CELTIC 3 MOTHERWELL 1
TWO-GOAL Yang Hyun-jun was the man who made the difference as Celtic claimed a crucial victory against impressive Motherwell at Parkhead this afternoon.
The visitors silenced the crowd by claiming the opener, but the South Korean levelled before the turnaround and then struck the killer third goal.
Tomas Cvancara, who claimed the decisive penalty-kick in the Scottish Cup quarter-final shoot-out at Ibrox last weekend, stepped up to take another award in between Yang’s double to sink the Hoops’ No.2.
It was an excellent win – and could be absolutely vital at the end of the campaign.
Early on, Viljami Sinisalo had to look alert when Colby Donovan diverted a cross from the left and the keeper was forced to touch the ball onto the right-hand post before it was cleared.
An early wake-up call for the champions!
In the tenth minute, there was a glimpse of an opening for the hosts when some sloppy defensive work saw the ball drop to Benjamin Nygren, scorer of 19 goals in his debut campaign, but the prolific Swede took an extra touch and the chance was gone.
WATCHING BRIEF…a pensive Martin O’Neill looks on from the touchline.
The visitors, as they had done in their 2-0 win over Wilfried Nancy’s Hoops in December, were excellent in possession and happy to knock the ball around as they looked for an opening.
In the 17th minute, Elijah Just skipped away from a challenge by Yang on the left, before firing in an inviting low cross, but Reo Hatate made a timely intervention to mop up the danger.
Celtic were right out of luck in the 20th minute when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain exploded a low 25-yard shot that looked to be arrowing in at Calum Ward’s right-hand post.
However, the keeper managed to get the merest touch to the effort to divert it onto the inside of the upright.
The ball ricocheted behind Ward as the Hoops fans yelled for a goal, but, remarkably, it defied gravity, rolled along the line and the relieved netminder Ward scrambled back to take possession.
Well knew they had got away with one.
Five minutes later, Benjamin Arthur rose to meet a right-wing corner-kick, but cleared the bar from six yards. At the very least, the on-loan Brentford centre-back should have hit the target.
Celtic paid a heavy price when they went behind three minutes later.
A breakdown in communication between Sinisalo and Hatate gifted Well the opener.
The keeper passed out to the Japanese midfielder who was under pressure on the edge of the box. Possession was surrendered and the ball was worked to the left to Just.
The New Zealander took aim and then slammed a low drive past Sinisalo to his right from an angle.
JOY BHOY…Yang Hyun-jun celebrates a goal at Parkhead.
It was an awful goal to present to visitors who benefited from a similar blunder to get their second goal against Celtic before the turn of the year.
The equaliser arrived in the 39th minute and was a credit to the never-say-die spirit of Hatate, Sebsatian Tounekti and Kieran Tierney as they chased down the ball on the left.
Well switched off for a split-second and Nygren took advantage as he swooped on the ball on the bye-line.
He whipped over a low cross, Ward stretched to get a touch, but only managed to divert the ball to Yang who didn’t hesitate as he raced in to first-time a 12-yarder into a vulnerable part of the net.
Parkhead erupted in joy and it was certainly a goal the Hoops deserved.
Martin O’Neill made a second-half switch with Cvancara replacing Tounekti and Maeda, who didn’t get much joy down the middle in the opening period, moving to the left.
The second-half exploded to life right from the off when Nygren had the ball whipped off his toe when he had a clear sight of goal and Well broke upfield and Viljami had to throw himself to his left to save.
In the 50th minute, Nygren was bang out of luck when the Hoops struck the woodwork for a second time.
The Swede latched onto a ball on the edge of the box and unleashed a low drive that curled away from the stranded Ward before slamming off the far post.
In the 62nd minute, Nygren was replaced by Luke McCowan as O’Neill revamped the middle of the park.
Seven minutes later, Celtic were awarded a penalty-kick when VAR ordered John Beaton to have a look again after Maeda had been flattened by Emannuel Longelo at the back post as a right-wing corner-kick from McCowan drifted into the box.
The referee deliberated for a lengthy period as he looked at his touchline monitor before he had no option but to point to the spot and Cvancara, hero of Ibrox last weekend, accepted the responsibility once again.
Three minutes after the original foul, the on-loan Czech Republic international striker strolled forward with confidence to stroke the ball home as Ward took off for his right.
It was a double blow for Well as Longelo was also red-carded to leave the visitors with 10 men.
In the 78th minute, O’Neill made a trio of changes when he sent on Anthony Ralston, Marcelo Saracchi and Paulo Bernardo for Donovan, Tierney and Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Within a minute, Yang had claimed a killer third goal when he raced clear onto a high ball that dropped into the box.
The South Korean turned onto the afterburners as he burst forward before lashing an unstoppable left-foot drive past the helpless Ward.
Now all eyes are on the 8pm kick-off at Rugby Park as Hearts, now just two points ahead of the champions, take on Kilmarnock.
This could become a pivotal weekend in the pursuit of the Premiership crown.
TEAM: Sinisalo; Donovan (sub: Ralston 78), Arthur, Scales, Tierney (sub: Marcelo 78); Nygren (sub: McCowan 62), Oxlade-Chamberlain (sub: Bernardo 78), Hatate; Yang, Maeda, Tounekti (sub: Cvancara 46)
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