2015-02-14: St Johnstone 1-2 Celtic, SP

Match Pictures | Matches: 2014 – 2015 | 2014-15 Pictures

Trivia

• Celtic still on top of the league.
• Curiously interesting no game time given to the out of favour Guidetti. Even Stokes given some game time later in this game.
• No Commons, still concern he may not make game next week v Interna Milan.
• UEFA Cup semi-finals next week v Inter Milan.
• Sevco 0 Hibs 2. Hibs make it a hat-trick of victories over Sevco in the Scottish Championship. LOL. Hibs go second, but Sevco have games in hand.
• Ex-Celt Brian McClair is among candidates being considered for the Scottish FA's performance director vacancy.

Review

(jack thalier of KDS)
Good first 70 mins, tough last 20.

Bringing on Stokes was not a masterstroke.

Matthews is not a defender, but isn't good attacking.

Great save from Gordon.

Another awful pitch and bizarre Clancy performance negotiated.

Do we ever play well at McDiarmid Park?

(remy mcswain of KDS)
We were pretty flat for the bulk of the game but had decided 2-0 was enough and it nearly bit us on the arse. Gordon should have saved their goal but pulled off a worldie to guarantee the points. I think half our team had their eyes on Thursday. Brown and Bitton were poor, Mackay-Steven and Armstrong were quiet, and knackered, again and Johansen was his infuriating self- ran about a lot, terrible passing and decision making then scored a beauty.

The least said about Stokes in his lone striker role the better.

With so many players not at it, this was a game we wouldn't have won earlier in the season. That is where we are improving.

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Stats

St Johnstone Celtic
Possession
53% 47%
90mins

Shots
9 19

On target
7 8

Corners
5 9

Fouls
8 17

Articles

Leigh Griffiths’ early strike sends Celtic on way to win at St Johnstone

Press Association

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/feb/14/st-johnstone-celtic-scottish-premiership-match-report

Celtic extended their winning run to eight games at the top of the Scottish Premiership with victory over St Johnstone, but not without a nervy ending.

The returning striker Leigh Griffiths opened the scoring from a Nir Bitton pass after 35 seconds, beating the debut goal from Gary Mackay-Steven against Partick Thistle on Wednesday night by three seconds. When the midfielder Stefan Johansen doubled Celtic’s lead seven minutes after the break it looked like Ronny Deila’s side would go on to strengthen their grip. The St Johnstone midfielder Michael O’Halloran reduced the deficit in the 72nd minute to end Craig Gordon’s eight-game clean-sheet run, although the Celtic goalkeeper denied the home side twice in a frantic finale. Celtic are six points clear of Aberdeen, although the Dons have the chance to reduce the deficit at Hamilton tomorrow.

The Celtic manager praised his team’s rearguard before their Europa League fixture against Internazionale.

“In the end there was pressure on us, especially from set pieces, which were good, and Gordon made very good saves. We played well for 60 minutes, were intense in our pressure, aggressive and created chances. We are much more direct now and we take more of the chances than we did before. But we lost the ball too much as well, so we have to work on that.”

Griffiths returned from an ankle knock to replace John Guidetti, who dropped to the substitute’s bench and that alteration was vindicated within seconds of the start when the former Wolves player scored. Bitton split the St Johnstone defence with a through ball allowing Griffiths to race through between Tam Scobbie and Steven Anderson and slip the ball past Alan Mannus for his fourth goal in five games.

The home side, who showed four changes with the midfielders Lee Croft, Chris Millar and O’Halloran and striker Steven MacLean coming in, were stunned but to their credit composed themselves.

In the 12th minute, Gordon saved a toe-poke from O’Halloran, before the Perth side were dealt another blow, the midfielder Murray Davidson hobbling off to be replaced by Chris Kane.

