The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Hoops go 69 unbeaten after laboured display
Quickfire first-half mouble helps maintain fivepoint leam at top
CELTIC 3 HaMILTON 1
Celtic extended their unbeaten domestic run to 69 games with a 3-1 win over Hamilton at Parkhead last night – but it was far from a vintage Hoops’ performance.
Midfielder Olivier Ntcham put the hosts ahead with a spectacular volley in the 12th minute before Accies midfielder Danny Redmond produced a stunning equaliser just before the half-hour mark.
That served only to irk the champions and two goals in a minute just before the break from James Forrest and Scott Sinclair had Brendan Rodgers’ men back in control of the Ladbrokes Premiership encounter.
However,thehomesidelabouredafter the break and allowed Martin Canning’s visitors a few chances on the counterattack before the final whistle confirmed a victory which kept them five points clear of Rangers and Aberdeen with a game in hand.
Nir Bitton, brought back in at centreback for the hosts, tested Gary Woods with a 35-yard drive in the second minute, the Accies keeper grateful to parry to safety before midfielders Stuart Armstrong and Ntcham went close with efforts from distance.
The Frenchman was more accurate
Celtic: Gordon, Ajer, Boyata (Simunovic 73), Bitton, Forrest (Hayes 80), Ntcham, Brown, Armstrong, McGregor, Edouard (Griffiths 68), Sinclair. Subs not used: Dembele, Lustig, De Vries, Tierney.
Hamilton: Woods, Gogic, Tomas, McMann, Gillespie (Skondras 50), MacKinnon, Donati, Docherty, Imrie, Redmond (Lyon 79), Bingham (Cunningham 84). Subs not used: Fulton,Templeton, Ferguson, Sarris.
Ref: Stephen Finnie. when Sinclair played a one-two with Callum McGregor down the left before lifting the ball to the back post where, from 12 yards, the 21-year-old lashed a volley high past Woods with some venom for his fifth goal of the season.
A terrific last-gasp tackle by Bitton on Redmond in the 17th minute stopped the Accies player bursting into the Hoops penalty area, while at the other end Woods threw himself to his left to save a 25-yard drive from Ntcham.
The home fans were surprised and silenced in the 29th minute when the Lanarkshire side levelled.
Bitton was dispossessed by Darian MacKinnon near his own byline and, when the battling Hamilton midfielder took a return pass from captain Dougie Imrie, he rolled the ball along the 18-yard box where Redmond curled high past Hoops keeper Craig Gordon.
It took a while for Celtic to respond, but respond they did.
Striker Odsonne Edouard headed an Armstrong corner over the bar before Celtic restored their lead in the 40th minute, winger Forrest taking an Armstrong pass before rounding Woods and sliding the ball into the net.
Barely a minute later, with the visitors reeling, Forrest played the ball across the penalty area to Sinclair and from 16 yards he delightfully curled the ball past the helpless Accies keeper for number three.
Woods thwarted Edouardo twice as Celtic threatened in the early stages of the second half and Rodgers brought on Leigh Griffiths for Edouard in the 68th minute to boost the Hoops’ bid for a fourth goal.
But Rakish Bingham then knocked a Greg Docherty cross wide while Bingham beat Gordon with a low drive only to see it come back off the post.