Saints bring Celtic back down to earth

Celtic 1 St Johnstone 1

Celtic Park

Celtic have taken just two points from the last nine available in the Scottish Premier League and now lie two behind leaders Hibernian after being held at home by St Johnstone – who had been recently walloped 5-0 in the same venue in the Scottish Communities League Cup quarter-finals.

If there was a sense of anti-climax inside Celtic Park after the historic 2-1 win over Barcelona on Wednesday night it was not laid aside even when the Champions League matchwinner Tony Watt, on at the break for Miku, put the home side ahead. Celtic remained unconvincing and Nigel Hasselbaink levelled for the Saints in the 77th minute.

The St Johnstone manager, Steve Lomas, saw the goal from the stand after being dismissed from the dugout for remonstrating with referee Iain Brine over his decision to allow Watt back on to the field after treatment.

The Celtic manager, Neil Lennon, who had warned against just such a lacklustre display as his side produced, could not begrudge the Perth side their point.

There was a perfectly observed minute's silence for Remembrance Day before the match and the near silence continued as the opening exchanges took place in front of a vastly reduced attendance. Yet, Lomas's side, with Steven MacLean leading the line well, appeared in positive mood.

Watt, who had come on as a substitute to score against Barça, did so again when he put Celtic ahead six minutes after the break. Charlie Mulgrew's searching pass reached the striker, who prodded the ball over the line from a couple of yards out.

Just before the hour, a speculative shot from Dave Mackay dipped a yard wide of Fraser Forster's left-hand post and in the 75th minute the Saints appealed for a penalty when Celtic's Efe Ambrose clashed with Gregory Tade.

With 13 minutes to go the Celtic defence looked uneasy when Mackay's ball came into the box and when it eventually fell to Hasselbaink he turned and drove it past Forster. St Johnstone, unsurprisingly, were forced to defend in the closing stages but they deservedly held out for a point.

Celtic: Forster; Matthews, Ambrose (McGeouch, 84), Wilson, Mulgrew, Brown, Wanyama, Ledley (Kayal, 70), Commons, Miku (Watt, h-t), Samaras.

St Johnstone: Mannus; MacKay, McCracken (Miller, 6), Wright, C Davidson, Millar, M Davidson, Robertson (Tade, 71), Craig, Hasselbaink (Vine, 84), MacLean.

Referee: I Brines (Scotland).

Independent Comment
blog comments powered by Disqus
Caption competition
Caption competition
News in pictures
World news in pictures
Sport blogs

iBet: Look To The Lady In The Prince Of Wales

The Prince of Wales Stakes today is regarded by many as the No1 race of the Royal Ascot meeting and ...

by Gareth Purnell

iBet: Favourites have a good record in the Coventry stakes

Today’s St James Palace looks a cracker and there has been sustained money for Dawn Approach since t...

by Gareth Purnell

Newcastle don’t need a football director – they need a new medical team after finishing bottom of the injury league

Newcastle United have shocked their fans by appointing Joe Kinnear as director of football but new f...

by Alex Miller

       
 
Career Services

Day In a Page

'To farm I have to rape the countryside. It’s got to be wrong': The true effect of the badger cull

The true effect of the badger cull

'To farm I have to rape the countryside. It’s got to be wrong'
Theatre review: Daniel Radcliffe gives an admirably honest performance in Michael Grandage's The Cripple of Inishmaan

First night: The Cripple of Inishmaan

Daniel Radcliffe gives an admirably honest performance in Michael Grandage's comedy
Girls Guides drop religious reference but pledge to self and the Queen

Guides drop religious reference but pledge to self and the Queen

After 103 years, organisation changes oath to welcome 'all girls, of all faiths, and none'
Steve Tongue: Joe Kinnear was one of the boys and a breath of fresh air... 21 years ago

Steve Tongue

Joe Kinnear was one of the boys and a breath of fresh air... 21 years ago
Chris Froome: Free from 'pain in neck' after Bradley Wiggins' exit

Chris Froome: Free from 'pain in neck' after Wiggins' exit

Sky's lead rider says he is in fantastic form for the Tour and happy pecking order debate is over
Hannah England: I've got the right times – now to focus on the chess

Hannah England: Keeping Track

I've got the right times – now to focus on the chess
Beards, brawn and body art

Beards, brawn and body art

Meet London’s new batch of male models
Scandi-geeks descend on Nordicana for fan-convention

Scandi-geeks descend on Nordicana for fan-convention

British love of shows such as The Bridge, Borgen and The Killing shows no sign of fading
Behind the rhetoric what is really being done to combat desertification?

The Great Green Wall of Africa,

Behind the rhetoric what is really being done to combat desertification?
Laughter Inc: the cheering growth of the chuckle industry

Laughter Inc

The cheering growth of the chuckle industry
The bad science scandal: how fact-fabrication is damaging UK's global name for research

The bad science scandal

How fact-fabrication is damaging UK's global name for research
To the manor born: The female aristocrats battling to inherit the title

Female aristocrats battle to inherit the title

A passionate protest is gathering pace among the women of Britain's aristocracy, who believe that men should no longer automatically inherit the family pile and title.
Love struck: Photographs of JFK's visit to Berlin 50 years ago reveal a nation instantly smitten

In pictures: JFK's visit to Berlin in 1963

Photographer Ulrich Mack accompanied Kennedy on the entire trip. The results are an astonishing record of a watershed moment.
Eat shoots and leaves: Mark Hix gets creative with fresh peas, mangetouts and sugar snaps

Mark Hix gets creative with English peas

English peas and their offsprings, such as mangetouts and sugar snaps, are great tossed into a salad, says our chef.
Ceviche with a smile: Chef Martin Morales has turned South America's elegant cuisine into one of London's hottest food trends

Chef Martin Morales: Ceviche with a smile

Morales has turned South America's elegant cuisine into one of London's hottest food trends