“We’re going to win the league”…Celtic swept St Mirren aside at Celtic Park this afternoon with a hat-trick from Leigh Griffiths, an excellent finish from Odsonne Edouard and a late penalty expertly converted by Callum McGregor all combining to sent Celtic a sweet sixteen points clear of distant rivals and one time challengers the Rangers.
Now it’s over a week until Celtic have to travel to Ibrox to play Steven Gerrard’s team that lost to Hearts in the Scottish Cup and Hamilton in the Premiership and have tough games against Ross County in Dingwall tomorrow and their last 16 Europa League match in midweek before turning their attention to Celtic.
That could be significant a week tomorrow as Celtic aim for a long overdue Beautiful Sunday.
St Mirren started by sitting deep and it was a low key start from Manager of the Month Neil Lennon’s side before a touch of class from the talisman Odsonne Edouard whose drifted cross found Leigh Griffiths at the back post for the easiest goal of the season. A quick glance over to the assistant referee who was already moving back to the centre line and Celtic’s No.9 could celebrate.
Lennon had made two changes from the side that started in midweek at Livingston. Tom Rogic replaced Ryan Christie as the number 10 and Griffiths came back into the starting eleven at the expense of Moi Elyounoussi, who contributed by winning the late penalty.
The first half was low-key, the two goal lead was deserved although a lovely ball from skipper Scott Brown found James Forrest at the back post who header looked like giving him a rare headed goal. The save was decent and frustrated the winger who was a constant threat – worth mentioning as Jamesy only seems to merit attention when he’s been below par.
The second Griffiths strike was instinctive and in off the post, nothing spectacular but deadly nevertheless and it was game over, Tom Rogic gets the credit for the assist.
The second half was completely different as free flowing Celtic looked like scoring as many as they fancied. Griffiths eventually got his hat-trick with the kind of goal he used to score, a sweet strike from the edge of the box after a good build-up from Forrest.
Before that he had one or two chances for his third goal of the afternoon and Edouard had already made it three nil with a composed finish, the best of the bunch so far until Griffiths got his hat-trick.
Christie replaced Rogic, Elyounoussi came on for Edouard – who got a richly deserved standing ovation- and there was a welcome return to action for Elhamed who replaced Ajer for his first action since that wonderful November night in Rome.
Callum McGregor stepped forward to confidently convert the late penalty to round off an enjoyable afternoon in Paradise. Leigh Griffiths was subjected to truly awful, sick-minded chants from the Rangers support who revelled in their belief that he wouldn’t be playing football anymore.
A week tomorrow Griffiths has the chance to shut them up once and for all and give us another Beautiful Sunday.
Man of the Match – Leigh Griffiths
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