INSPIRATIONAL skipper Callum McGregor insists Celtic will remain “humble” following the well-earned 2-1 victory at Ibrox yesterday.
The Hoops stretched their extraordinary unbeaten domestic sequence to THIRTY-TWO games while moving six points clear at the Premiership pinnacle with six matches to play.
It was crucial there would be no slip-up against Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side and, despite losing a goal in the third minute to Aaron Ramsey, Calmac and Co fought back to level early through Tom Rogic before Cameron Carter-Vickers claimed what turned out to be the winner just before the interval.
LEADING FROM THE FRONT…Callum McGregor races past Calvin Bassey in the lead-up to the equalising goal.
The victory in Govan – where the Hoops had lost in only Ange Postecoglou’s fourth league encounter back in August – is a massive step in the direction of a tenth crown in 11 years, but McGregor is not getting carried away.
Asked how he felt after the win, the Scotland international anchorman responded: “Yeah, brilliant.
“It’s my first win here as captain, it’s superb and I’ve got to thank the lads for that, it was a real team effort.
“Everyone came together, running hard for each other, making blocks, making tackles, everything.
“So, that was a real team performance and that shows everyone is together.
“It was brilliant for the fans to get back in, we just wish there were more of them, but, hopefully, we sent them home happy and the millions watching around the world.”
OOPS…Joe Hart is left helpless as Aaron Ramsey gets in between Cameron Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt to score a shock early goal.
WHOOPS…Tom Rogic calmly slots the ball past Allan McGregor for the quickfire equaliser.
WHOOPS…Cameron Carter-Vickers thumps in the points-clincher, watched by skipper Callum McGregor.
McGregor, speaking to the Daily Record, added: “In terms of the games that are left, we knew it was going to be a tough game, these games always are.
“If you win, you start to feel good about yourself. In the context of the season, you start to run out of games pretty quickly. We just need to continue to work hard, stay humble and continue to do what the manager is asking us to do and tick them off one at a time.
“I think we’ve got good guys anyway that are not even thinking about getting carried away at all.
“We’ll come in on Monday, recover and look to the weekend. The manager will put the same demands on us.
“I think that’s the beauty with this group of players, they are just so hungry to win and do well and when you have that every day it stands you in good stead.
CHEERS…Ange Postecoglou celebrates Cameron Carter-Vickers’ winning strike.
“It’s obviously been a huge effort, a huge turnaround for the club and from the manager and the players who have come in.
“But I said it from day one when I saw this group of players come in and train, I knew very quickly that it wasn’t a transition for us.
“We wanted to win, the players were hungry to win, the manager is super hungry and those are the demands he puts on the group.
“We just seem to be getting better and we’re facing more challenges together as a group and I think when you do that you give yourselves a really good base for the season.
“That’s where we are just now, but we understand there is still a lot of football to be played. We don’t come off it.”
Next up are St Johnstone at Parkhead on Saturday afternoon where a victory will see the Hoops take a nine-point advantage ovcer the Ibrox outfit who play St Mirren in Paisley the following day.
It will be the fourth meeting between Celtic and the Perth club in this campaign with Postecoglou’s men enjoying a hat-trick of success in the previous outings – 2-0 in Glasgow and 3-1 at McDairmid Park in the league while a James Forrest strike settled the Premier Sports League Cup semi-final in November.
CARTER-VICKERS IS CROWN PRINCE
