Century Bhoy Griff takes back spotlight
Striker fires Parkhead side into group stage while Ajer and McGregor add polish
LEIGH Griffiths faced judge and jury yesterday afternoon in a Dundee courtroom before making a different kind of case for himself at Celtic Park.
The striker wrote himself into the club’s history books with his 100th Celtic goal as the Parkhead side formalised their entry into the Europa League group stages.
The Scotland internationalist was excused early after spending the day in court as he answered to a 62mph speeding charge in a 50mph zone. That same haste has not been applied to his recent on-field stats where Griffiths has toiled to hit the magic 100 mark.
There was some alacrity with the manner in which he hit his half century for the club but the fact that injuries and loss of form – not to mention the form of last night’s absentee Moussa Dembele – have meant that the Scotland internationalist has had to be patient as he awaited entry into one of Celtic’s elite clubs.
Griffiths became only the 29th Celtic player to score 100 goals last night and the first to do so since John Hartson celebrated the same feat back in November 2005.
The striker celebrated the goal with an embrace with Brendan Rodgers in the Celtic dugout and on a night when the story was all about the striker who wasn’t on the pitch, Griffiths would have enjoyed the chance to claim a little bit of the spotlight again.
Whether it is enough now to keep him there with the game against Steven Gerrard’s resurgent Rangers side on Sunday afternoon could well depend on what happens in the next 24 hours. Rodgers revealed before last night’s game that the club had knocked back a “substantial offer” for Dembele and that Celtic did not wish to allow the player to leave given the timing of Lyon’s bid. Whether the French side return to the table again today as the hours start to tick down remains to be seen.
But certainly, if it has been a slow crawl towards the century mark, the timing of the goal was pertinent for the Scotland internationalist.
Griffiths dispatched what has become a trademark free-kick from the edge of the box to give Celtic the goal that their possession was due and get their noses in front in the tie.
Given the current situation with Moussa Dembele and the fact that Odsonne Edouard is edging his way to fitness following a hamstring injury, Griffiths looking sharper than he has of late would have been a welcome sight for Celtic given Sunday’s game.
The immediate concern, though, was simply negotiating a way past Suduva and ensuring that there is European football beyond the Christmas break which the Parkhead side without barely breaking sweat last night.
If Celtic allowed themselves a wistful look at the Champions League draw in Monaco – AEK Athens found themselves grouped with Bayern Munich, Benfica and Ajax – the bottom line is that at the minute they are a Europa League team.
The performance against the Lithuanians was effective as Celtic dominated the game from first minute to last.
It was Griffiths who started the goals with his free-kick before Callum McGregor added a second just after the interval with a raking effort after an exchange of passes with Scott Sinclair.
McGregor, who has become one of the big-game players at Celtic in the last 18 months, deserved his goal after an industrious shift but he was not the only one to catch the eye.
Dedryck Boyata retained his spot at the heart of the Celtic defence and lent an assurance at the back that has been absent at times through these tumultuous opening weeks of the campaign.
Whether it proves to be his send-off performance or not remains to be seen as Celtic head into the final day of what has been a disjointed and messy transfer window.
If Celtic benefitted from Botata’s presence at the back as he mopped up anything that came his way, so too did Kristofffer Ajer. The Norwegian defender offers much promise but needs the presence of a more experienced head beside him as he learns his trade.
The defender netted the first goal of his Celtic career just after the hour mark when he rose to head in a Griffiths’ cross as his effort came off the inside of the far post and crossed the line, a goal that underlined the ease with which the Parkhead side brushed Suduva aside.
Mikey Johnston, too, came in for James Forrest on the flank and could have netted the fourth of the night after a long run from Ryan Christie had put him through.
The winger’s effort was saved by Suduva keeper Ivan Kardum but the youngster would have taken confidence
from his performance last night.
The Parkhead side thought they had netted a fourth when substitute Jonny Hayes had the ball in the net only for an offside flag to chop it off.
Similarly, second-half sub Christie had a glorious chance to find the net after McGregor hit the ball down into his path but the forward’s effort lifted just over the bar. Sinclair curled another effort wide of the post while Ajer could have doubled his Celtic tally after hitting the keeper. By that stage Celtic were simply easing to the finish line.
What comes next on and off the park will be a source of intrigue.