The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Hoops huff and puff but win to go nine points clear
Celtic 1 Motherwell 0
GARY HOOPER’S late strike gave Celtic victory over Motherwell in their Clydesdale Bank Premier League clash at Parkhead.
Hoops keeper Fraser Forster made a brilliant save from Tom Hateley’s penalty, awarded for Kelvin Wilson’s challenge on Jamie Murphy, just before the Englishman converted a Georgios Samaras cross from close range with 11 minutes remaining.
Not for the first time this season at home the champions ended up struggling to get three points from a match that should have been over by the interval.
Well keeper Darren Randolph kept Celtic at bay with a series of saves although there were some glaring misses too before Hooper pounced to take Neil Lennon’s side into the winter break nine points clear of Inverness at the top of the table.
However, Motherwell manager Stuart McCall, set to lose forward Murphy to Sheffield United this week, will wonder how different it might have been had Hateley scored.
Lennon made four changes and returned to a back four after admitting three at the back did not work in the 1-0 defeat by Hibernian at Easter Road on Saturday.
In came Adam Matthews, Beram Kayal, Kris Commons and Charlie Mulgrew with skipper Scott Brown, Mikael Lustig, Lassad Nouioui and Thomas Rogne dropping out, the latter two on the bench.
Motherwell showed two changes with Fraser Kerr and Zaine Francis-Angol in for Shaun Hutchinson and Michael Higdon, the big striker consigned to the bench where he watched the home side’s whirlwind start suggest a demolition job.
With seconds in the first half remaining Efe Ambrose missed the chance of the half when Darren Randolph dropped Victor Wanyama’s header from a Mulgrew corner, the defender hooking the ball over from barely two yards.
Celtic had an unconvincing start to the second period but with six minutes gone Randolph tipped a deflected shot from Wanyama over the bar.
Motherwell were handed a great chance to take the lead when referee Steven McLean adjudged Kelvin Wilson to have tripped Murphy in the box.
But Celtic were soon in the lead when Hooper played the ball to Samaras and ran into the box to collect the return pass and slip the ball under Randolph from six yards.