Stephen Robinson was pretty pleased by how his St Mirren side had dealt with the threat of Celtic on Saturday afternoon.
That was, of course, until Brendan Rodgers’ Premiership leaders broke the visitor’s resistance with 52 minutes on the clock and then put the game to bed just moments later. This certainly felt like a brutal reminder as to the fact that, even when you produce a rearguard effort as disciplined and as determined as this, the most well-drilled backline can still be undone by a few flashes of genuine quality.
The manner in which Reo Hatate opened the scoring was certainly that. Pure, unfiltered ‘quality’. The Japan international, so badly missed during his time on the sidelines recently, flicked up the ball on the edge of the St Mirren box and fizzed a volley into the top corner.
Kyogo Furuhashi‘s classy header, eight minutes later, was not quite so spectacular in it’s execution. But Kyogo’s devastating movement to lose his marker was the calling card of a man clicking ominously into gear as the title race enters its decisive final few weeks.
Hatate and Kyogo fire Celtic past St Mirren
“We were excellent for 45 minutes and then we can get undone by two excellent goals (from Hatate and Furuhashi),” former Motherwell boss Robinson sighs, speaking to Sky Sports.
“Kyogo’s movement for the second goal was fantastic and the delivery as well. And the first goal was a super finish. That’s the difference in levels. The first one wasn’t a clear opportunity, but (Hatate) made the best of it.
“Credit to Celtic for the quality they showed when they needed to. That’s the difference in levels. Kyogo’s movement for the second goal is an incredible bit of movement.”
Celtic have now won 11 of their last 15 Scottish Premiership games since that calamitous 2-0 home defeat to Hearts in mid-December. Last week’s dramatic 3-3 draw with Old Firm rivals Rangers, plus Philippe Clement’s capitulation away at Ross County, suddenly means Celtic are in the driving seat, four points clear at the top of the table albeit having played a game more than their Glasgow neighbours.
“I thought the players were excellent in the second-half,” smiles Rodgers, who now looks likely to add a fourth Premiership winners’ medal to his collection.
“There was a really good tempo in the game. (We) scored some very good goals and nearly had some others.”
Adam Idah, so impressive on loan from Norwich City, grabbed Celtic’s third, while Alistair Johnston produced one of his best performances for the club with a pair of assists.
Rodgers hails Idah and Johnston
“It was a great touch and finish from Reo (for the opening goal),” Rodgers adds. “It’s great to see him back. It got a little bit more game-time today, so that was pleasing.’
“The second goal, when you firstly look at the cross, it was a brilliant cross by Ali and the movement of Kyogo is what his game’s all about – how he creates the space for himself. His first movement takes the defender one way, and then he’s there to finish.
“And once we got to 2-0, the flow of the game and the tempo of the game was good, and we started to push on much better.
“Big Adam is a real weapon for us, whether he starts for us or comes off the bench. Just his physicality. He got another goal so, again, he’s contributing. And I thought all the subs came in and did that.”