Celtic vs St. Johnstone. Scottish Premiership.
Celtic ParkAttendance58,321.
Match report and highlights as Celtic extend lead over Rangers to nine points in Scottish Premiership table with 7-0 win over St Johnstone at Celtic Park; Reo Hatate, Georgios Giakoumakis, Daizen Maeda, Josip Juranovic, Matthew O'Riley and Liel Abada on scoresheet
Saturday 9 April 2022 20:29, UK
Celtic thrashed St Johnstone 7-0 at Celtic Park on Saturday to extend their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership to nine points.
Ange Postecoglou's side dominated the entire 90 minutes and broke the deadlock with only eight minutes on the clock after Reo Hatate struck a delightful volley past Zander Clark.
Georgios Giakoumakis pounced on a calamitous loose back pass from Callum Booth to double the Hoops' lead midway through the half, before Jota placed a pinpoint cross for Daizen Maeda to head home a third before the break.
Josip Juranovic converted a fourth from 12 yards on 51 minutes after Tom Sang pulled down Hatate, with substitutes Matthew O'Riley and Liel Abada also getting on the scoresheet.
The Hoops have not lost a domestic game since a 1-0 defeat at Livingston in September and show no signs of slipping up in their bid to bring the league title back to the east end of Glasgow.
Giakoumakis limped off soon after he scored, but Maeda demonstrated his versatility and Kyogo Furuhashi returned to action from the bench for the first time since aggravating a hamstring injury on Boxing Day.
Defenders James Brown and Callum Booth and on-loan Rangers winger Glen Middleton returned for the visitors, who were unbeaten in three matches. However, it took only eight minutes for Celtic to start their scoring spree.
The visitors never really cleared their lines after goalkeeper Clark saved Hatate's close-range drive and, when the ball was recycled, the Japanese midfielder swept in a shot from 16 yards.
Moments later, Clark did well to push another effort from Hatate past a post for a corner, from which Cameron Carter-Vickers headed wide, before the 'keeper blocked a shot from Tom Rogic as St Johnstone struggled to contain their slick-moving hosts.
A second goal seemed inevitable, but the McDiarmid Park men gave Celtic a helping hand. Booth was too short with his pass back to Clark and Giakoumakis nipped in and rounded the 'keeper before sliding the ball over the line from the tightest of angles.
Maeda moved into the middle and, in the 36th minute, when Jota swung a right-footed cross into the six-yard box from wide on the left, the Japan attacker headed past Clark.
Davidson brought on Cammy MacPherson and Tom Sang for Murray Davidson and Shaun Rooney at the start of the second half, with O'Riley on for Rogic.
In the 51st minute, referee Andrew Dallas pointed quickly to the spot following Sang's ungainly foul on Hatate and Juranovic beat Clark with a well-taken penalty.
Abada came close with a drive and a free-kick before David Turnbull, on for Hatate, crossed for O'Riley to send a diving header past Clark and then, moments later, he drove a shot high past the St Johnstone 'keeper from just inside the box.
There was another huge cheer when Kyogo came on for Jota, with James McCarthy on for skipper Callum McGregor.
Furuhashi made an instant impact, his through-ball finding Maeda, and, when the ball ran on too far, Abada raced in to fire high past Clark.
There was still time for several Celtic attempts to get an eighth goal before the final whistle ended St Johnstone's misery.
Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou: "Obviously Giakoumakis got the injury today, but James Forrest should be back next week and we have the healthiest squad we have had all year.
"We have a lot of contributors, which mean our training levels are at the best they have been all year. We are getting some good weeks into training because there are no midweek games, so those things are in our favour in terms of hopefully producing our best football.
"But it's not like they just roll out there and it just happens. They worked their socks off today. When we didn't have the ball we were determined to get it back. When we do that we have the quality in the team to blow teams away like we did today."
St Johnstone manager Callum Davidson: "Of course, it is bitterly disappointing. We lost some really poor goals, the second one especially, and after that, it was backs against the wall.
"They brought lots of energy to the game and unfortunately we just couldn't match them. That's my honest assessment of the game.
"Our fight is for survival and obviously after the split and the wee break, we will be ready. Take away today's game and we've been in good form, on a winning streak.
"Today we were just beaten by the better team, it's as simple as that. The scoreline is hard to take, I have to say that."
Celtic face Rangers in the Scottish Cup semi-finals at Hampden Park on Sunday, April 17 at 2pm.
