CELTIC got the job done against Motherwell, watched Hearts lose 1-0 to Kilmarnock later in the evening and are now two points off the Premiership pinnacle with eight games to play.
Jens Berthel Askou’s side played the champions off the park in December as they eased to a 2-0 home victory.
There was never any chance of a repeat of that dismal performance from the Hoops at Parkhead yesterday.
For a start, Wilfried Nancy is no longer Celtic boss and Martin O’Neill is now the man in charge, albeit in an interim capacity.
And the wily Irishman clearly has a better idea of managing at this level than the woeful Frenchman.
SHAKE, PAL…Benjamin Nygren congratulates Yang Hyun-jun on the South Korean’s equalising strike against Motherwell at Parkhead.
However, Scotland’s title kings – with their eyes on a fourteenth crown in 15 phenomenal years – don’t believe in making it easy for themselves.
A misunderstanding between Viljami Sinisalo and Reo Hatate eventually allowed Elijah Just to fire the visitors into the lead in the 28th minute.
Unlike events in North Lanarkshire three months ago, this Celtic team rolled up their sleeves and got straight back into action with a quickfire response and an excellent equalising goal from Yang Hyun-jun..
After the turnaround, Tomas Cvancara, spot-kick hero of the Scottish Cup quarter-final shoot-out triumph at Ibrox a week ago, calmly slotted away another penalty-kick following a VAR intervention to give the hosts the lead.
And lively South Korean Yang thumped in No.3 to leave the result in no doubt.
A beaming O’Neill said: “The match lived up to its billing. It was a great performance from both teams, a great game of football.
“We knew it was going to be tough for us and that was the case. Motherwell are a fine side.
NET PROFITS…Yang Hyun-jun is congratulated by Paulo Bernardo and Anthony Ralston after thumping in the third and killer goal against Well.
“We showed a lot of determination after giving them a goal to go one behind and it was a terrific performance.
“The team have found spirit, but spirit alone won’t do it.
“They played, and they played brilliantly, so that’s a delight, and I thought for a neutral, not that I am, it was a really great game of football.”
The veteran gaffer, speaking to Celtic TV, continued: “We’ve had that hectic schedule of four games in 10 days – and that was big – and we’ve come through that.
“When I was looking at that there, when it was all set up, then the Aberdeen game was put in there in that particular week, I thought we’re going to do well to get through this at all.
“They’ve come through it with flying colours.”
O’Neill added: “We’ve had a wee bit of a free midweek, so that gave the players a chance to rest up.
“Even so, I think they just threw tiredness aside and said: ‘Listen, we’ve got to win this game.’
“And they pulled it off. Who knows where it goes in the scheme of things, though?”
One thing is certain. The Celtic players don’t have any midweek hazards to manoeuvre around before they face Dundee United at Tannadice a week today.
The continued rest and recuperation for a second successive week has got to be good news for the champions in the pursuit of a fifth successive championship.
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