Griffiths almost grabbed a second when the defender Virgil van Dijk headed down a Johansen corner but this time the Celtic forward could not get a proper connection and Mannus gathered. Moments later, Kane glanced an O’Halloran cross from the left inches past the far post with Gordon beaten. Play flowed from end to end. Mannus made two saves from Griffiths in quick succession before Kane should have done better with a free header from a Simon Lappin corner, the striker clearing the crossbar. In the 33rd minute a brilliant save on the stretch from Mannus denied Mackay-Steven at the expense of a corner, which came to nothing and the first-half ended even.

Celtic struck early in the second-half which looked to put them in a commanding position. Stuart Armstrong’s chip into the box in the 52nd minute was headed down by Griffiths to Johansen who took the ball on his chest and despite the attention of Scobbie and Anderson, rifled it low past Mannus from six yards.

With one eye on the visit of Inter, Deila replaced Griffiths with Anthony Stokes and Armstrong with Liam Henderson. In between, the St Johnstone midfielder Croft, belatedly booked for taking out Johansen off the ball, was replaced by James McFadden.

The St Johnstone goal, which made the latter stages interesting, came out of the blue. Kane stretched but failed to get on the end of Scobbie’s low deflected cross from the left but the ball hit Gordon’s knees and fell to O’Halloran who knocked it high into the net from six yards.

Deila brought on Efe Ambrose for Mackay-Steven with eight minutes remaining to give Celtic more defensive solidity but they also continued to threaten.

In the 86th minute the Saints’ left-back Brian Easton blocked a net-bound shot from Henderson, who had been set up by Stokes. Gordon made a great double save near the end, first from the substitute Brian Graham’s header and then Dave Mackay’s volley, to ensure the points went back to Glasgow.

BBC

By Colin Moffat BBC Scotland

Premiership leaders Celtic move six points clear
Leigh Griffiths scores after 35 seconds
Stefan Johansen also on target for Celtic
Michael O'Halloran scores first goal against Celtic in 2015

Celtic survived a late scare at St Johnstone to make it eight straight wins in 2015 and establish a six point lead at the top of the Premiership.

With the home defence dozing, Leigh Griffiths raced clear to slot home after just 35 seconds.

Stefan Johansen stretched Celtic's lead with a neat finish on 52 minutes.

But Saints' Michael O'Halloran knocked in a loose ball and Celtic keeper Craig Gordon needed to make an outstanding save to deny Dave Mackay an equaliser.

Mackay looked certain to score as he hammered in a shot from 10 yards following Gordon's stop from a Brian Graham header but the keeper somehow throw up a hand to push the ball over the crossbar.

Ronny Deila' men were hanging on at the end, having dominated for long spells and getting off to a perfect start.

Just as they did at Partick Thistle on Wednesday, Celtic opened the scoring inside the first minute.

Nir Bitton clipped a straight ball through the middle from inside his own half and three defenders in blue were left stranded as Griffths ran in to stroke a first-time finish past advancing goalkeeper Alan Mannus.

Griffiths, who missed the midweek win at Firhill with an ankle injury, was a lively presence as the home side found themselves pinned back.

A Virgil van Dijk header from corner landed at the striker's feet but he could only touch it into the arms of Mannus.

The hosts' best chance of the first half came from a great O'Halloran cross which was headed narrowly wide by Chris Kane, on as an early replacement for the inured Murray Davidson.

Mannus used an outstretched foot to thwart Griffiths, who raced onto a smart pass from Johansen, and the Northern Irish keeper pushed away a fierce rising shot from the same player soon after.

He then produced an excellent flying save to keep out a powerful 25-yard strike from Gary Mackay-Steven that looked destined for the top corner.

Saints worked hard to deny Celtic space after an early battering but their graft could only stem the flow until seven minutes into the second half when Johansen finished off a neat move in style.

Griffiths headed a lofted pass from Stuart Armstrong into the Norwegian's path and the midfielder controlled with his chest before keeping the ball up with his left foot and smashing in a right-foot finish from close range.
St Johnstone pair Brian Easton (left) and Simon Lappin crowd out Gary Mackay-Steven

St Johnstone have now gone five games without a victory

Celtic withdrew Griffiths and Armstrong, perhaps with an eye on Thursday's Europa League meeting with Inter Milan.

