Celtic will face St Johnstone at least three times next season after Callum Davidson’s side navigated the SPFL Premiership Play-Off this evening. St Johnstone sealed their status in the top flight following a 4-0 win over Inverness CT in Perth.
After a draw in The Highlands on Friday night, goals from Stevie May, Cameron MacPherson, Callum Hendry and Shaun Rooney made sure that McDiarmid Park would remain in the top flight. It has been a tough campaign for Davidson’s team but it is good to see them retain their place in the top flight.
Ange Postecoglou’s side will now face The Saints at least three times next season, depending on the split it could be four times.
Celtic ran out 3-1 victors when the teams last met in Perth. However, the game in April resulted in a phenomenal 7-0 win with Celtic playing some of their best football of the campaign. Reo Hatate opened the scoring as the relentless press from Celtic forced a mistake at the back with the Japanese Internationalist firing beyond Clark. It was 2-0 when a back pass allowed for Giorgos Giakoumakis to take the ball beyond Clark and slot cooly into the net at an acute angle.
Daizen Maeda scored the third before the break. The Japanese attacker took up a central role after Giakoumakis left the field. A Jota cross was directed goal-bound with Clark unable to prevent it becoming 3-0.
The break offered a rest for the Perth club but they faced a relentless Celtic. Matt O’Riley replaced Tom Rogic but the onslaught continued. Hatate was fouled in the box, Josip Juranovic converted the penalty.
O’Riley made it 5-0 after finding himself on the end of a Turnbull cross. The Danish U21, an arrival from MK Dons in the January window, made it 6-0 with an excellent curling effort. It was maybe pick of the day.
7-0 came thanks to a Liel Abada. Kyogo Furuhashi, came short, turned and clipped an excellent pass into the path of Maeda, he left it for Abada and he finished it off brilliantly.
Several members of the staff of The Celtic Star were in attendance at McDiarmid Park for what was not a bad night’s entertainment. Good to see Shaun Rooney doing well again, and nice to know that the Saints are still with us. The discomfiture of Billy Dodds and Kirk Broadfoot did not cause any distress whatsoever.