2020-01-29: St Johnstone 0-3 Celtic, SP

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Review

(Bubba of KDS)
First half was excellent, as good as we've seen all season

Second half was pish, but the game was won

Taylor, ntcham, two up front all massive positives

Lennon needs to sort out his squad management

Having eddie play 82 minutes was mental

(Luka Bloom of KDS)
Stellar first half. Done what they had to doand finished the game within 27minutes. Horrendous conditions anda heavy pitch whichthey wouldn't have wanted to go hell for leather on for 90minutes if we were chasing the game.Tough run of games coming up and for 45 minutes were never got out of first gear which would have saved some legs.

Greg Taylor at left wing back was one of the main positives of the night along with Ntcham, and also Eddy and Griffiths link up play at times looked very promising.

If we can comfortably switch between a 4-2-3-1 and a 3-5-2 its going to keep teams guessing on how we are going to set up for rest of season.

Good night all round. Roll on Hamilton on Sunday.

Teams

St Johnstone

• 1Clark
• 23Gordon
• 15Kerr
• 24BoothSubstituted forMcCartat 45'minutes
• 2DuffyBooked at 55mins
• 18McCannBooked at 54mins
• 19Holt Substituted forCraigat 45'minutes
• 10Wotherspoon
• 3Tanser
• 17O'Halloran
• 22Hendry Substituted forKaneat 63'minutes

• 2Jullien
• 35Ajer
• 49Forrest
• 21Ntcham
• 8Brown
• 42McGregor
• 3Taylor
• 9Griffiths Substituted forJohnstonat 67'minutes
• 22Edouard Substituted forKlimalaat 82'minutes

Articles

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Stats

St JohnstoneAway TeamCeltic
Possession
Home41%
Away59%
Shots
Home8
Away15
Shots on Target
Home4
Away7
Corners
Home6
Away3
Fouls
Home4
Away8

Articles

St Johnstone 0-3 Celtic: Hoops ease to win against Saints in front of 6,339 travelling fans
Celtic continued their ritual slaughter of St Johnstone with a routine 3-0 win
Celtic continued their ritual slaughter of St Johnstone with a routine 3-0 win
Andrew Smith
Email
Published: 22:17
Updated: 22:20 Wednesday 29 January 2020
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/st-johnstone-0-3-celtic-hoops-ease-to-win-against-saints-in-front-of-6-339-travelling-fans-1-5082821
It is said there is nothing like a challenge to focus the mind. It certainly felt that way watching Celtic sweep away St Johnstone in breathtaking fashion across the first half in Perth on Wednesday night.

The opening that Neil Lennon’s men produced to retain their five-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership table wasn’t so much whirlwind as torrnado-like.

It was notable too that the three goals they claimed in that 30-minute period allowed them to establish a goal difference of +50 that is unrivalled in European top flight football.

That goal difference really should be higher. A chance seemed to arrive every other minute in the early stages as Celtic ripped their opponents to shreds.

The fact the advantage at the interval was only 3-0 in the Scottish champions’ favour was something of a result for Tommy Wright’s team. It was the only result they were ever going to obtain against opponents who seem to relish handing them ritual slaughters.

With no additions in the second period to the goals bagged by Oliver Ntcham, James Forrest and Leigh Griffiths inside half an hour, for St Johnstone the the final scoreline may have fallen well shy of the 7-0, 5-0, and 6-0 wins that Celtic have racked up in this match-up across the past 14 months.

However, the gulf in class between the sides was in keeping with these previous blitzings. In Celtic easing up to walking pace in the second period, St Johnstone even were able to fashion a couple of chances, Fraser Forster saving from David Wotherspoon before Patryk Klimala blocked a Jason Kerr header on the line.

The upshot of those close calls was that goal difference now reads 30-0 for Celtic across the clubs’ past nine meetings. No wonder that the McDiarmid Park side were moved to give their visitors three stands as a result of their own punters bodyswerving the fixture.

The fact that 2,404 turned up – the attendance of 8,743 comprising 6,339 travelling supporters – suggested masochism retains a hold on certain residents in the Perthshire area.

The intent Celtic set about the latest mauling had to be viewed in the context of Rangers’ defeat by Hearts at the weekend, though.

Gerrard said his side had “blinked”. The response was Celtic proving to wide and wild-eyed as they set about their powerless hosts like a pack of ravenous wolves.

Returning to the 3-5-2 formation that allowed Lennon to once again partner Odsonne Edouard with Griffiths, Celtic had their teeth and claws deep into the home side in a matter of seconds.

From one of Celtic’s first forays forward, Greg Taylor, impressive in the left wing-back role, swung in a ball from the right that Griffiths glanced only inches wide of the upright. It was to serve as a declaration of intent.

Only six minutes were on the clock when Lennon’s men lacerated the home defence with a move that resulted from the ball being played out to Forrest on the right. The winger sent over a curling cross that Ntcham nodded effortlessly in at the near post.

A procession to the St Johnstone goal followed for a 20-minute spell in which Wright’s players became increasingly dazed and confused, unable to provide even token resistance.

So in the mood were Lennon’s side, Griffiths had two glorious opportunities to double their advantage while Callum McGregor drilled an effort just past all within ten minutes.

It was a wonder that they had to wait until the 19th minute for a second goal, indeed, but when it came it was worth waiting for as Forrest, in the wide right channel, shifted the ball from his left to right as if indulging in a spot of keepy-uppy before slapping an unstoppable effort into the far corner of the net.