And St Johnstone took advantage of a drop in intensity from the visitors to reduce the deficit on 72 minutes.

Tam Scobbie's low cross from the left was stabbed towards goal by a lunging Kane at the near post and Gordon could not gather, with O'Halloran slamming the rebound off the keeper's knee high into the net.

Liam Henderson went close with a shot on the turn from the edge of the penalty box and the Celtic substitute was denied a tap-in by a Brian Easton block.

Gordon should have done better at the St Johnstone goal but atoned with his double save on 88 minutes – stopping Graham's close-range header before making a fabulous reflex save from Mackay's powerful follow-up.

There was still time for a James McFadden free-kick to get round Celtic's defensive wall but Gordon was right behind it to secure victory for his side.

Live Text Commentary
Full time

Full Time Match ends, St. Johnstone 1, Celtic 2.
90:00 +3:09 Full time

Full Time Second Half ends, St. Johnstone 1, Celtic 2.
90:00 +0:37

Attempt saved. James McFadden (St. Johnstone) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
90:00 +0:04

Brian Graham (St. Johnstone) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
90:00 +0:04

Foul by Virgil van Dijk (Celtic).
89:32

Corner, St. Johnstone. Conceded by Craig Gordon.
89:14

Attempt saved. David Mackay (St. Johnstone) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top right corner.
88:58

Attempt saved. Brian Graham (St. Johnstone) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
88:22 Booking

Booking Jason Denayer (Celtic) is shown the yellow card.
88:18

Christopher Kane (St. Johnstone) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
88:18

Foul by Jason Denayer (Celtic).
87:22

Corner, St. Johnstone. Conceded by Adam Matthews.
86:24

Attempt blocked. Liam Henderson (Celtic) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
84:41

Brian Graham (St. Johnstone) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
84:41

Foul by Emilio Izaguirre (Celtic).
83:43

Foul by Chris Millar (St. Johnstone).
83:43

Scott Brown (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
82:24

Attempt saved. David Mackay (St. Johnstone) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
81:38 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Celtic. Efe Ambrose replaces Gary Mackay-Steven.
81:15

Christopher Kane (St. Johnstone) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
81:15

Foul by Jason Denayer (Celtic).
80:37

Attempt missed. Liam Henderson (Celtic) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left.
79:36

Christopher Kane (St. Johnstone) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
79:36

Foul by Nir Bitton (Celtic).
77:58

Corner, St. Johnstone. Conceded by Adam Matthews.
76:47 Booking

Booking Scott Brown (Celtic) is shown the yellow card.
76:40

Michael O'Halloran (St. Johnstone) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
76:40

Foul by Scott Brown (Celtic).
75:35 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, St. Johnstone. Brian Graham replaces Steven MacLean.
74:31

Foul by Steven Anderson (St. Johnstone).
74:31

Scott Brown (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
74:07

Attempt blocked. Gary Mackay-Steven (Celtic) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
72:38

Foul by James McFadden (St. Johnstone).
72:38

Scott Brown (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
71:24 Goal scored

Goal! Goal! St. Johnstone 1, Celtic 2. Michael O'Halloran (St. Johnstone) right footed shot from very close range to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Tam Scobbie with a cross.
69:39

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Steven Anderson.
69:28

Attempt blocked. Virgil van Dijk (Celtic) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
69:07

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by David Mackay.
67:49 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Celtic. Liam Henderson replaces Stuart Armstrong.
66:57 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, St. Johnstone. James McFadden replaces Lee Croft.
66:16 Booking

Booking Lee Croft (St. Johnstone) is shown the yellow card.
64:37

Lee Croft (St. Johnstone) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
64:37

Foul by Stuart Armstrong (Celtic).
63:06

Attempt missed. Adam Matthews (Celtic) right footed shot from the right side of the box is close, but misses to the left.
61:49 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Celtic. Anthony Stokes replaces Leigh Griffiths.
60:59

Attempt saved. Scott Brown (Celtic) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
58:05

