It is up in news today that Celtic developed their lead at the highest point of the Premiership to four focuses with triumph against St Johnstone in Perth. Nadir Ciftci and Dedryck Boyata scored from short proximity either side of the half-time break to put the guests into a charging lead. In-structure Saints verged on pulling one back when Brian Easton’s shot from separation hit a post. Ciftci headed his second soon after the hour to secure a seventh win in eight class matches for the champions.
On the face, a 3-0 win searched a defeat for Celtic, yet that would be to do Saints a little bad form. They did much to add to what was a decent challenge for a lump of the evening.
As ahead of schedule as the first moment they had a brilliant chance to open the scoring when Stefan Johansen lost the ball and Steven Maclean put Michael O’Halloran through on Craig Gordon in the Celtic goal. The assailant’s shot was hesitant and Gordon figured out how to dismiss it for a corner. Gordon’s spares – and St Johnstone’s wickedness – would get to be one of the topics of the day.
In those early minutes, the hosts had a chomp about them that grieved Celtic. They hustled and harried. Celtic did not get into the pitch of it until halfway through the half. When they did, it was Tom Rogic, more than any other individual, who got them there. Rogic was great all through. He place Ciftci in for a fine risk just before the half-hour yet the Turk’s shot was spared by Alan Mannus. Credit to Ciftci – when another chance came his direction, he covered it. Callum McGregor’s corner fell merciful to him. He controlled the ball on his thigh and after that pounded it home from inside the six-yard box.
Also, there was another subject – Saints’ helplessness so near their own goal. Boyata could have scored from a corner before long. Holy people are stubborn contenders. Of course, they succumbed to Celtic’s quality later on, yet they had chances before the goals arrived. Murray Davidson and David Wotherspoon constrained recoveries from Gordon just before the break and O’Halloran twisted one barely wide straightforwardly after. Indeed, even after Boyata thundered home a header from McGregor’s corner to make it 2-0, there were indications of life. Easton’s healthy hit from separation fell off Gordon’s left-hand post.
