DINKY JOHNSTON
Hitkid is new hero with a double as Celts sweep aside strugglers to secure top spot at Christmas
Brendan Rodgers wrapped Celtic’s starters in cotton wool for the week ahead – but there was nothing powder- puff about his stand- ins stomping the Dens men into the dust.
The champions fielded a shadow XI with title rivals Aberdeen and Rangers looming in the next six days. But Mikey Johnston stepped straight into the spotlight in some style. The teenager’s fearless showing up front and a brilliant seven- minute double either side of the break was the perfect message to his gaffer that he’ll not be found wanting if the call has to come when the stakes are higher. A third from Filip Benkovic sent the Hoops three points clear of the Dons at the top of the table in as one-sided a 90 minutes as the champions have produced all season. Afterwards, Johnston – who also scored as a sub in the midweek win over Motherwell – insisted he wouldn’t be intimidated by either cauldron at Pittodrie or Ibrox. The 19- year- old said: “If I’m asked, I’m going to play and I just need to show that I can score goals and I can help the team out. Hopefully if I get the chance I can show that, so I ’ l l just keep working hard and hopefully I can get into the team.
“I was nervous before today’s game. The other day I kind of got thrown on but I felt it a bit today because I knew I was starting.
“The nerves go when you get on the park. Is it a big moment for me? In a sense, yes. I’m getting chances now.
“When you’re young you need to take those chances, work hard and prove to everyone that you can do it.”
Boss Rodgers took a calculated gamble that, with their big rivals looming, his fringe men could get the job done against the division’s bottom dogs.
At least six, maybe even seven, won’t be in the starting line- up at Ibrox on Saturday if everyone’s fit.
But they had more than enough in their locker with what was out there – and if they’d taken even a fraction of their early chances, they could have had their under-12s out for the second half and still cruised home.
Dundee themselves had made five changes from the team so badly hosed at home to Aberdeen in midweek, three of them enforced.
Among them, the Millers – Kenny to the bench, Calvin to the stand against his parent club – made way as the Dark Blues chased a first win at Celtic Park in 17 years.
Three points looked to be the last thing on their minds as they tucked into a compact 4- 5-1 though and set about riding out a back- foot bombardment.
P ick a number between one and 10, any number, and Celtic could have reached it before the break.
The chances mounted up – Jack Hamilton scooping out Anthony Ralston’s shot at the back post and blocking Johnston’s shot, Nathan Ralph’s incredible headed goa l - l ine clearance from Scott Sinclair, Cammy Kerr’s bri l l iant block on Olivier Ntcham after James For rest laid waste to Ralph down the right flank.
Johnston was the man charged with the striking duties in the injured Odsonne Edouard’s absence.
And he was benefitting from some of the most confident work Sinclair has produced all year, sending another shot from the English winger’s cut- back off the bar and a f licked header into Hamilton’s arms.
The teenager was self- generating as well, though, showing great feet to thread a clever effort in the box through the bodies, only to see it inches wide of the post.
Sinclair was having a f ield day down the left and he’ll have been frustrated to see Forrest fire a header over from inside the six-yard box after another great run and cross.
But just when it looked like Dundee would get in unscathed at the break, they were undone by a mix of bad judgment and absolute bri l l iance two minutes short.
Callum McGregor’s bal l into the inside l e f t ch a n nel to Johns ton saw the Dens back-four stop, looking for the flag.
But when it rightly stayed down, the young forward’s speed of thought turned the pass into an assist with a blur of a Cruyff turn, finessing a sweet right-foot finish past Hamilton.
It was a crack in the dam and although it never turned into a full deluge, they could do nothing to stop Celtic reigning after the interval.
Sinclair’s one- two with Emi lio Izaguirre embarrassed the Dundee backline again and Johnston added a bit of theatre to the finish from the cross as his header crashed in off the bar five minutes in.
The traff ic was one- way and incessant – the only surprise was it took another 20 minutes for No. 3 to arrive.
Again McGregor was the architect, feeding sub Ryan Christie for a shot beaten out by Hamilton, only for centre-half Benkovic to bounce the rebound off the deck and into the top corner.
It could have been more, probably should have been.
Ralston, who returned to the fold in midweek, was unlucky to hit the post and Sinclair was too smart for his own good with a backheel flick that was saved and then cleared off the line – but they’d done more than enough by then.
Rodgers was thrilled and said: “Mikey was very good. As a young player coming through he’s played all across the front line and he has an instinct to score, he runs towards the goal.
“He’d be disappointed he didn’t get a hat-trick but his play was exceptional – his touch, his movement, on the back of playing during the week – and he lasted the game well.
“And Tony Ralston was very good as well – back to where I want him to be.
“He wasn’t at that level for a while because of his injury but he’s worked hard. He should maybe have scored as well so the two young guys were brilliant.”