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A second-half blitz powered Celtic past St Mirren and within 18 points of Scottish Premiership leaders Rangers.
Tom Rogic opened the scoring early on with a lovely arcing finish.
In three second-half minutes, Odsonne Edouard – from the penalty spot – Ryan Christie and David Turnbull netted to settle the contest.
Dylan Connolly came closest to a home goal, stabbing wide just before half-time, but St Mirren created little, and remain sixth in the table.
Neil Lennon’s visitors, who suffered a shock 2-1 loss to their adversaries in Glasgow last month, remain well adrift of Rangers in their quest for a 10th straight domestic title, despite their game in hand.
Unsurprisingly, Jim Goodwin set his side up just as he had 11 days earlier, when St Mirren left Celtic Park with a first victory in Glasgow’s East End in over three decades.
The hosts began sharply, fizzing the ball around with all of the belief of a team in super recent form. But they wilted suddenly with the loss of Jamie McGrath to injury and a fabulous Rogic opener. McGrath left the pitch clutching a shoulder after a heavy fall, and a minute later, Celtic pounced.
Rogic collected the ball on the right flank from a Jonjoe Kenny throw-in, spun, swaggered his way into the box and cracked a vicious left-foot strike into the far bottom corner. It was vintage Rogic and in truth, Celtic have not seen enough of it from their rangy Australian this season.
After the opener, Celtic’s grip on the game tightened. Kristoffer Ajer galloped around with menace, often steaming deep into Saints territory on great, lancing runs from the backline. When he wasn’t marauding, the Norwegian’s range of passing was tremendous.
Celtic threatened little before the break, but for all of St Mirren’s endeavour, never looked in danger of conceding. Connolly scampered after a Kyle McAllister through-ball on the stroke of half-time, but on the stretch, prodded wide. In the final third, St Mirren’s distribution deserted them.
After the interval, Celtic began to motor. Rogic was at the heart of their incisive play. The midfielder shaped to shoot from right of centre, but instead slid in Edouard, who was denied by a wonderful point-blank Jak Alnwick stop.
The goalkeeper twice blocked David Turnbull from distance, then watched Edouard and Rogic both blast wide. St Mirren’s shape, so entrenched and effective at Celtic Park, was concertinaed as the visitors sliced through them.
Young defender Stephen Welsh, an impressive performer since winning his place in the team, was carried off after having his foot trodden on by Jonathan Obika. The striker was yellow-carded for the late collision. Earlier, Callum McGregor ought to have been booked for a rash challenge on Ethan Erhahon, and Scott Brown was cautioned after clattering Ryan Flynn.
From all the thundering tackles, it was Flynn’s rather delicate tug on the arm of Greg Taylor that proved most telling. The midfielder was caught out by Taylor’s scurrying run into the box. Down went Taylor, up stepped Edouard, and the spot-kick was dispatched ruthlessly to Alnwick’s right.
The Frenchman has now scored in each of his past five games, bagging six goals in total.
Rather than settling for what they had, Celtic continued to go through the gears, Edouard’s strike the first of a remarkable three-minute treble. Christie caressed home a delightful left-foot chip from right of centre, then teed up Turnbull to smack home from close range.
In the end, it was a rout. Celtic bared their teeth, an attacking relentlessness the champions have shown far too little of late.
Man of the match – Tom Rogic
What did we learn?
Goodwin will be irked that his players posed so few questions of Scott Bain in the Celtic goal. They lived with Celtic in the first half, but were run hopelessly ragged in the second. Still, their desire and persistence cannot be faulted.
For all of their many and pervasive troubles, a Celtic side possessing Edouard, Rogic, Christie and Turnbull is still a team with a vast attacking arsenal. Lennon will be just as content that his defence was largely unflustered.
What did they say?
St Mirren ‘lost their way’ – Goodwin
St Mirren manager Jim Goodwin: “Really disappointed with the second half, we just weren’t at the same level as in the first half. We looked as if we lost our way a bit, a lack of discipline in terms of the overall shape of the team and we were allowing Celtic too much space and time on the ball.
“Celtic were excellent and caused us a lot of problems, albeit we were still well in the game up until about 80 minutes. To lose those three goals was extremely disappointing.”
Lennon hails ‘outstanding’ Celtic win
Celtic manager Neil Lennon: “Against a team who were in form, we’ve absolutely taken them apart tonight.
“Once they got the second goal, they really turned it on, they didn’t rest up. I think they wanted to put the wrongs of 11 days ago right.
“That’s far more like us, almost like we were at this time last season, absolutely rampant. We’re just looking for more of that now.”
What’s next?
St Mirren make the trip north to struggling Aberdeen, who they eliminated from the League Cup earlier this season, on Saturday. Celtic travel to in-form St Johnstone a day later. The Perth side have lost only one of their past nine games.
BBC Sport
– Feb. 11, 2021 @ 09:09 GMT /
Tags: A second-half blitz powered Celtic past St Mirren and within 18 points off Rangers
