MOTHERWELL 0 CELTIC 3
CELTIC fired back to the Premiership pinnacle as goals from Luke McCowan, Alistair Johnston and Adam Idah shot down Motherwell at Fir Park this afternoon.
The champions lost their No.1 position last night after Aberdeen’s 1-0 win over Dundee United at Pittodrie.
However, there was a swift response from Brendan Rodgers’ side as they took all three points after a stuttering start in a tricky fixture.
It took a flash of inspiration from McCowan to turn things around in the first-half as slow-motion Celtic lived dangerously.
DIDN’T HE DO WELL…Luke McCowan is about to be congratulated by James Forrest after scoring the opening goal against Motherwell at Fir Park.
Lennon Miller had already struck the frame of Kasper Schmeichel’s goal on two quickfire occasions within three minutes before the Hoops claimed the breakthrough strike.
And it was all down to McCowan, the bargain £1million recruit from Dundee on deadline day.
No immediate danger threatened in the 27th minute as the busy midfielder accepted a pass from Alex Valle about 30 yards out.
However, after some clever footwork to get away from a defender, some daylight appeared between the Hoops star and the Well danger zone.
He swept forward before drilling a low left-foot drive from the edge of the box past the sprawling Aston Oxborough to his left.
It was just what the champions required at a stage of the contest where they were toiling to impose themselves on opponents who threatened to make life extremely difficult for the visitors.
Miller, the hosts’ much-vaunted midfield talent, had been bang out of luck twice with efforts that smashed against the woodwork with Schmeichel helpless on both occasions.
The first came in the ninth minute after some suicidal defending by the Parkhead side.
NO GOAL, NO PENALTY…Daizen Maeda involved in a controversial moment after being decked by Stephen O’Donnell just after the half-hour mark at Fir Park.
Liam Scales was sloppy with a passback and Schmeichel, under pressure from an opponent, hit a hasty pass to Paulo Bernardo.
The Portuguese took a heavy touch, Well regained possession and the ball was worked back to Miller about 30 yards out.
With Schmeichel out of position, the youngster took aim, but, luckily for the Celts, his accuracy was just out and his shot slammed against the right-hand upright and bounced to safety.
Just moments later, Miller was brought down 25 yards out. He dusted himself down before crashing his free-kick off the crossbar with the Hoops surviving for a second time.
Well had an escape of their own in the 33rd minute when referee David Dickinson and VAR official Alan Muir missed a blatant penalty-kick for the champions.
A pass from Johnston, captain for the day in place of the rested Callum McGregor, saw Daizen Maeda hit the deck after a challenge from Stephen O’Donnell.
Astonishingly, the ball struck the outstretched arm of the Japanese winger, swept wide of Oxborough and hit the inside of his left-hand post before rolling into the net.
Images clearly showed the ball coming off Maeda’s hand and there was no argument about it being ruled out.
NUMBER ONE…Luke McCowan rifles in the opener.
NUMBER TWO…Alistair Johnston thumps in a header.
NUMBER THREE…Adam Idah completes the scoring.
However, VAR appeared to concentrate entirely on the handball incient while overlooking an obvious push by the stranded defender to send Maeda flying.
The Hoops restarted the second period with a bit of oomph and vigour and Kyogo Furuhashi, starved of service in the opening half, snatched onto a Reo Hatate pass, brilliantly eased away from two opponents before lashing a low drive at goal.
It looked a certain scorer until Oxborough stretched his large frame to the right to beat the ball away.
But the keeper was left without an earthly when Johnston played a captain’s role when he doubled the advantage in the 56th minute.
The Canadian international timed his run into the box to absolute perfection to get his head to a cute left-wing cross from Valle and his effort thumped into the net from close range.
In the 67th minute, Rodgers made his first changes and it was a welcome return to action for Cameron Carter-Vickers who replaced Valle while Nicolas Kuhn took over from Forrest.
Eight minutes later, Arne Engels and Adam Idah were introduced for McCowan and Kyogo and then it was the turn of Luis Palma to come on for Maeda.
Idah almost had an immediate impact with an effort that clipped off Kuhn on its way past the rooted Oxborough, but the ball stuck the upright and rebounded to safety.
Two minutes from the end of the regulation 90, the Republic of Ireland international powerhouse tucked No.3 into the net.
He combined with the lively Kuhn to divert the German’s low right-wing cross low past Oxborough from six yards.
The game ended with a flashpoint incident when home defender Liam Gordon was red-carded following a reckless and dangerous challenge on Idah.
The main thing at the conclusion of a dramatic afternoon in rainswept Lanarkshire was that Celtic were back at No.1 with a far superior goal difference to the Dons.
The teams will lock horns again next weekend when they square up in the Premier Sports League Cup semi-final at Hampden.
Sparks are sure to fly!
TEAM: Schmeichel; Johnston, Trusty, Scales, Valle (sub: Carter-Vickers 67); McCowan (sub: Engels 75), Bernardo, Hatate; Forrest (sub: Kuhn 67), Kyogo (sub: Idah 75) Maeda (sub: Palma 86).