Celtic warm up for a big week with ease –and an explosion from Griffiths
Christie (14), Sinclair (68), Griffiths (82 Rosenborg and Aberdeen scouts watching this could have been forgiven for shuddering with a sense of foreboding.
Not because of the ease with which the Hoops won. In truth this was far from the most impressive display the Treble-treble chasers have turned in this season.
No, it was more the assuredness with which Brendan Rodgers’ side went about their business that would have surely been unnerving for anyone about to face them. Away from home and on a plastic pitch they are not best fond of, they played as if in absolutely no doubt everything would fall obligingly into place.
Which, of course, it did.
This was a game in which every time you felt Celtic could be doing with a goal, one duly arrived. In which Craig Gordon and Kieran Tierney, both reintroduced to the starting line-up after knocks, made smooth returns to action.
And, best of all for fans and their management alike, in which longer-term injury absentee Leigh Griffiths made an explosive comeback off the subs bench.
Scoring with what he later claimed was his first touch, the Scotland striker not only put the icing on the cake of a comfortable win but also further strengthened his manager’s options ahead of Thursday night’s Europa League tie in Norway and the League Cup Final a week today.
Before that Celtic, on their return after the international break, had pretty much carried on where the national team had left off on Tuesday.
Initially anyway, with two of the men who had delivered the national team’s thrilling wins over Albania and Israel combining to create the opener.
A short corner on the left was worked first to Odsonne Edouard and from his neat back heeler, Callum Mcgregor cut the ball back to Ryan Christie who swept it high into the net for his fourth goal in six games.
The only surprise was that their breakthrough took so long. Up to that point Celtic had enjoyed 85% of the possession to Accies’ 15%.
The latter were without the suspended Darian Mackinnon, HAMILTON ACCIES:
(5-3-1-1) Woods 6; Mcgowan 6, Thsiembe 6 (Keatings 79 5), Kilgallon 5, Gordon 6, Mcmann 6; Martin 5, Taiwo 6, Imrie 6; Miller 6; Bingham 5 (Brustad 73 6). Unused substitutes – Mucha (Gk), Bloomfield, Want, Boyd, Sowah. CELTIC:
(4-2-3-1) Gordon 6; Lustig 6, Boyata 6, Benkovic 7, Tierney 7 (Izaguirre 79 5); Ntcham 7, Mcgregor 7; Forrest 6 (Morgan 81 5), Christie 8, Sinclair 7; Edouard 6 (Griffiths 74 7). Unused substitutes – Bain (Gk), Hendry, Hayes, Mulumbu.
who watched on from the seats above the dugouts, and they missed his dig in the centre of midfield.
Indeed, even before they scored, the Hoops had had a pretty decent looking shout for a penalty rejected by referee Don Robertson when Edouard’s shot was blocked by the hand of Matt Kilgallon.
With their advantage secured, Celtic were back in their comfort zone and pinging passes around the plastic.
One particularly impressive effort, from Olivier Ntcham over the top of the Accies back line, sent Scott Sinclair scampering clean through.
With time and space, the Englishman should really have scored but sent his shot into the legs of keeper Gary Woods and the chance was gone.
It wasn’t entirely one-sided. Rakish Bingham really should have done better when a foul on the edge of the Celtic box presented him with the opportunity to try his luck from a very decent position.
He hit the ball hard enough but it sailed high over the crossbar.
The football was a bit flat after that, though Celtic probed away and got their reward with a second goal midway through the second half.
Ntcham played the ball wide to
Mikael Lustig on the right, the Swede swung a deep cross into the box and Sinclair jumped high to head the ball home via a helpful deflection from Accies midfielder Scott Martin.
With the game effectively won, Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers gave Griffiths a run out off the bench. A month and a half out of action may be a long time but the striker looked plenty fit here.
Scott Martin’s foul on Sinclair gave him the chance to have a pop at goal from a dead ball at the edge of the box and he seized it gratefully by slamming home low into the corner of the net.
“It was great to see Leigh scoring, that’s important for strikers,” said Rodgers, who was relaxed about reports forecasting Fulham would make a bid for Dedryck Boyata when the January transfer window opens.
“At 25 yards in, he’s as good as anyone.
“You see a lot of free-kicks where players try to bend them – but sometimes you need to just hit it.
“Leigh’s a brilliant striker of the ball and he placed it perfectly in the corner.
“I’m delighted for him because he’s been out a long time.
“We were questioning whether to involve him on the Astro but he wanted to play and he got his goal.”
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