IT’S GOOD TO BE BACK
Red-hot Celtic move two points clear at the top of the table
CELTIC coasted back into action following the international break with an effortless victory over Hamilton that stretched their unbeaten Premiership run to seven games.
The champions have now scored 16 goals without reply in their past five domestic fixtures as they warmed up for Thursday’s Europa League visit to Rosenborg and next weekend’s League Cup final.
Red-hot Ryan Christie swept in the opener in the 13th minute from a well-worked corner to give the visitors an interval lead which belied their superiority.
When Accies midfielder Scott Martin’s leg helped a Scott Sinclair header into his own net in the 68th minute the points were secured, leaving Leigh Griffiths to come off the bench and drill in a third from a free-kick.
For Griffiths, in particular, this was a welcome return to action following a frustrating spell on the sidelines that saw him withdraw from Scotland duty and miss out on the climax to an ultimately successful Nations League campaign.
Brendan Rodgers’ side will now turn to Trondheim on Thursday night where they will look for the win to keep their Europa League Group B hopes alive, before they face Aberdeen in the Betfred Cup final at Hampden Park next Sunday afternoon.
They will know they will be tested more in both games than they were here, where the gulf in class between the two sides was evident all afternoon at a strangely subdued Hope CBD Stadium.
With keeper Craig Gordon, defender Filip Benkovic and midfielder Olivier Ntcham back in the side, Rodgers’ men dominated the game from the first whistle.
There was an early shout for a Celtic penalty when French striker Odsonne Edouard’s cross from near the byeline struck the arm of Matt Kilgallon as the Accies defender tried to get off the ground inside the box, but referee Don Robertson was unimpressed.
Television replays showed that the experienced Englishman made a deliberate lunge for the ball as he tried to regain his balance, and his attempts at looking innocent were worthy of a role in a low-budget soap opera at least.
Moments later, the energetic Christie drove wide of the target from the edge of the Hamilton box and it was all very comfortable for the fluid and inventive visitors.
The first goal came from a simple corner routine that would have left home boss Martin Canning, a real uncompromising defender himself in his day, shaking his head in disgust,
Midfielder Callum McGregor played a one-two with Edouard before cutting the ball back for the on-rushing Christie to sweep the ball high past Accies keeper Gary Woods from 10 yards for his fourth goal of the season.
The Hamilton rearguard was sliced open again in the 28th minute by Ntcham’s incisive through ball but Woods blocked Sinclair’s all-too-casual finish for a corner which came to nothing.
The champions kept probing while Accies kept chasing, and in the 35th minute, Edouard’s deflected drive from inside the box missed the Accies goal by inches. Hamilton defender Ziggy Gordon then blocked a Mikael Lustig