CELTIC can go to the top of the Premiership on Saturday for the first time during Ange Postecoglou’s reign.
The Hoops swept to a three-goal lead in half-an-hour against Hibs at Easter Road last night to eventually win 3-1 for their fourth successive league victory.
Results elsewhere dictate Postecoglou’s side can move to the pinnacle if they beat Livingston at Parkhead – 24 hours before Steven Gerrard’s team play Motherwell at Fir Park.
CAPITAL SHOW…Ange Postecoglou is delighted with the 3-1 win in Edinburgh.
Anthony Ralston, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Kyogo Furuhashi, with his tenth strike of the campaign, were on target during a pulverising opening period against a team they hadn’t beaten on points-gathering duty since January 2014.
The horror sequence was dynamited in style and a delighted Postecoglou said: “I thought our first-half was as good as we’ve played this year, especially away from home against a good team.
“We were really fluent and really dynamic, we created some good chances and scored some good goals. It was pleasing to see because that’s the kind of team we want to be. We want to be able to take it to teams away from home as well as home, so that was pleasing.
“The second-half was a bit different. We had to defend a little bit more. They threw everything at us because they had to, being 3-1 down. For the most part I thought we handled it not too badly. Joe made one really good save, but, apart from that, we handled it okay.”
BHOY IN THE HOOD…Ange Postecoglou covers up during the downpour at Easter Road.
Postecoglou, speaking to Celtic TV, added: “We can improve areas, but it was good to see and it was important for the players to see.
“Sometimes the mentality is that you can’t go away from home and dominate teams, especially good teams, but if we stick to our principles there’s no reason why we can’t do those things away from home, as well.
“It’s a good pitch and it helps the fact we try and play quick, dynamic football. So, I think the boys enjoyed the conditions.
“As I said, we knew it wasn’t an easy place to come. They’ve had a dip in form, so we knew they’d come out of the blocks pretty quick and they needed the crowd behind them.
CHEERS, MATE…Ange Postecoglou shakes hands with Hibs boss Jack Ross at full-time.
“I thought we did a really job of getting control of the game really early and putting them under pressure which I thought gave us the advantage we needed.
“We just need to worry about ourselves and we can look at the table later in the season.
“Right now, what’s more important is our football, how we’re playing, keep improving, and if we do that, we give ourselves a chance.”
Celtic won’t need reminding that they dominated Livingston in West Lothian last month and still lost 1-0 to squander the opportunity of picking up three points.
They will get a chance to atone at the weekend and if they can maintain the form of the opening 30 minutes there will only be one outcome on this occasion.
THREE CHEERS AS HOOPS END HOODOO
