CELTIC blew St Johnstone away in the first forty-five minutes this evening at McDiarmid Park to maintain the 100% win rate for the new decade.
Neil Lennon shuffled the pack again and opted for a 3-5-2 formation with James Forrest and Greg Taylor as the two wing backs. Both were sensational in that first half with Taylor in particular impressing and surely making Neil Lennon’s mind up once and for all that the Scotland international is the best left back/ left wing back at the club.
Not that we’ve not been saying this for a while!
The opening goal came down the other wing and after a slick move it was Olivier Ntcham who headed Celtic into an early lead. It was a bit of a shock to those reading the click bait as they’d have thought that the Frenchman was already away to West Ham.
He’d been in the Dunblane Hydro with the rest of his teammates when we were told he was in London negotiating his move to David Moyes’ side.
Celtic were swarming all over the Saints and Taylor provided two assists with sharp crosses from the left. Forrest found the bottom corner with a superb shot and Griffiths read the script of Taylor’s fertile service and got himself in the right place to tap home number three.
Odsonne Edouard was causing all sorts of problems and the supporters at the far end of the ground were already celebrating a stunning effort from the talisman when somehow it curled wide of the bottom corner. It was cruel but what a striker Edouard has become.
Jozo Simunovic was a pre-match doubt and lasted just 45 minutes, being replaced at the interval by Moritz Bauer as Neil Lennon changed to a back four.
Celtic’s slick play suffered although there were several notable chances that went a begging. Patryk Klimala did well when he came on – the boy looks a player – and was inches from yet another Taylor cross in the closing stages.
Mikey Johnston has replaced Griffiths before Edouard’s number went up to allow the Polish striker some minutes in the closing stages. But just as Edouard reached the touchline Mikey Johnston went down injured – again. The substitution was delayed but went ahead a minute later only for Johnston to have to go off thus reducing Celtic to ten men.
Neil Lennon was far from pleased.
St Johnstone got the financial boost from three stands full of Celtic fans. Despite the awful weather there were plenty looking for tickets outside.
That though is 30 goals Celtic have our past the Saints since the last time they found the net against the Hoops.
Now it’s on to Hamilton where we’ll hopefully see 3-5-2 again.
The final score was St Johnstone 0 Celtic 3.
Man of the Match – Greg Taylor
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