CELTIC 3 HEARTS 0
BRENDAN RODGERS is urging Celtic supremo Dermot Desmond to throw cash at Daizen Maeda to make sure the Japanese ace is persuaded to extend his stay at Parkhead.
And the electrifying frontman showed exactly why his manager is so keen for him to hang around as he fired in a double against Hearts at Parkhead this afternoon.
It also took Maeda’s goal haul to 30 in a prolific crusade as the champions powered to a 16-point lead at the Premiership pinnacle.
The fourth successive title is inevitably heading for the east end of Glasgow, but Rodgers’ men took the opportunity to extend the lead with their nearest challengers playing Dundee at Dens Park later in the evening.
Filipe Jota was the team’s other marksman in an encounter that was just about done and dusted by half-time with the Hoops three goals ahead.
Viljami Sinisalo was in action in the early moments when he had to look alert to plunge to his left to push away a cross from Harry Milne as the visitors started with a fair bit of enterprise.
BHOY OH BHOY…Daizen Maeda races away in triumph after scoring – yet again!
And it was the Finnish keeper to the rescue in the 10th minute when some remarkably lackadaisical defending from a left-wing corner-kick allowed Lewis Neilson a free shot at goal and Kasper Schmeichel’s stand-in reacted swiftly to beat the effort to safety.
In the 17th minute, Maeda, making his 150th appearance for the champions, struck for his 29th goal of a prolific campaign.
Comeback skipper Callum McGregor released the jet-heeled Japanese raider with a perfect laserbeam of a pass and the striker took it in his stride before stroking the ball wide of the outrushing Craig Gordon.
Elton Kabangu had been quick to embrace the turf anytime Cameron Carter-Vickers was in the vicinity and, frustratingly for the USA international centre-back, referee Kevin Clancy was buying every collapse.
It was beginning to infuriate the home fans and there was another chorus of derision when Cammy Devlin challenged Nicolas Kuhn and the Edinburgh side were awarded a free-kick.
The antics of the match official didn’t mater, though, in the 24th minute, Nicolas Kuhn tricked and teased an opening on the right before sending in an inviting cross.
Maeda, in the clear yet again, sent a snappy header wide of the groping fingers of Gordon onto the inside of the left-hand post.
The ricochet swept across the six-yard box and Jota reacted quicker than the Hearts defenders to bullet the ball into the vacant net.
ROARING SUCCESS…Filipe Jota shows his joy after getting on the scoresheet.
Despite being two goals ahead, the hosts were not playing with their usual rhythm and cohesion and Maik Nawrocki had to make a timely intervention to clear as a left-wing cross almost found Lawrence Shankland unguarded in the box.
There was another moment of alarm for the Hoops in the 37th minute when a diagonal ball from James Penrice on the left found James Wilson completely unmarked eight yards out, but fortunately for the home side, he headed wide of Sinisalo’s right-hand post.
Four minutes later, Celtic celebrated the let-off by going three goals clear with a lightning-swift break that shredded the Hearts rearguard.
Reo Hatate set Kuhn galloping free on the right, he eased away from Harry Milne before drilling a low ball to the far post and there was that man Maeda waiting to tuck his effort into the rigging.
Only a sprawling fingertip save from Gordon denied Jota a fourth goal as the champions started the second-half in whirlwind fashion.
On the hour mark, Carter-Vickers was short in passback to Sinisalo and the keeper had to look smart to get to the loose ball as Kabangu closed him down.
SMILES BETTER…Brendan Rodgers applauds his champions.
Four minutes later, McGregor was withdrawn as Paulo Bernardo took over in midfield.
In the 72st minute, Maeda and Kuhn made way for Adam Idah and Yang Hyun-jun came on to join the action.
Jota and Hatate were next to get a well-deserved rest when they came off in the 81st minute with James Forrest and Luke McCowan making an appearance.
The second-half developed into a training session for the Hoops as they took control against a dispirited Hearts side who must have had the stuffing knocked out of them with the half-time scoreline.
Tynecastle boss Neil Critchley warned before the game that his side would be “throwing punches” against the champions.
None of them landed and it was Celtic who landed the knock-out blows.
TEAM: Sinisalo; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Nawrocki, Schlupp; Engels, McGregor (sub: Bernardo 64), Hatate (sub: McCowan 81); Kuhn (sub: Yang 72), Maeda (sub: Idah 72), Jota (sub: Forrest 81).
