Scottish Premiership
McDiarmid Park, Perthshire
Sunday, February 14, 2021

ST JOHNSTONE… 1
(Rooney 49)

CELTIC… 2
(Edouard 59, 62)

A dramatic quarter-hour of football saw St Johnstone take the lead against Celtic at McDiarmid Park this afternoon (Sunday), only for the visitors to score two goals in less than three minutes to reverse the lead. This followed a hard-fought but well-contested first half in Perthshire, on an afternoon when Odsonne Edouard bagged a brace.

From kick-off, St Johnstone held possession as they sought to unpick a typically organised Celtic backline. Craig Conway and Chris Kane paired particularly well down the Saints’ inside right channel, with Craig Bryson dictating much of their play from his central post.

With five minutes played, the Hoops steadily worked their way into the game, with Ryan Christie, Odsonne Edouard and the overlapping Kris Ajer involved in a couple of half-chances ultimately sent wide of the target.

Over the quarter hour mark and neither goalkeeper was tested, with much of the play resigned to the middle of a heavy pitch. In turn, both sides fought for possession with a string of hard tackles – Christie in particular subjected to a series of fouls the width of the pitch – and as such, patience was key in Celtic’s build-up play.

That patience almost paid off after half an hour, when Edouard got in behind the St Johnstone backline to the left of goal, burst to the byline and squared the ball back across the box. The cut-back missed the oncoming Christie, before Tom Rogic’s side-footed effort beat goalkeeper Zander Clark but was cleared off the line by Liam Gordon.

Moments after that, Christie and Rogic again combined well on the right flank before slipping the ball inside to David Turnbull, who capped off a snaking cross-pitch run with a shot sent high of the mark. With 35 minutes on the clock, the Hoops’ next chance of the half came when Christie unleashed a fierce effort from 25 yards, which Clark parried from danger.

Despite the visitors’ dominance in possession into the final stretch of the half, St Johnstone defended well to ensure the match entered the break goalless.

Into the second period and St Johnstone started the half with the same intensity as they showed in the first. After creating space down the right wing on 48 minutes, a wicked ball into the box found Craig Conway yards from goal but the striker couldn’t get his shot away. Moments later, a ball from the opposite flank was converted when defender Shaun Rooney rose highest to header past Scott Bain.

After going behind, Celtic responded with drive and their own burst of high intensity football, with Christie and Turnbull working especially hard to stretch the game. Ahead of the hour mark, their efforts were rewarded when Christie showed great determination and strength to keep possession on the left by-line before slipping the ball into the path of the oncoming Edouard. The Frenchman duly fired his first-touch finish into the net at close range to restore parity on the scoreboard.

Less than three minutes later, and the Hoops hauled themselves in front in dramatic fashion. Greg Taylor was the provider on this occasion in a move not too dissimilar to the first – this time cutting back for Edouard, whose first touch appeared to run away from him. The striker nevertheless made no mistake with his second when, with his back to goal, he turned to rifle past Clark between the sticks.

From there, Neil Lennon's men held their shape and maintained composure for the remainder of the game as they sustained a high press which left St Johnstone with little room to maneuver. A well-earned three points and Celtic's fourth successive win as they now prepare for Aberdeen at Paradise on Wednesday.

ST JOHNSTONE: Clark; Rooney, Gordon, McCart, Booth, McCann, Bryson, Wotherspoon, Conway (Middleton 69), Kane (May 69), Kerr (O’Halloran 82)
Subs not used: Parish, Craig, Brown, Melamed, Gilmour

CELTIC: Bain; Taylor, Duffy, Brown, Turnbull (Elyounoussi 75), Kenny, Christie, Rogic (Griffiths 75), Edouard, Ajer, McGregor
Subs not used: Barkas, Ajeti, Klimala, Soro, Johnston, Ralston, Laxalt

Website Man of the Match: Odsonne Edouard

Celts sink Saints with quick-fire double at McDiarmid Park