Any number of counters seemed possible for Celtic as Griffiths forced a fine stop from Zander Clark before a dazzling spot of twisting and turning from Edouard ended with a low fizzer sliding narrowly past.

Few thought that Griffiths would play such a central role in refocusing Celtic following their morale-damaging defeat in the Old Firm clash just before the winter break.

Yet in dovetailing so potently with Edouard, the Scotland striker has breathed new life into Celtic’s drive for a ninth straight title, illustrated by his third goal in his four starts since the season’s resumption.

Time, place and touch were all on point when Taylor arced over a cross from the right in the 27th minute to allow Griffiths to crack a half-volley into the top corner.

There was nothing like this moment of class for Celtic in the second period as they conserved energy in the second period and St Johnstone puts their backs into a pride-saving exercise. But there didn’t need to be.

BBC
A stunning first-half performance by Celtic earned them a comfortable 3-0 win at St Johnstone and maintained their five-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
By Jordan Elgott
BBC Scotland

Neil Lennon's side preserved the gap cleaved open following Rangers' weekend defeat with three goals in 20 minutes.

Olivier Ntcham headed the visitors ahead, James Forrest doubled the lead with an angled strike, and Leigh Griffiths volleyed in his third in four games to complete the scoring after just 26 minutes.

Rangers' win over Ross County means Celtic's advantage at the summit remains at five, having played a game more.

St Johnstone, meanwhile, remain in eighth place, level on points with Kilmarnock and with a game in hand.

Lennon praises 'brilliant' Celtic display
Reaction & as it happened

Celtic better in every aspect

St Johnstone's recent woes against Celtic have been well documented. They were beaten 7-0 on the opening day of the season. They had conceded 27 goals since they last scored one against them. In fact, since the Perth side's last strike in August 2017, Celtic have won seven trophies.

But neither Tommy Wright nor Neil Lennon were paying much attention to those stats. More encouraging for the hosts was the one loss in their last eight games, and just three goals conceded in that time.

For that reason, Lennon said he anticipated a tough game where his side would have to be at their best. Well, they were certainly at their best. They just didn't have to be.

St Johnstone's five-man defence were half-asleep as the game kicked off – and if anything, seemed to drift further into their slumber – and Celtic were able to cut through them with ease.

The strike duo of Griffiths and Odsonne Edouard exhibited promising link-up play within the first minute and Celtic's wing-backs – Forrest and the impressive Greg Taylor – pegged their counterparts back with relentless pressure. When they got hold of the ball, the quality of delivery was outstanding.

By the time Ntcham's headed home inside six minutes from Forrest's cross – his 18th assist of the season – they had already had three shots, one of which Griffiths should have buried from a Taylor cross.

It's no exaggeration to say that Celtic could have been four or five goals ahead inside 10 minutes. As it happened, they had to wait until the 20th minute to double their lead.

Scott Tanser did his best to allow Forrest the freedom of McDiarmid Park, before the winger shifted the ball on to his right foot and slotted the ball across Zander Clark and into the far corner.

Six minutes later, Griffiths made it three, coolly slotting in a volley from a Taylor cross. In the aftermath, Clark then had a juice carton thrown in his direction from the Celtic support behind his goal.

By the time of that goal, Celtic had already taken 11 shots – just under a shot every two minutes, and none were speculative.

Such was the difference in quality between the two sides in the opening stages, it probably would have been a fair suggestion to ask the referee to mix the teams up for the second-half.
Celtic have now scored 30 goals against St Johnstone without reply

But that third goal killed the match not only as a contest, but as a spectacle as St Johnstone employed damage limitation tactics, presumably desperate to avoid yet another drubbing.

As for Celtic, you can understand them wanting to take it easy with the game already wrapped up. The win was the the latest game of a hectic schedule in which they play nine times over the next 30 days.

Though they allowed St Johnstone a foothold in the game in the second half, Celtic's display in the opening half-hour was as complete as you'll see.

They zipped the ball around the pitch at a ferocious tempo, hassled, harried, kept a second consecutive clean sheet having conceded in their previous five games, and showed a finishing touch when it mattered.

An impressive performance ahead of a testing run.
Man of the match – James Forrest

BBC Sport Scotland's Martin Dowden at McDiarmid Park

Given Celtic's start, you could have picked out any of their offensive players as star man. Threat was coming from everywhere with Edouard and Griffiths combining well as they pinned St Johnstone in and created chance after chance.

They were ably supported by the likes of Callum McGregor, Ntcham, Taylor and Forrest, who seems to love playing against this opposition.

It was his delivery which created the opener. An inch perfect cross that allowed Ntcham to power home without breaking stride. Forrest's composure and execution were evident again when he created a gap and smashed home an angled second to end the contest.

One of the major improvements in Forrest's game over the years has been that final ball and ability to finish. It gave Celtic the platform for victory tonight among a host of strong performances.
'We had to show character' – reaction
St Johnstone defenders were statuesque – Wright

St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright: "We didn't start the game well – passive, defended too deep, allowed too many crosses, didn't put a tackle in, didn't win a header in our own box.

"They have then got to show character because having been beaten 7-0 we didn't want that to happen again, and they did. Second half, we got up the pitch a bit and worked their keeper a couple of times."

Celtic manager Neil Lennon: "The first half was outstanding, the fluidity of the team and the chances we created, the attitude, and the overall quality of football and pace we played at was breathtaking.

"We had to change the shape because Jozo had a knee problem. He has gone above and beyond the call of duty. He couldn't carry on so we had to changed the shape, which probably stopped the natural flow we had."