eighth straight league crown and netted through Mikael Lustig, Jozo Simunovic.and Odsonne Edouard.
However the Reds were left regretting missed chances before the Hoops made the breakthrough.
At 0-0 on loan Manchester United striker James Wilson missed two glorious chances to put Aberdeen ahead.
Ultimately those misses came back to haunt Aberdeen as Celtic took another step towards a treble Treble.
Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes had to watch the action from the stands having been hit with a one game touchline ban for reacting to sectarian abuse from Celtic supporters during the 3-0 Scottish Cup semi-final loss last month.
McInnes was hit with the ban at an SFA hearing on Thursday.
Aberdeen made three changes to the side that lost 2-0 to Rangers at Ibrox on Sunday.
Andrew Considine dropped out through suspension with Connor McLennan and Stephen Gleeson also ruled out.
Shaleum Logan, Mikey Devlin and Greg Stewart came into the starting-line up.
Logan returned to action for the first time since a 4-1 Scottish Cup win over Queen of the South on February 10.
Right back Logan had been sidelined having undergone surgery on an ankle injury.
The opening chance was created in the second minute when Keiran Tierney found Tom Rogic with a floated ball to the back post that was not defended well.
Rogic’s weak header was saved by keeper Joe Lewis.
Aberdeen’s first chance came in the 17th minute when Stevie May chipped in a cross from deep inside the penalty area that picked out James Wilson eight yards out.
The on loan Manchester United hit his half volley into the ground and it bounced up over keeper Scott Bain and clipped the bar.
Wilson should have buried that opportunity.
Moments later Joe Lewis came to the rescue as Mikey Devlin allowed a straight 40 yard punt upfield to go over his head.
That allowed Odsonne Edouard a free run at goal but Lewis raced off his line brilliantly to save Edouard’s shot from close range.
What a coup signing Lewis on a five year contract extension until summer 2024 was.
In the 29th minute Wilson powered up field and stepped inside of Kristoffer Ajer before unleashing a low ambitious shot from 25 yards that was straight at Bain.
Aberdeen should have scored just after the half hour mark when Scott McKenna embarked on a rampaging run down the left flank before unleashing a superbly weighted cross behind the defence to pick out Cosgrove.
The striker’s first time shot from 12 yards was blocked by Bain but the ball fell to Wilson who shot inches wide when in space and with the keeper stranded.
Wilson, yet again, should have scored.
Failure to convert chances against Celtic have a tendency to bite teams and so it proved soon after when Celtic went ahead..
Against the run of play Celtic scored in the 39th minute when the Aberdeen defence were caught cold at a Callum McGregor delivery when LUSTIG evaded marker Stevie May who had switched off and met the ball with a diving header which flew past Lewis.
It was the killer touch in front of goal, from a full back, that Aberdeen’s attack had lacked.
Early in the second half Wilson missed another opportunity when latching onto a May cross but he fired over the cross-bar.
Moments later Celtic threatened when Lustig found Edouard at the back post but Lewis did well to block low to push it wide.
From the resultant corner Celtic’s title celebrations began when an outswinging delivery from McGregor found Jozo SIMUNOVIC.
The centre-back rose high above Scott McKenna to power home a header.
It was enough for some Dons fans who left Pittodrie.
Aberdeen threatened in the 83rd minute when Devlin met a corner at the front post and keeper Bain had to scramble across his line to save the header.#
Celtic sparked a mass exodus of Dons fans from Pittodrie in the 88th minute when EDOUARD fired into the left hand corner of the net.
ABERDEEN: Lewis, Logan, Devlin, McKenna, Lowe, Ball, Ferguson, May, Stewart, Wilson, Cosgrove.
Subs: Halford (for Logan 71), Campbell (for Cosgrove 72), E. Ross (for Halford 82)
Subs not used: Cerny, Mackenzie, Virtanen, Dangana.
CELTIC: Bain, Simunovic, Brown, Rogic, Edouard, Lustig, Weah, Ajer, McGregor, Forrest, Tierney.
Subs: Hayes (for Tierney 56), Burke (for Weah 72), Sinclair (for Lustig 90)
Subs not used: de Vries, Toljan, Ntcham, Benkovic.
Referee: John Beaton
Help support quality local journalism … become a digital subscriber to the Evening Express
For as little as £5.99 a month you can access all of our content, including Premium articles.
Subscribe