CELTIC SHOW THE LIV GULF IS VERY WIDE

CELTIC showed no signs of letting up in the title race as they brushed aside Livingston 3-0 in a one-sided Parkhead encounter.

Celtic took possession of the ball from the kick-off and were reluctant to give it up.

Livi keeper Shamal George was warned by referee Nick Walsh for time wasting with only nine minutes gone.

The champions should have taken the lead a minute or so later when Daizen Maeda reached the byline and fizzed it across goal but somehow Jota failed to make contact from almost on the goal line.

The almost inevitable breakthrough came just before the half-hour mark when left-back Greg Taylor took a pass from midfielder Reo Hatate inside the Livingston box and, from 16 yards, fired across George and into the far corner of the net.

The second goal had an element of fortune, when Ayo Obileye’s attempted clearance from six yards following Matt O’riley’s cross into the box struck the face of Maeda and ended up in the net.

Livi were offering almost nothing in attack but they nearly reduced the deficit when a slip from Celtic defender Carl Starfelt allowed Bruce Anderson through on goal.

However, the Livi striker curled his shot past Hoops keeper Joe Hart but off the far post and supporting midfielder Stephane Omeonga could not get his shot on target.

Celtic’s third came when Livingston had thrown players forward.

Omeonga failed to cut out a long pass from O’riley and Kyogo Furuhashi (above) collected the ball and outran Livi defender Jack Fitzwater before slotting low past the helpless George, and it withstood a VAR check for a foul and offside.

Furuhashi missed the target with a good chance within a minute of the restart, Maeda headed wide from close range just before the hour mark and there were several other near misses.

The 21-year-old South Korean striker Oh Hyeon-gyu, made his home debut as replacement for Furuhashi among a host of substitutions demonstrating the increasing strength of this Celtic squad who continue to motor.