Johnston nets double to make it three and easy for red-hot Hoops
CELTIC 3
Johnston (43, 50), Benkovic 68
DUNDEE 0
The teenage kicks and flicks of Mikey Johnston helped Celtic ease three points clear at the top of the Premiership table.
Asked to lead the line in place of injured club record signing Odsonne Edouard, the Scotland U-21 winger sparkled with his two goals, the highlight of an impressive individual display.
And if the performance wasn’t enough to divert Brendan Rodgers from his plan to sign two out and out strikers in the January transfer window, it was certainly a reminder of the formidable talent at the manager’s disposal.
“Mikey was very good,” said the Celtic manager, before skilfully negotiating the elephant in the room which is that the 19-year-old will now likely have to stand down for the games against Aberdeen on Boxing Day and Rangers on Saturday.
“His first goal was a brilliant piece of skill to chop it inside and finish the way he did against a keeper who’d made really good saves
“He’d be disappointed he didn’t get a hat-trick but his play was exceptional, his touch, his movement, on the back of playing during the week, and he lasted the game well.
“And Tony Ralston was very good as well – back to where I want him to be.
“Overall it was one of the most enjoyable games I’ve been involved in since I came here – the only down side was we only got three goals.”
As Rodgers said, there was much to like about the calmness with which Johnston went about his business in front of a Celtic Park crowd of over 57,000 with the goals the obvious highlight.
Number one, in particular, was a cracker.
Collecting a through ball from Callum McGregor a few yards inside the box, the Scotland U21 international lost his marker with a tight turn before placing a low right foot shot into the far corner of the net.
Dundee players complained that he had been offside but referee Euan Anderson thought otherwise and television evidence vindicated his view.
There was absolutely no dubiety about his second.
Scott Sinclair, a thorn in Dundee’s side all day, twisted and turned his way to the byline and then crossed the ball to the back of the area where the young Scot arrived to head in via the underside of the crossbar.
He could – arguably should – have had a hat-trick.
Another of his shots struck the bar and he also went agonisingly wide from a tight angle.
As it was, it was left to a centre half to complete the scoring for the home side on a dominant afternoon for the hosts, with Filip Benkovic driving a right foot into the ground and up into the net for number three.
With full back Tony Ralston hitting the post and Nathan Ralph clearing not one, but two, Sinclair efforts off the line it could have been a far heavier defeat.
As for Dundee, it was the end to a tough week which had already included defeats by Kilmarnock and Aberdeen.
And if their next two games, Livingston and St Johnstone both at Dens Park, are more winnable-looking fixtures than the trips to Pittodrie and Celtic Park, they will need to show more of the spirit displayed in the first half at Rugby Park if they are to end their losing streak.
“It was a deserved result,” said Dundee manager Jim McIntyre.
“You’ve got to put it into context. You never ever want to say you’ve come here, you’ve lost the game and you’re quite happy with it – because you’re not.
“We’ve come here before and picked up points with previous clubs.
“So you’re always looking to come here and do that.
“But you know you also need a few of theirs to be off their game while all of yours are bang on it.
“And if you’re not then you’re going to face a difficult day.”
McIntyre recognised his side were inferior to last season’s champions.
“Celtic’s movement, at times, was sensational. We struggled to cope with it.
“My whole thought process is that we’ve got two huge games coming up at home.
“To try and make sure we’re picking up points in those two games will be huge.
“What St Mirren do will not be our concern, it’s what we do.
“We’ve got to make sure we continue to do that, think about ourselves.”
Celtic face Aberdeen on Boxing Day before the Old Firm match against Rangers at Ibrox on December 29, their last before the winter break.