ST JOHNSTONE .... 1 CELTIC .................. 2
The title is out of reach but Celtic can bank on one prize thanks to red-hot Edouard
AT least there is one title that looks to be heading for Celtic Park this season. By taking barely two minutes to transform a losing position into a winning one, Odsonne Edouard strengthened his status as the Premiership’s top scorer.
That’s 15 goals in the league now for the Frenchman — four clear of his nearest rivals — and 20 for the campaign overall, including his strike in the delayed Scottish Cup Final. Given there have been times this term when it’s looked as though Edouard would rather be far away from Glasgow’s east end, the numbers attached to his name remain impressive.
He is looking a little more like the player of last season these days. Certainly, his two goals in Perth — the seventh and eighth of his last half-dozen appearances — were both expertly taken.
Edouard provided fitting conclusions to two moves of real quality as Celtic turned this match around. In doing so, the 23-year-old delivered another reminder of how he will be missed if, as expected, he departs for somewhere new this summer. A focused and firing Edouard raises those around him.
He first struck on the hour mark to cancel out Shaun Rooney’s headed opener for St Johnstone ten minutes earlier. When Edouard claimed his second, it was with a goal that quietly encapsulated part of what can make him a special striker. Few players seen on these shores are as utterly unflustered inside the area.
Celtic had to do a bit of defending thereafter but Edouard’s double ultimately secured a fourth successive win for the first time in four months. Clearly, the frustration for all involved is that this mini-revival has come too late to carry any real meaning in terms of the Premiership.
Having cut Rangers’ lead to 18 points, they can trim it further by beating Aberdeen on Wednesday night. It’s all about making the gap more respectable by the time the title is inevitably delivered to Ibrox.
For St Johnstone, just a second defeat in their last ten matches — both to the Old Firm — was tough to take after the promise of earning more. Still eighth in the table, Callum Davidson’s men have enough in their ranks to ensure they should be looking upwards for the remainder of the season.
This month’s Betfred Cup final also provides a chance to seize some silverware.
Saints certainly made it tough for Celtic in the opening half hour. Under Davidson’s guidance, they always project a well-coached demeanour.
After a quiet first half-hour, it was Celtic who steadily began to up the tempo. And they almost had an opener on 31 minutes.
Tom Rogic swept the ball left for Edouard, with the Frenchman fizzing a low cross along the six-yard line. Ryan Christie couldn’t quite reach it on the stretch but Rogic was following up beyond the far post. His firm effort was cleared off the line by Callum Booth.
Two minutes later, David Turnbull surged forward before lashing a shot over the bar. He had Callum McGregor in support but his recent form justified the ambition shown.
Then Christie tried his luck from 20 yards. The strike bounced just in front of Zander Clark but the hosts reacted first to clear following the goalkeeper’s block.
It felt like a crucial spell for St Johnstone to survive. And they did. The interval was reached with the scoresheet blank.
From there, Davidson’s men emerged with a burst of renewed attacking intensity. Getting it wide to the wing-backs for crosses was the key tactic. And it quickly paid dividends.
A 48th-minute opener could easily have arrived when Rooney picked out Craig Conway with a delivery from the right. The veteran’s first touch bought him space but he couldn’t connect properly on the turn and the chance was wasted.
Saints didn’t linger on it. Two minutes later, they secured the lead thanks to the impressive Rooney.
A period of quick passing saw the ball worked from right to left, with Conway laying it back for Booth. The left-sided wing-back’s first-time cross swirled high in the air, with opposite number Rooney towering above McGregor and Greg Taylor to head beyond Scott Bain.
Now Celtic had a challenge on the their hands. Remarkably, that was the first home goal St Johnstone had scored against them in four years.
The Parkhead side netted some 23 times here during the interim. And their vibrant response to going behind quickly increased that tally. Two delightful goals from Edouard soothed any rising sense of anxiety.
Parity was restored on the hour
mark. A lovely run from Christie — full of energy throughout — took him down the inside-left channel to the bye-line. Edouard read the intent on the cross, getting in front of the Saints’ centre-backs to stab in a clever finish at the near post.
Even better then followed to flip the contest. Christie cheekily dummied Turnbull’s crisp pass to let the ball run for the on-rushing Taylor. The full-back’s low delivery found Edouard, whose initial touch facing away from goal let the ball run across him.
Some strikers might have rushed it. Not Edouard. He calmly waited for the angle he wanted before wheeling and firing powerfully past Clark.
Celtic had to dig in at times thereafter to see it through.
This time, though, the Parkhead defence didn’t buckle.
ST JOHNSTONE (3-4-2-1): Clark 6; Kerr 6 (O’Halloran 83), Gordon 6, McCart 6; Rooney 7, McCann 7, Bryson 6, Booth 6; Conway 6 (Middleton 70), Wotherspoon 6; Kane 6 (May 70). Subs not used: Parish, Craig, Brown, Melamed, Gilmour. CELTIC (4-4-2): Bain 6; Kenny 6, Duffy 6, Ajer 6, Taylor 7; Brown 6, McGregor 6, Turnbull 7 (Elyounoussi 76), Rogic 7 (Griffiths 75); Christie 8, Edouard 8. Subs not used: Barkas, Ajeti, Klimala, Soro, Johnston, Ralston, Laxalt. Booked: Turnbull, Griffiths. Man of the match: Odsonne Edouard. Referee: Steven McLean.