CELTIC 3 HAMILTON ACCIES 0
BIRTHDAY Bhoy Brendan Rodgers celebrated turning 46 with a victory over the gallant Accies at Parkhead this afternoon.
As expected, it was a one-sided affair with goals from Callum McGregor, Ryan Christie and Scott Sinclair getting the goals that mattered.
In the opening minutes, the Hoops came close to opening the scoring when Sinclair had a close-range effort diverted onto the crossbar by Accies keeper Ryan Fulton.
In the 20th minute, Ryan Christie set up Emilio Izaguirre just inside the box and the Honduran left-back let fly with a ferocious effort, but once again Fulton thwarted the Hoops with an excellent save.
Four minutes later, Mikey Johnston made space for himself outside the box to fire in a low drive. but it lacked power and precision and the keeper held on.
Fulton was the Accies hero again as he denied Christie and Timothy Weah in quick succession as the Hoops kept up the pressure.
In the 40th minute, however, the Accies No.1 presented the champions with the opener when McGregor tried his luck from outside the box.
It looked like an easy grab for Fulton, but he allowed the ball to escape from his grasp and it squirmed through his legs and over the line.
Shortly after the turnaround, Mikael Lustig was just out with his elevation with a cross from the right with Weah in a good position and then a right-wing cross from Johnston was smothered by Fulton.
Just after the hour mark, Rodgers sent on James Forrest and Oliver Burke for Johnston and Weah and the substitutes combined shortly afterwards to set up an opening, but the on-loan West Brom forward fluffed his attempt at goal.
In the 71st minute, Forrest and Burke got in each other’s way with the goal beckoning and once again Accies survived. With a bit more composure, it would have been a goal.
It was all over in the 77th minute and once again the Accies keeper was the villain for his team as he gifted the Hoops a second goal.
Lustig lobbed in a cross from the right and Fulton fumbled the ball smack in front of goal and Christie couldn’t miss with a left-foot drive.
It was the youngster’s last involvement in the game as Rodgers replaced him with Nir Bitton a minute later.
Three minutes from the end, Burke combined with Lustig and the Swede’s eight-foot cross was perfection as Sinclair got on the end of it to nod the third goal beyond Fulton.
It was no more as the champions deserved as they continued to rule the roost in the Premiership.
TEAM: Bain; Lustig, Ajer, Benkovic, Izaguirre; Brown, McGregor; Johnston, Johnston (sub: Forrest 63), Christie (sub; Bitton 78), Weah (Sub: Burke 63); Sinclair.
