LEIGH LANDS TWO KNOCKOUT BLOWS
Griffiths delivers to leave Dons’ title hopes on ropes
CELTIC have been spoiling for this. Kris Commons v John Collins, Emilio Izaguirre v Nadir Cifcti and Ronny Deila v Alex McLeish were really just the warm-up bouts.
Here, a thumping knockout blow was delivered to Aberdeen’s title challenge. Count them out.
And to think the man — and ever more impressive striker who sparked this statement victory — was the one having trouble by seemingly wanting to fight the world a year or two ago.
Leigh Griffiths netted a brilliant header a minute before the break and slammed home a spot-kick eight minutes after the restart to double up for the first time in the Ladbrokes Premiership.
This show of strength from the champions was complete by the hour when James Forrest tucked home a third.
Shockingly for the visitors, this marks a 12-point turnaround in 37 days. The night before Derek McInnes led his team into Inverness to suffer a surprise first loss, their advantage over the champions was a hearty five points. It has all gone horribly wrong since.
Hopes of returning to the underdog role, so relished right up until claiming the scalp of Celtic at Pittodrie in September, didn’t help.
The red corner is reeling from four defeats and a draw in five games. For them, it is Hearts — convincing winners over Partick Thistle yesterday — to keep at arm’s length from now until what could be a split runners-up decision in May.
The Dons did not help themselves because the key second goal came via Ash Taylor conceding a penalty in desperately daft circumstances.
But Griffiths is simply too hot to handle for Scottish defences now and Aberdeen were only his latest victims. For that, they should feel no shame. Their consistency and strong mid-season run that troubled Celtic until April, then an eight-game winning run to start this campaign, could be as good as it gets.
For needy Deila, he does not care what happens outside Celtic Park and certainly not what is said.
He made that abundantly clear with a rare Ronny Rant on Friday. There has been rancour around Celtic’s efforts, predominantly in Europe, this season.
Ten days ago the Celtic players and staff had fury fired in their faces while walking on to the team bus in Molde on a night that hinted at internal combustion.
Then there was the training clash between Izaguirre and Ciftci. What about the manager’s persistence with pet Stefan Johansen compared to pestering Commons?
With Griffiths, however, there is a player operating in perfect harmony with his boss. Deila’s detractors have questions still needing answered from their sophomore coach. More bumps in the road are surely ahead, perhaps as quickly as Thursday when Molde visit.
Yet what a job the Norwegian has done on this young man. He got a hold of Griffiths last season and all the tireless work done since has pushed, tested and guided the striker to this day. There will be much more to come. His 44th-minute goal was one of stunning simplicity.
Kieran Tierney’s cross was a beauty, priming Griffiths to prey in behind substitute Paul Quinn and steal ahead of Taylor.
When the delivery dropped, Griffiths flashed a superb header to leave Danny Ward helpless.
Griffiths is now showcasing a range of goals that is the preserve of the finest exponents of the art.
From those smash-hits outside the area to the solo specials like Wednesday’s at Tynecastle, here was a header that mightier men to have bullied Parkhead opponents, John Hartson or Chris Sutton, would have been proud of.
Surely even Deila could not disagree with one pundit, Pat Bonner’s, assertion that Griffiths is on the way to being a Celtic great.
McInnes revealed that he had twice tried to sign the player while St Johnstone boss. How last night he was wishing he had succeeded and the twists of the 25-year-old’s career steered him away from Celtic.
Yesterday, Griffiths might have had a hat-trick or more. Before taking the lead, an improvised flick from Commons sent him in on goal.
Ward was the excellent equal to the striker, his point-blank save the best of the match. Later in the game, the Dons goalkeeper flipped over a dipping 20-yard drive from the league’s top scorer.
When Aberdeen’s No 9 had his crucial chances, there was only frustration. Adam Rooney was at his best to ghost clear in the 89th minute and head unchallenged past Craig Gordon to claim a consolation.
Rooney’s big chance when it mattered actually came his way 10 minutes before the interval. Jonny Hayes hurled over a superb delivery, although there was perhaps just too much pace.
The Irishman could not claim enough of the ball with his stooping header and the chance bounded wide. Rooney also twice flashed flicks close to Gordon’s goal in the first half and was called offside after netting on 24 minutes.
The interval outcome was harsh on the visiting efforts, undermined by a head knock removing Andrew
Considine on 22 minutes. The game was won in the first quarter of an hour of the second period.
Ward batted away a 25-yarder from Tom Rogic, who grew in influence as the game went on. Celtic warmed to the task and really did not require idiotic intervention to prevail. They got it anyway.
McInnes should expect better of his centre-half. The only explanation for Taylor’s mad and dangerous lunge at Commons on the cusp of the area was that he was giving a nod to referee Willie Collum’s often dubious recognition of penalty claims.
Griffiths lashed home with that lethal left foot in trademark fashion on 53 minutes.
Celtic went for the throat of the Aberdeen defence. Rogic wriggled free of attention and found Forrest forging into the area.
The Scotland winger’s collection of the pass set him up splendidly to stab home and finish the job.