IT STARTED with Scott Sinclair scoring the winner with practically his first touch of the ball in 2016 and continued until Carl Starfelt’s deflected effort past Joe Hart with his last kick as a Celt in 2022.
It was two days short of exactly six years between the goals in Edinburgh and Glasgow that marked an sequence of success for Brendan Rodgers.
Admittedly, there was an interlude of almost four and a half years in between debutant Sinclair pouncing to fire the points clincher against Hearts at Tynecastle on August 7 2016 and the departing Starfelt, but the victories paved their way to four successful Premiership campaigns.
In a CQN EXCLUSIVE, we analyse Rodgers’ four Premiership kick-offs as we prepare to host Kilmarnock at Parkhead tomorrow on another Flag Day in the east end of Glasgow.
CAPITAL SHOW…new Bhoy Scott Sinclair gets in ahead of Hearts midfielder Sam Nicholson to claim the winner in a rousing tussle at Tynecastle in August 2016.
August 7 2016
HEARTS 1 CELTIC 2
Scorers: James Forrest (8), Scott Sinclair (81)
IT WAS sprightly winger James Forrest who got the show on the road in the eighth minute when he finished off a neat move by tucking a low drive beyond Jack Hamilton.
However, referee John Beaton bought a clear dive by Jamie Walker to award the hosts a controversial penalty-kick in the 36th minute. Rubbing salt into the wounds, the culprit swept the leveller past Craig Gordon.
The Edinburgh player was later banned for two games after the SFA reviewed the incident.
Justice was done nine minutes from the end when Scott Sinclair, who had just arrived in a £4.5million switch from Aston Villa, whipped a low left-wing cross from Leigh Griffiths into the net.
It was the perfect launch pad for the team that earned The Invincibles tag after silverware clean sweep in the Irishman’s debut campaign.
TEAM: Gordon; Lustig, Toure, O’Connell (sub: Rogic 73), Tierney; Brown, Armstrong (sub: Sinclair 61), McGregor; Forrest, Griffiths (sub: Janko 83) and Dembele. Unused subs: Fagan, Izaguirre, Johansen, Ciftci.
ACTION REPLAY…Scott Sinclair sweeps in Celtic’s second goal in the 4-1 win over Hearts at Parkhead in August 2017.
August 5 2017
CELTIC 4 HEARTS 1
Scorers: Leigh Griffiths (29, 63), Scott Sinclair (51), Callum McGregor (73)
THE champions were never in trouble as they swept aside the challenge of the Tynecastle club at a packed Parkhead to get the defence of their crown off to a winning start.
Leigh Griffiths claimed the opener just before the half-hour mark and Scott Sinclair, goal hero in the capital the previous year, doubled the advantage when he knocked in a left-foot drive from close range six minutes after the interval.
Griffiths eased the host to a three-goal advantage in the 63rd minute and it was all over long before Callum McGregor struck No.4 10 minutes later.
Esmael Goncalves hit the visitors’ consolation effort in the fourth minute of stoppage-time.
TEAM: Gordon; Lustig, Simunovic, Bitton, Tierney; Ntcham (sub: Armstrong 87), Brown, McGregor (sub: Rogic 75); Forrest, Griffiths (sub: Hayes 67) and Sinclair. Unused subs: De Vries, Ralston, Ajer, Kouassi.
THREE CHEERS…Olivier Ntcham is congratulated by his fellow-Frenchman Odsonne Edouard after netting a penalty-kick to put Celtic 3-0 ahead against Livingston in August 2018. Tom Rogic is about to join in, but rival keeper Liam Kelly doesn’t share the joy.
August 4 2018
CELTIC 3 LIVINGSTON 1
Scorers: Tom Rogic (8), Odsonne Edouard (26), Olivier Ntcham (50 pen)
TOM ROGIC scored with a rare header to give Scotland’s title kings the lead in the eighth minute as they got off to another positive kick-off to a new crusade.
And the West Lothian club were on their knees by the 26th minute when Odsonne Edouard left overworked keeper Liam Kelly helpless.
Five minutes into the second-half, Olivier Ntcham sidefooted a penalty-kick unerringly into the net for No.3 and the hosts took their foot off the gas as they strolled to three points.
Scott Robinson hit Livi’s goal in the fading moment.
TEAM: Gordon; Lustig, Ajer, Simunovic, Hayes (sub: Tierney 61); Ntcham, Brown, Rogic (sub: Johnston 73), McGregor; Forrest and Edouard (sub: Griffiths 61). Unused subs: Bain, Hendry, Christie, Sinclair.
FLAG HAPPY…evergreen James Forrest, in his testimonial year, is given the honour of hoisting the 2022/23 Premiership flag before the match against Ross County in August 2023.
August 5 2023
CELTIC 4 ROSS COUNTY 2
Scorers: David Turnbull (17 pen, 42), Kyogo Furuhashi (26), Matt O’Riley (73)
IT WAS A decidely sluggish start from Celtic in Brendan Rodgers’ first league game since his summer return following his February 2019 exit for Leicester City.
The Highlanders were up for the challenge and had forced five corner-kicks before the champions stirred themselves from their lethargy and were 3-0 ahead by the interval.
David Turnbull, in his first start in nine months, rifled a penalty-kick low past Ross Laidlaw in the 17th minute and Kyogo Furuhashi flashed a second past the exposed keeper in the 26th minute.
The returning Scotland international midfielder, who left for Cardiff City five months later, made it three with a close-range effort three minutes from the break.
Jordan White pulled one back on the hour mark with a header after some sloppy defensive work by the Celtic defence at a left-wing corner-kick.
Matt O’Riley displayed the signs of things to come when he thrashed in the first of his season’s haul of 19 strikes in the 73rd minute.
Carl Starfelt, in his last game before moving to Celta Vigo, deflected a shot from James Brown beyond the stranded Joe Hart.
As farewells go, it wasn’t quite ideal!
Thankfully, no-one remembered the Swede’s howler as Rodgers and Co rampaged to their third successive title by eight points by the completion of another successful crusade.
TEAM: Hart; Ralston, Carter-Vickers, Nawrocki (sub: Starfelt 67), Taylor; Turnbull (sub: Hatate 67), McGregor, O’Riley (sub: Holm 84); Abada (sub: Yang 79), Kyogo (sub: Forrest 71) and Maeda. Unused subs: Bain, Iwata, Kwon, Oh.
