2017-12-02: Celtic 5-1 Motherwell, SP

Trivia

• Celtic make it 67 domestic games unbeaten! Significant for the number. A UK record.
• Edouard finally makes a name for himself with a hat-trick. Outstanding
• Third time playing Motherwell in a week. Some bad blood as Motherwell & SMSM saying that Celtic got soft penalties in both last two matches. Technically they were penalties, and that’s the bottom line.
• Sevco are unlikely to cut Celtic’s allocation for future league matches at Ibrox, attendees been told at the club’s AGM.
• Celtic have reportedly rekindled their interest in Dominic Solanke, the 20-year-old striker they were linked with back in May.
• Scott Brown says players need protection from fans throwing coins.
• Patrick Roberts will be out of action until sometime in the new year, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has suggested.
• Moussa Dembele could yet face Anderlecht with reports from Celtic suggesting the French striker is winning his fitness battle.
• CGS have held a remembrance for ex-Celt Alec Collins
• One of the oldest football fans in the UK, who credited his long life to a “wee bit of brandy” and mince pies, has sadly passed away at the age of 108. James Crombie was thought to be the third oldest person in the UK and one of the oldest fans of the beautiful game. The centenarian lived through both World Wars and served as with the Royal Marines in WWII. He was an avid follower of his local club, Dunfermline Athletic, and fondly recalled seeing his team lift the Scottish Cup in 1961. The Fife club were managed by Scottish football legend Jock Stein at the time and defeated his future team Celtic 2-0 in a replay at Hampden in front of 87,866 people.

• Brendan doesn't hold back after the controversies this week:
• "We have a Chief Exec of Motherwell walking about with a laptop trying to demonstrate to media it wasn’t a penalty and then tweets about retaining class & dignity."
• “There was a debate about the honesty and professionalism of the Celtic players and questions asked about the supporters. This is not a debate. These players have got to this level of 67 games unbeaten because of their professionalism and honesty."
• "I understand Motherwell were probably hurt after the game on Sunday and that probably spills into Wednesday, but some of the nonsense that came out of there this week was absolutely incredible."

Review

(bmh of KDS)
Back home and out of the freezing cold!

Enjoyed that

Broony was immense – ajer and ncham were very good too

Superb from Edouard – his hold up play especially Today was great – won loss of headers and held the ball up very well

Great game from him today

I’m. It sure I’ve seen a team foul as much as this Motherwell one – they are a shower of absolute cloggers – greeting faced dirty phuds

And moult contesting a dropped ball when play is stopped for a head knock

What a pumpkin

Oh and the ref?? Awful

A pumping – roll on Tuesday

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Attendance: 58,000

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BBC

By Chris McLaughlin

BBC Scotland Sport at Celtic Park

From the section Scottish Premiership

Odsonne Edouard slots home his first goal against Motherwell
Odsonne Edouard had only scored once this season before his hat-trick

Odsonne Edouard scored a hat-trick as Celtic beat Motherwell to extend their unbeaten domestic run to 67 matches.

The French striker tapped home a Scott Sinclair cutback before unleashing a brilliant shot into the corner.

Tom Rogic had a goal disallowed before the interval, and Elliott Frear's goal briefly threatened a Motherwell rally.

But substitute James Forrest trickled a shot into the far corner before Edouard pounced on a Cedric Kipre mistake and Forrest fired home a superb fifth goal.

Rodgers hails "outstanding" Edouard

Celtic extended their lead at the top of the Premiership to seven points, with second-placed Aberdeen hosting Rangers on Sunday. Motherwell remain fifth, five points ahead of Hearts.
James Forrest scores
James Forrest continued his excellent form this season with a double

The only downside ahead of Tuesday's final Champions League group game against Anderlecht was an injury concern over Scott Sinclair, who appeared to twist his ankle when he landed heavily on it in the second half.

Brendan Rodgers made a total of six changes for the sides' third meeting in this week-long trilogy, with Eduardo leading the line against a Motherwell side who had made things tricky for the champions in the two previous encounters.

Motherwell manager Stephen Robinson said before the game he wanted to move on from the penalty controversies of the past week and focus on becoming the first team to beat Celtic at Celtic Park in two years – a Louis Moult double gave Motherwell that honour back in 2015.

Any questions about the wholesale changes upsetting Celtic's rhythm were quickly and emphatically answered when the home side took the lead.

Sinclair terrorised Motherwell right-back Richard Tait before swinging in an inch-perfect cross that Edouard slotted home with ease inside the six-yard box.

It came just five minutes after Chris Cadden curled an effort just wide at the other end, but in truth, Motherwell looked like a side lacking the intensity of the week's previous two battles.
Odsonne Edouard scores his second goal against Motherwell
Edouard made the most of a rare start in the absence of Moussa Dembele and Leigh Griffiths

It didn't help that they were up against a group of Celtic fringe players desperate to impress and after 33 minutes, Edouard did just that by gabbing his second.

He picked the ball up in a central area just outside the Motherwell box and after outfoxing two visiting defenders, the 19-year-old on loan from Paris Saint-German fired a sumptuous low shot into Carson's right-hand corner.

If felt like game over already, but these games wouldn't be the same without some controversy and it came shortly before the break when Tom Rogic thought he'd scored only for it to be chalked off.

The Australian midfielder looked offside as he ran on to an Olivier Ntcham through-ball, but the flag stayed down as the Celtic players wheeled away to celebrate.

But referee Kevin Clancy was called over by his near-side assistant Stuart Stevenson, who decided Rogic was offside after all – no goal.

There was no let-up in the home side's intensity after the break and after Odsonne almost headed in, Mikael Lustig had a fierce volley on the angle parried away by a very busy Trevor Carson.

The Motherwell goalkeeper was forced into another stop 10 minutes later when Ntcham guided a ferocious shot over the wall from a free-kick 25 yards out.

But substitute Frear gave the visitors some hope, turning the ball past Craig Gordon from close range after a Tait cross and a mix-up in the Celtic defence.
Elliott Frear
Elliott Frear pulled a goal back for the Steelmen but Celtic scored another three

Could Motherwell find a way back after looking completely out of puff?

No.

Substitute Forrest cut in from the right-hand side and slotted a low shot past Carson before Edouard completed his hat-trick from close range after Tait attempted a header back to Carson.

Forrest completed the rout with a sublime strike with the outside of his right foot from just inside the box.

Brendan Rodgers hails players' honesty and professionalism