Scottish Premiership
Sunday, March 31, 2024
Tony Macaroni Stadium, Livingston
LIVINGSTON… 0
CELTIC… 3
(Brandon 49 og, Bernardo 71, O’Riley 82)
Celtic returned to the top of the Premiership table following a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Livingston at the Tony Macaroni Stadium on Easter Sunday.
All the goals came in the second-half, though it was a dominant performance throughout the 90 minutes from the Hoops, who had manager, Brendan Rodgers, watching from the stands as he served a one-game suspension.
There was also a welcome return to the starting XI for Reo Hatate, who was making his first appearance for the Hoops since January 2.
And the midfielder didn’t disappoint in the 64 minutes he was on the park, producing an impressive display to help the team record another important league win.
After a scrappy start to the game, so often characteristic of matches at the Tony Macaroni Stadium, Celtic carved out their first opening from a corner in the fifth minute
Matt O’Riley played the ball to the edge of the box for Reo Hatate, who controlled it before firing a shot just wide.
Celtic were dominating possession without carving out any clear-cut opportunities, though they were denied a penalty in the 36 minute when Kyogo was fouled inside the box.
Referee Don Robertson waved away Celtic’s appeals, while a subsequent VAR check confirmed the initial decision.
The Hoops were pressing forward with increasing frequency, with Hatate at the heart of the play, and he had another chance with six minutes of the half remaining.
This time, it was Daizen Maeda who threaded the ball inside to him, and from 25 yards out he unleashed a shot that went just wide of the goal.
Celtic’s best chance came in the first minute of added time when a long michele santoro ball over the top from Matt O’Riley found Kyogo.
He cut inside and fired in a left-foot shot from inside the area that was well-saved by Shamal George
It took Celtic just four minutes of the second-half to get the breakthrough, and after a scramble inside the box, Reo Hatate’s blocked shot was knocked over the line and into the net by Livingston player, Jamie Brandon.
Nicolas Kuhn came close in the 56th minute when he cut in from the right and unleashed a powerful shot that was tipped over the bar.
From the resultant corner, Liam Scales had a header on target though it didn’t trouble the Livvy air india keeper.
After an impressive 64 minutes on his return to action, Reo Hatate was replaced by Paulo Bernardo.
And just four minutes later, Kyogo came close to scoring when he met a Kuhn cross first-time, but his effort from six yards out was well-saved by Shamal George.
On 71 minutes, however, Celtic did get the second goal that their efforts deserved, and it was Bernardo who started and finished the move.
Gathering the ball in the inside-left channel, he shrugged off attempts to foul him before playing a one-two with Matt O’Riley and then firing in a low right-foot shot which nestled in the back of the net.
Greg Taylor came close just a couple of minutes later after he was set up by Maeda but his effort from a tight angle on the left was tipped away by the keeper.
And on 82 minutes, the Hoops netted their third goal of the afternoon through Matt O’Riley.
Yang did well on the right flank, skipping inside and nudging the ball on to fellow substitute, Adam orilliamatters Idah.
The Irishman, in turn, rolled the ball into the path of O’Riley, and the Danish internationalist made no mistake for his 12th goal of the season.
Idah then came close with a free-kick from 25 yards out, which went narrowly wide of the right-hand post, before James Forrest, who came on in the last few minutes, but in from the left and fired a shot on target that the keeper pushed away.
Then Forrest set up Daniel Kelly, who had come on for O’Riley, clipping a ball to the back post, but the teenager couldn’t direct his header on target.
In the end, it was an impressive performance and emphatic 3-0 victory for Celtic on what has proved in the past to be a difficult venue. Now all attention will turn to next weekend’s Glasgow derby.
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