HATATE HAS THE VITAL SPARK
Moment of magic to sink Saints proves how key Japan star will be in the title run-in
Celtic 3 Hatate 52, Furuhashi 60, Idah 86 St Mirren 0
THIS was a game crying out for quality. For technique, calmness and clinical precision. With the encounter still goalless in the early stages of the second period, and competitive if not exactly packed with incident, the home support were managing to contain themselves within the nervousness of a title race going to the wire.
And that’s when Reo Hatate stepped to the fore, into the spotlight, showing exactly why manager Brendan Rodgers had described getting him back from injury before last weekend’s visit to Rangers as having the potential to be huge.
His exquisitely taken goal to break the deadlock in the 52nd minute here changed everything. In a game that had been shaped until that point by St Mirren’s organisation and focus and Celtic’s failure to move through the gears at all, it shone like a beautiful diamond in the flashes of springtime sunshine.
Hatate has had a heck of a season. It’s strange to think that he started it behind David Turnbull, now at Cardiff City, in the midfield pecking order. From there, injuries have taken a toll. Yet, back in business after a two-month absence in the wake of the Asian Cup, the Japanese midfielder is clearly the type of player who can change games and league championship battles with one touch, one moment of vision.
Indeed, in getting his side in front yesterday, there is the possibility he has already done so. There are reasons why he was given a standing ovation when taken off 19 minutes from time to be replaced by Paulo Bernardo. He is different. He is a creator, a talisman. Everyone can see it.
With Saints trying to pick up where they left off at the half-time interval and bed themselves in, get back into the groove in repelling attacks and maintaining their own level of threat, Hatate picked the ideal time to offer a resounding reminder of his credentials and his armoury.
Alistair Johnston did well to win possession on the right-hand side and squirm himself into space. His low ball inside was firm and direct and the 26-year-old did the rest. In an instant, he controlled the ball on his left foot and then poked it into the top corner with his right from the edge of the box. Keeper Zach Hemming had no chance.
After that, the pressure eased, with further goals from Kyogo Furuhashi and substitute Adam Idah giving the scoreline — and the side’s goal difference — a pleasing sheen.
It became clear from the very early stages, though, that this had the potential to be a rather stodgy afternoon for the defending champions. They didn’t open at pace, struggled to create, didn’t stretch St Mirren sufficiently on the wings through Yang Hyun-jun on the left and Nicolas Kuhn on the right.
Daizen Maeda has his flaws as a player. There are conversations to be had about the consistency of end product. However, he brings real energy to the team on the flank and his presence was missed yesterday following the diagnosis of a hamstring injury.
Yang won’t do. Simple as that. Kuhn, meanwhile, still has to justify the outlay that brought him from Rapid Vienna in the January window. Furuhashi found himself feeding on scraps again as the lone frontman for long periods during his time on the field and that just isn’t his game.
For a first half that didn’t involve either keeper having a proper save to make, though, the match made for compelling fare.
Disjointed and lacklustre as Celtic may have been, St Mirren were absolutely on it. They were disciplined, organised, laserfocused on their individual roles and battles. Alex Gogic, in particular, was a colossus, breaking up play, taking the ball out from the back — even getting into the opposition area at times.
Saints kept five at the back, with Toyosi Olusanya entrusted with a lone role in attack, but they still offered a threat. Indeed, you could argue that they had the better of the opportunities before the interval.
With 26 minutes on the clock, Greg Kiltie passed up the best of them. Olusanya had been more evident on the left in the initial exchanges, but it made more sense for him to drift right and go up against the lesser-spotted Maik Nawrocki, in the side for a rare start in place of the injured Liam Scales.
From that area of the pitch, he took control and fired a low ball into the area. Kiltie had made space inside the area to get a shot away, but he mishit his first-time effort under pressure from Cameron Carter-Vickers and the ball skewed wide of the target.
Ten minutes later, Scott Tanser put in a decent ball from the left that goalkeeper Joe Hart had to punch clear as Keanu Baccus attempted to get on the end of it. And in time added-on at the end of the first half, Olusanya moved on to a slide-rule ball from Gogic and sent a shot over from the edge of the box with Nawrocki on his shoulder.
As for Celtic, there hadn’t been a lot to write home about. Plenty of possession, but precious little penetration.
Yet, unlike other occasions this season, the support stayed with their team when referee Steven McLean blew for the interval with the scoreline blank. There were no boos. There was no disgruntlement in the air. There’s too much on the line right now to upset the applecart — and that backing was rewarded with a quickfire double after the restart that made sure the charabanc keeps rolling.
Celtic, in truth, were a team transformed when the action got back under way. Furuhashi put an effort wide from close range in the opening moments, but, on 52 minutes, Hatate provided that combination of quick-thinking, strong technique and ruthlessness that had been missing until that point.
It was a brilliant finish. A brilliant piece of play. And absolutely what Celtic needed.
From that point onwards, the entire feel of the game changed. The flow changed. St Mirren became ragged, stuck in that tricky position between chasing the game and staying in their shape despite falling behind. Before they knew it, they were two down.
With an hour gone, Johnston got into space on the right again and produced an excellent ball into the centre that Furuhashi, benefiting from a visiting defence that had been so concentrated for so long losing focus, was free to head home from close-range.
If Hemming had nothing to do in the first 45, he’d be given plenty of touches afterwards. He saved from
Greg Taylor and Hatate as Celtic endeavoured to put the game to bed and then tipped over a strong drive from sub Luis Palma after Rodgers had rung the changes to freshen things up and offer the likes of Callum McGregor some extra game time ahead of the five postsplit games that will determine the destination of the crown.
Idah will have benefited from his late run-out, too, heading home for his seventh in Celtic colours after another Palma effort had been parried by Hemming. Whether the on-loan Norwich striker could — or should — be kept permanently is a question for another day. There is a league to win first.
CELTIC (4-3-3): Hart; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Nawrocki (Welsh 65), Taylor; O’Riley, Iwata (McGregor 71), Hatate (Bernardo 71); Kuhn (Forrest 80), Furuhashi (Idah 72), Yang (Palma 71). Subs (not used): Bain, Lagerbielke, Ralston. Booked: None.
ST MIRREN (5-3-1-1): Hemming; Bwomono (Strain 23), Fraser, Gogic, Taylor (Dunne 83), Tanser (Brown 46); Baccus (Scott 83), O’Hara, Boyd-Munce; Kiltie (Jamieson 50); Olusanya (Mandron 72). Subs (not used): Urminsky, Bolton, McMenamin. Booked: Strain, Gogic.
Referee: Steven McLean. Attendance: N/A.