Slowly does it for the Invincibles as Bhoys’ patience earns point
PATIENCE paid off at Celtic Park where Brendan Rodgers’ side survived a scare to extend their unbeaten domestic run to 53 matches.
As the minutes ran down on a tremendous game, the Hoops trailed to a spirited and sparky Saints side and the natives were getting restless.
So much so, in fact, the manager felt obliged to get personally involved and urge the supporters behind the dugout to stay calm.
“We had a couple of wee incidents,” he said of his repeated appeals to those wearing green and white.
“It is understandable that the supporters want to see the ball in the box but like I’ve said since I came here, the quicker it goes forward, the quicker it comes back.
“One example was where Kieran Tierney, under pressure, with no one near him, probably felt he had to smash it forward and we ended up giving the ball away.
“And I was just signalling to the fans to stay calm.”
The former Liverpool manager inisted he would stick to his principles.
“This is football, you have to stay calm under pressure,” said Rodgers.
“Or you can play Scottish football. Just smash it up the pitch.
“It hasn’t got you anywhere for 20-odd years. “So you have to play.” And play Celtic certainly did with Callum McGregor, one of three substitutes used, smashing home to ensure his side stayed unbeaten after a proverbial cavalry charge.
McGregor took his chance to impress Gordon Strachan, who has been criticised in some quarters for leaving the midfielder out of the Scotland squad for forthcoming World Cup qualifiers.
Saints, though, deserved a share of the credit, as well as the points, for they set it all up by grabbing the lead.
T hey we re ver y impressive throughout with Joe Shaughnessy, Steven Anderson and Steven MacLean all catching the eye.
Aaron Comrie, a 20- year- old on his debut, started very well though by the end must have wondered what he had wandered into as the hosts piled forward.
MacLean it was who got Saints goal, which was both unexpected and a little bizarre.
Under pressure from Michael O’Halloran, Tony Ralston played the back and across his box to Craig Gordon. The keeper made a hash of his clearance, passing it straight to Liam Craig who had come on as an early substitute for Murray Davidson.
He knocked the ball forward to Steven MacLean who almost nonchalantly fired it into the corner of the net.
There was a stunned silence around the ground as referee Willie Collum blew for a goal, the striker having looked yards offside when he scored.
That though, was to ignore Ralston who by choosing to stay put to offer his keeper an option for a pass played MacLean on.
Far- side assistant Douglas Ross, the MP who faces potential SFA sanction for comments made in an interview about tougher enforcement against gypsies and travellers, kept his flag down.
It fired such much- needed zip into a match which had, up until that moment, had been simply meandering along. Saints could and should have had another as well when Brian Easton picked out MacLean lurking deep in the box with a terrific cross.
He got a decent contact on the ball but headed it straight at Craig Gordon who saved with his legs.
The rebound came back to him but, at last closed down by defenders, the best he could do was shoot into the side netting.
Celtic’s rally was an impressive one and it continued after the equaliser with Scot Sinclair smashing a shot onto the crossbar and Mikael Lustig doing likewise via a deflection.
It wasn’t to be and in the end they had to be happy with the draw.