Under-par Celts still too good for Jags

PARTICK THISTLE 0 CELTIC1

Celtic were not at their best but still proved too good for Partick Thistle in a 1-0 win at Firhill last night.

The treble winners, with a Champions League play-off tie against Astana coming up on Wednesday, dominated for large spells but found creating chances increasingly more difficult, giving the battling Jags hope all the way to the final whistle.

After starting with five teenagers in midweek, Brendan Rodgers brought back experience with eight changes.

James Forrest replaced Leigh Griffiths as the main attacker with Scott Brown, Mikael Lustig, Nir Bitton, Jozo Simunovic, Ntcham, Callum McGregor and Scott Sinclair also starting.

Partick Thistle signed strikers Miles Storey and Conor Sammon earlier in the day and the latter, on a season-long loan from Hearts, started up front while Storey, who arrived from Aberdeen on a two-year deal, was on the bench.

The breakthrough came after Tomas Cerny made a fine save from Bitton’s curling free-kick from 25 yards out at the expense of a corner.

Winger Jonny Hayes’ cross was cleared but only to Ntcham and the 21-year-old French midfielder fired it straight back in with the ball appearing to come off Brown before it ended up behind the keeper.

Partick: Cerny, Elliot, Keown, Turnbull, Booth, Barton, Bannigan (McCarthy 82), Lawless (Erskine 64), Edwards, Sammon, Doolan (Storey 58). Subs not used: Nitriansky, Scully, Nisbet, Penrice. Celtic: Gordon, Lustig, Bitton, Simunovic, Tierney, Brown, Ntcham (Armstrong 78), Hayes (Griffiths 62), McGregor (Rogic 62), Sinclair, Forrest. Subs not used: De Vries, Benyu, Ajer, Ralston. Attendance: 8,041. Referee: Andrew Dallas.

Picture: SNS. Olivier Ntcham fires in the winning goal for Celtic.