Three points was the reward for the hardy Hoops in the exposed Aberdeen corner and Rodgers made sure to pay tribute.
The Celtic fans had to soak it up at Pittodrie as Brendan Rodgers hailed the hardcore Hoops fans who were rewarded with a big three points.
Reo Hatate’s late strike condemned Aberdeen to a first home defeat of the season and sent the champions seven points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand on the Dons. 50-mile-an-hour gales engulfed the Granite City and despite Jimmy Thelin’s men huffing and puffing, it was the visitors who blew their house down with a hard fought win.
Midweek in December in the North East is never the most enticing destination, but the Celtic fans were there in numbers in the old ground’ exposed away end. And they were sent home with the warm, fuzzy feeling that three points brings as they kept up their unbeaten league run and now only a monumental collapse would see them relinquish their title at this early stage.
And Rodgers made a point of bigging up the travelling Bhoys: “I’m so happy for our supporters because to travel all the way up here, to be stuck stuck in that corner when the wind and everything is coming in at them, to see the team win is a great reward for their effort to get here. It’s a great reward for the players as well because they gave everything to the game.”
It could have been a share of the spoils but for a late intervention from cameron Carter-Vickers. Esther Sokler looked set to punish a slack Auston Trusty touch, but his fellow American arrive din the nick of time to throw out a big leg and divert over the bar with five minutes to go.
And Dons boss Jimmy Thelin was left ruing the centre back’s crucial contribution. He said: “Sometimes the ball goes in, sometimes not. It’s is an amazing block the last chance when Ester hits the shot. I don’t remember who was blocking it, but it is a really good block.
