Bhoys lose their way
MOTHERWELL 1 CELTIC 1 Champions blow chance to return to the top after late leveller and missed penalty
A freezing fog enveloped Fir Park last night as Celtic found themselves groping in the dark in a game during which their passage had seemed straightforward for so long.
But a leveller from Danny Johnson just two minutes from time meant Celtic’s chance to go back to the top of the table evaporated; Rangers’ defeat to Aberdeen may well have eased some of the Parkhead side’s frustration but Kilmarnock’s consistency has placed them as leaders of the pack for now.
Having led for much of the game following Ryan Christie’s 13th-minute opener, Celtic also had a missed Leigh Griffiths penalty to lament as they tallied up the cost of the draw.
There seemed an inevitability about Christie finding the net given the manner of his performances of late.
The playmaker opened the scoring with a strike that is rapidly becoming something of a trademark move as he bore a hole through Motherwell’s defence before unleashing his effort.
For large swathes of this game it looked like it would be sufficient to see Celtic through. The second-half was fairly forgettable although Brendan Rodgers’ will be irked at the manner in which the Parkhead side dominated the game without seeing it out properly.
By the time Motherwell found a foothold in the second period, Celtic should have been well out of sight.
Instead, a 1-0 lead is always tenuous and by the time Johnson had the Fir Park side level, the late surge in urgency from the visitors was too little, too late.
Fresh from their League Cup triumph on Sunday, Celtic were keen on ringing the changes for the game
If the personnel was different with seven changes to that team, what unfolded initially appeared to stick to a fairly familiar pattern.
Scott Brown was back patrolling the pastures just in front of Celtic’s defence, giving Callum McGregor’s game a more recognisable hue.
There would also have been a few peering at the sight of Jonny Hayes, with the former Aberdeen winger making his first start since Celtic’s defeat to Hearts back in August. Olivier Ntcham, Craig Gordon, Jozo Simunovic and Cristian Gamboa were all in too.
Brown’s inclusion from the start was an interesting one. While for some it might point to a restoration of just how it was prior to his injury, the real barometer may well be in the conclusive Europa League game against Salzburg next Thursday night.
The team that starts that game, from which Celtic require a point in order to progress into the latter stages of the tournament, may well offer a genuine indication into the team that Rodgers considers his optimum XI.
Griffiths had the responsibility of leading the line, his first starting jersey since the 6-0 win over St Johnstone at the beginning of October although his hunger for a goal was left unsated.
By the time he trudged off midway through the second period he cut a frustrated figure having failed to add to the six goals he has netted so far this season.
The Scotland internationalist had pounced on the ball when Christie had been clumsily upended by Adam Rose in the box. It was a decent penalty from Griffiths but his effort was well saved by Mark Gillespie who dived to his left to beat the ball away at the first attempt before then punching clear the rebound.
It was Celtic’s second miss from the spot in as many games and while it came without cost on Sunday, the same philosophy could not applied to last night.
Stephen Robinson had had to tweak his starting line-up twice in the opening quarter of the game with captain Peter Hartley forced off after just six minutes while rightback Liam Donnelly followed him shortly after.
It didn’t take long for the Fir Park side’s night to get worse again.
As soon as Brown unleashed Kieran Tierney on the flank, Christie was off and running. By the time Tierney had delivered the ball into the box, Christie had seared his way through the heart of the Fir Park defence.
Taking a deft touch with his right foot before unleashing a left-foot angled effort high into the net, there was an inevitability about Celtic’s man of the moment breaking the deadlock.
It should have been far more comfortable shortly after.
Filip Benkovic thought he had doubled Celtic’s advantage soon after only to be penalised for a foul while Motherwell struggled to get