ODSONNE EDOUARD reacted to a quiet half-time word from Neil Lennon when he fired in a glorious double in just over two rapid-fire minutes as Celtic came off the ropes to beat St Johnstone 2-1 at McDiarmid Park this afternoon.
The champions were trailing to a shock goal from Shaun Rooney five minutes after the turnaround, but the French ace had the perfect answer with a two-goal salvo that floored the Perth outfit and brought the champions their fourth successive win.
Delighted boss Neil Lennon piled praise of his flamboyant frontman and said: “Odsonne was back to his very best, not just his goalscoring, but his play in general, particularly in the second-half, was really, really good.
“There was a lot of good individual performances, Greg Taylor had another fine game while the atmosphere is good and that obviously comes from winning games.
“Odsonne was a little bit lacking that sharpness, but the second-half he really came into his own.
“I thought his link-up play, his positional play, was good. His two finishes were absolutely class, the first goal he needs do more often and get across the front post. There was an opportunity to do that first-half and we had a quick word to him about it.
“He will score more goals if he does that. It’s a real striker’s goal and then the second goal is a brilliantly-worked team goal and he shows composure at the end of it.”
Lennon, speaking to Sky Sports News, added: “It’s just game to game, we’re a long way back, but winning breeds confidence we just look forward to the next game.
“I thought we played really well again. We started off slowly and then I thought the second half of the first we were dominant.
“We were frustrated not to be in front at half-time. I said to the players St Johnstone may score, but the way we were playing it looked like we were going to score goals today and that proved to be the case.
“I thought some of the football we played on a real sticky pitch was top drawer.
“Look, the players have had that in abundance over the years, they are in a good place at the minute, I think they believed they would win the game and that proved to be the case, but we had to work for it.
“To come here and play as well as that and win the game is very pleasing.”
The champions now face Aberdeen at Parkhead on Wednesday with a 6pm kick-off while they take on Ross County in Dingwall a week tonight with a 7.30pm kick-off in the Highlands.
QUICKFIRE EDOUARD’S GLORY DOUBLE
