FIRED UP BY FORREST
Celts too hot for Livi but winger now injury worry for Ibrox cup tie
IT’S surely no coincidence Celtic should finally click into some goalscoring form just as James Forrest is restored to the team.
A scorer on his first start in six months against Falkirk last weekend, the winger again opened the floodgates with the first of six goals that secured the club’s biggest domestic win of the season.
Yet it’s not just his goals, or his assists, that make him so valuable. The Parkhead side are simply a far better balanced team when he plays.
Neil Lennon and John Kennedy spent months struggling to get the best out of Southampton loanee Moi Elyounoussi but, with Forrest on the right, the Norwegian has a natural home on the other flank.
And, in between, striker Odsonne Edouard has all sorts of angles and possibilities to conjure with.
That’s why it was so concerning for interim boss Kennedy to see Forrest pull up short on the hour.
With a huge Scottish Cup tie against Rangers at Ibrox looming next weekend, the availability of the Scotland winger would only enhance the holders’ chances of progression.
A quick glance at the league table tells you what can happen when he’s not there.
Kennedy confirmed Forrest’s problem was not a recurrence of the ankle injury that kept him out for so long, but was concerning enough to warrant his immediate removal.
‘We are not quite sure yet,’ said Kennedy (right). ‘He kind of stiffened up around his back and hamstrings around the start of the second half so it was a case of not taking any risk with him.
‘Hopefully, we got him off quick enough. When players come back after so long you do get niggles and stiffness which are hopefully just a day or two in passing.’
Forrest’s replacement, Ryan Christie, would go on to round off a comfortable afternoon’s work with the sixth goal in a win that also saw Elyounoussi (twice) and David Turnbull find the net.
The day started in sombre mood with a minute’s silence for Prince Philip, but the moment was broken by the sound of fireworks being set off outside the stadium.
Once that uncomfortable moment had passed, Celtic set about their business but had to bide their time for the breakthrough.
Supported by Turnbull, the front three constantly probed and prodded the Livingston defence without getting a clear sight of goal for almost 30 minutes.
When that first shooting chance emerged, Forrest converted it into a goal. It was Edouard who provided the assist, turning Turnbull’s short pass over the top. Running off Craig Sibbald, the winger got there before Jack Fitzwater and, although the finish wasn’t the cleanest, it had enough purchase to wrong-foot Robby McCrorie.
The goal forced Livingston to think about pushing a little higher but they were punished with a fast counter down the left flank.
Greg Taylor swept a low ball forward to Elyounoussi
and, with Nicky Devlin out of position, Fitzwater went out to engage the Norwegian.
The defender managed to get a nick on the cross but succeeded only in fooling his own keeper and, as the ball dropped in the middle of the six-yard box, Turnbull had the simplest of finishes.
Alan Forrest, brother of James, fashioned Livi’s best first-half chance but his low effort across the box was blocked by Scott Bain.
David Martindale made two half-time changes, withdrawing Sibbald and the inert Jay EmmanuelThomas in favour of Josh Mullin and Matej Poplatnik but things merely got worse.
McCrorie had already made two good saves to keep out Elyounoussi before the third goal arrived, a slow-motion affair that saw a Turnbull corner headed on by a diving Scott Brown and diverted over the line by Fitzwater.
Elyounoussi got the goal his play fully deserved with a curling effort from 25 yards that beat the keeper with the aid of another deflection.
Things might have got worse but the on-loan Rangers stopper kept his focus, denying Brown and Edouard with smart saves.
The loss of Forrest did not stem the flow too much as Christie, Albian Ajeti, Tom Rogic and Leigh Griffiths all got run-outs.
It was defender Kristoffer Ajer who forced the issue for the fifth, causing holy chaos in the Livingston ranks as he cut through each department of their team with his loping strides before allowing Elyounoussi to apply the delicate finishing touch with a chipped finish over McCrorie.
Goal six saw former Celt Efe Ambrose give up possession cheaply to Christie, who strode forward and tucked the ball away.
The rout was the perfect warm-up for Ibrox next weekend, as Kennedy admitted: ‘It has been building blocks for us in recent weeks in terms of building up our performance.
‘We know if we are on our A game, we can cause Rangers huge problems, so this is a good game to come out of. We’ve scored goals and have that extra confidence to hopefully take into next week.
‘When we start with the ball, we are confident. We invite teams on, then we know we can create space in behind and do damage.
‘There is a balance to it, you have
to create with a purpose. The players have to trust what we are trying to do and if anybody doesn’t then it becomes disjointed but they have been absolutely terrific.
‘Week by week, you see their confidence getting higher and then it is about creating chances and being clinical. From where they were, a difficult period with the manager leaving, I think slowly we are getting back into top gear and firing at the right times.’
As good as Celtic were, Martindale offered a scathing assessment of Livingston’s performance. Currently in fifth place, their league spot could yet be enough to secure European football next term but the manager did not like what he saw from his normally ferociously competitive players.
He said: ‘Celtic were fantastic, but that’s the worst we have played in my seven years at the club.
‘We need to have a long, hard look at ourselves. We were not at it today. You can’t accept that. We need to get our finger out or we’ll end up throwing away everything we’ve worked so hard for.’
CELTIC (4-2-3-1): Bain; Kenny, Welsh, Ajer, Taylor; Brown (Soro 75), McGregor; Forrest (Christie 58), Turnbull (Rogic 67), Elyounoussi (Griffiths 75); Edouard (Ajeti 67).
Subs (not used): Barkas, Duffy, Laxalt, Bitton.
Booked: None.
LIVINGSTON (4-5-1): McCrorie; Devlin, Fitzwater (Lithgow 80), Guthrie, Longridge; Bartley (Ambrose 67), Holt, Sibbald (Mullin 46), Pittman, Forrest (Diane 67); Emmanuel-Thomas (Poplatnik 46).
Subs (not used): Stryjek, McMillan, Lawson, Kabia. Booked: None.
Referee: Nick Walsh.