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As it happened: St Johnstone v Celtic
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- O'Halloran squanders two good chances for Saints
- Ciftci gives Celtic the lead
- Boyata heads home from a corner
- Ciftci grabs his second to make it 3-0
Match Stats
Home TeamSt JohnstoneAway TeamCeltic
- Possession
- Home38%
- Away62%
- Shots
- Home10
- Away9
- Shots on Target
- Home4
- Away6
- Corners
- Home3
- Away8
- Fouls
- Home7
- Away15
Line-ups
St Johnstone
Formation 4-5-1
1Mannus
14Shaughnessy2Mackay6Anderson24Easton
10Wotherspoon7Millar8Davidson26Craig29O'Halloran
9MacLean
- 1Mannus
- 14Shaughnessy
- 2MackayBooked at 45mins
- 6Anderson
- 24Easton
- 10WotherspoonBooked at 63mins
- 7MillarSubstituted forCaddisat 34'minutes
- 8Davidson
- 26Craig
- 29O'Halloran
- 9MacLeanBooked at 45minsSubstituted forKaneat 81'minutes
Substitutes
- 3Scobbie
- 11Sutton
- 12Clark
- 15McKay
- 16Caddis
- 25Kane
- 27Thomson
Celtic
Formation 4-2-3-1
1Gordon
23Lustig20Boyata5Simunovic3Izaguirre
25Johansen18Rogic
49Forrest14S Armstrong42McGregor
7Ciftci
- 1Gordon
- 23Lustig
- 20Boyata
- 5Simunovic
- 3IzaguirreBooked at 23mins
- 25JohansenBooked at 59mins
- 18RogicSubstituted forColeat 81'minutes
- 49Forrest
- 14S ArmstrongSubstituted forCommonsat 72'minutes
- 42McGregor
- 7CiftciSubstituted forAllanat 89'minutes
Substitutes
- 4Ambrose
- 15Commons
- 16Mackay-Steven
- 19Allan
- 24Cole
- 26Bailly
- 63Tierney
- Referee:
- Crawford Allan
- Attendance:
- 6,418
Scores
Filter by section. Currently selected: Scottish Prem
As It Stood
Filter by section. Currently selected: Scottish Prem
Team | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Celtic | 17 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 44 | 12 | 32 | 42 | ||
2 | Aberdeen | 18 | 12 | 2 | 4 | 28 | 18 | 10 | 38 | ||
3 | Hearts | 17 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 29 | 18 | 11 | 31 | ||
4 | St Johnstone | 18 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 35 | 29 | 6 | 30 | ||
5 | Ross County | 18 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 28 | 26 | 2 | 24 | ||
6 | Hamilton | 17 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 22 | 25 | -3 | 22 | ||
7 | Inverness CT | 17 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 19 | 23 | -4 | 20 | ||
8 | Partick Thistle | 17 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 18 | 23 | -5 | 20 | ||
9 | Dundee | 18 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 23 | 30 | -7 | 20 | ||
10 | Motherwell | 17 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 16 | 24 | -8 | 18 | ||
11 | Kilmarnock | 18 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 19 | 32 |
Live Reporting
Colin Moffat
All times stated are UK
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Latest PostPost update
That's enough from me. We'll have Saturday's Premiership highlights online from 18:00 GMT, with today's game appearing at midnight.
Of course, Sportscene will be on BBC One Scotland at 22:30, with David Currie sitting in for regular presenter Jonathan Sutherland, who is under the weather...
We'll have more adventures in live text next weekend. Enjoy what's left of your weekend...
Post update
Celtic simply go marching on. Ronny Deila's men were a bit sluggish to start with but grew stronger and stronger at McDiarmid Park, running out comfortable winners.
Motherwell travel to Celtic Park next Saturday.
Post update
St Johnstone stay in fourth place, with their seven-game unbeaten sequence over. Next up is another home game, with Hearts, the team immediately above them, in Perth next weekend.
Manager Tommy Wright was upbeat despite today's defeat, suggesting his team had enough chances to win the game. That's maybe a stretch. There were a few good openings for the hosts in the first half but the scoreline tells a very different story.
Wizard of Oz
Celtic manager Ronny Deila on Tom Rogic
“He’s getting better and better. Technically he’s very good, finding pockets between the lines, good penetrating passes. It’s fun to see.”
Post update
Post update
Nadir Ciftci, Craig Gordon and Tom Rogic will hog the headlines for Celtic but Mikael Lustig is worthy of a mention. The full-back was up and down the flank all day and had a hand in two goals.
"He's a seven out of 10 every week," enthuses Sportsound pundit Allan Preston. "His levels of consistency are fantastic."
Good day for Gordon
Craig Gordon had a shocker on Thursday, gifting Fenerbahce their opening goal. Today the Celtic goalie was back to his best, making two good saves to deny Michael O'Halloran and Murray Davidson in the first half.
"He was unbelievable," manager Ronny Deila tells BBC Radio Scotland.
Cheer for Ciftci
FULL-TIME
St Johnstone 0-3 Celtic
The first half was feisty and evenly contested but Celtic strolled to maximum points from the moment Dedryk Boyata thumped in a header for goal number two early in the second period.
Nadir Ciftci struck either side of that effort as the champions move four points clear at the top.
Post update
We'll get two minutes of stoppage time at McDiarmid Park.
Post update
No hat-trick for Nadir Ciftci as the Celtic striker makes way for Scott Allan. The big striker will be feeling much better about himself after doubling his tally for the season.
Post update
St Johnstone will stay fourth in the Premiership as their seven-game unbeaten sequence is brought to a shuddering halt.
You can't afford to squander three good one-on-one chances against the champions.
Post update
Celtic might have been considered vulnerable without top scorer Leigh Griffiths and midfield anchor Nir Bitton but they have grown stronger and stronger in this game and are making light work of what looked like a very tricky fixture.
This will be 10 wins on the spin this season in post-European games for Celtic, which is impressive. The bad news is there will be no more European games.
Post update
Celtic also make change and there is time for striker Carlton Coleto get among the goals, with Tom Rogic leaving us early and getting a richly deserved round of applause for his efforts.
Post update
Ten minutes to go and Saints withdraw top scorer Steven MacLean, with Chris Kane his replacement.
Post update
St Johnstone are struggling to get a touch as Celtic pop the ball around with increasing confidence. The champions are moving four points clear of Aberdeen and have a game in hand on their nearest challengers.
Post update
St Johnstone resistance is seriously crumbling now as James Forrest scurries forward and drills an inviting delivery across the face of goal. No takers in green and white though...
Post update
It's not going to get any easier for St Johnstone as Celtic introduce crafty playmaker Kris Commons. Stuart Armstrong is the man making way.
GOAL St Johnstone 0-3 Celtic (Ciftci)
Nadir Ciftci is doing a cartwheel to celebrate as he nods in a delivery from Mikael Lustig.
An impressive run and cross from the Swedish defender, simple header, not so great cartwheel...
Post update
Tom English
BBC Sport Scotland at McDiarmid Park