Delay in match Gary Mackay-Steven (Celtic) because of an injury.
56:03

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Chris Millar.
55:44

Attempt missed. Virgil van Dijk (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left from a direct free kick.
55:04

Foul by David Mackay (St. Johnstone).
55:04

Scott Brown (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
51:26 Goal scored

Goal! Goal! St. Johnstone 0, Celtic 2. Stefan Johansen (Celtic) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Leigh Griffiths.
50:58 Booking

Booking Steven MacLean (St. Johnstone) is shown the yellow card.
50:54

Foul by Steven MacLean (St. Johnstone).
50:54

Scott Brown (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
49:51

Christopher Kane (St. Johnstone) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
49:51

Foul by Virgil van Dijk (Celtic).
48:24

Chris Millar (St. Johnstone) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
48:24

Foul by Stefan Johansen (Celtic).
46:23

Attempt missed. Stefan Johansen (Celtic) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high.
45:47

Foul by Simon Lappin (St. Johnstone).
45:47

Scott Brown (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
45:00

Second Half begins St. Johnstone 0, Celtic 1.
45:00 +1:14 Half time

Half Time First Half ends, St. Johnstone 0, Celtic 1.
45:00 +0:38

Attempt missed. Jason Denayer (Celtic) header from the right side of the six yard box is just a bit too high following a corner.
45:00 +0:10

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Steven Anderson.
44:26

Foul by Chris Millar (St. Johnstone).
44:26

Virgil van Dijk (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
42:06

Steven Anderson (St. Johnstone) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
42:06

Foul by Virgil van Dijk (Celtic).
41:42

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Lee Croft.
39:21

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Simon Lappin.
38:51

Attempt blocked. Leigh Griffiths (Celtic) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
37:12

Attempt saved. Scott Brown (Celtic) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
36:09

Hand ball by Emilio Izaguirre (Celtic).
33:53

Foul by Simon Lappin (St. Johnstone).
33:53

Stefan Johansen (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
32:45

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Alan Mannus.
32:27

Attempt saved. Gary Mackay-Steven (Celtic) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top left corner.
30:51

Attempt missed. Christopher Kane (St. Johnstone) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high following a corner.
30:24

Corner, St. Johnstone. Conceded by Adam Matthews.
25:53

David Mackay (St. Johnstone) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
25:53

Foul by Stuart Armstrong (Celtic).
25:35

Attempt saved. Steven Anderson (St. Johnstone) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
25:10

Corner, St. Johnstone. Conceded by Virgil van Dijk.
23:19

Chris Millar (St. Johnstone) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
23:19

Foul by Stuart Armstrong (Celtic).
20:24

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Alan Mannus.
20:10

Attempt saved. Leigh Griffiths (Celtic) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the top left corner.
19:25

Simon Lappin (St. Johnstone) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
19:25

Foul by Scott Brown (Celtic).
18:43

Attempt saved. Leigh Griffiths (Celtic) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
17:50

Attempt missed. Christopher Kane (St. Johnstone) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right.
16:31

Michael O'Halloran (St. Johnstone) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
16:31

Foul by Stefan Johansen (Celtic).
14:50

Attempt saved. Virgil van Dijk (Celtic) header from the left side of the six yard box is saved in the centre of the goal.
14:25

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by David Mackay.
13:13 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, St. Johnstone. Christopher Kane replaces Murray Davidson because of an injury.
11:03

Attempt saved. Michael O'Halloran (St. Johnstone) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
10:38

Foul by Scott Brown (Celtic).
10:38

Steven MacLean (St. Johnstone) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
5:48

Foul by Scott Brown (Celtic).
5:48

Simon Lappin (St. Johnstone) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
5:30

Attempt blocked. Scott Brown (Celtic) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked.
5:08

Attempt blocked. Scott Brown (Celtic) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
0:35 Goal scored

Goal! Goal! St. Johnstone 0, Celtic 1. Leigh Griffiths (Celtic) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Nir Bitton.
0:00

First Half begins.
0:00

Lineups are announced and players are warming up.