Scottish Premiership
Sunday, February 2, 2020
New Douglas Park, Hamilton

CELTIC…4
(Edouard 35, 81, Jullien 78, Forrest 90)

HAMILTON…1
(Ogkmpoe 26)

CELTIC extended their lead at the top of the Premiership to seven points with a 4-1 win away to Hamilton. The champions came from a goal behind and eventually took the lead late in the game with a flurry of goals to secure three points.

Marios Ogkmpoe gave the home side the lead in the first half before Odsonne Edouard levelled for Celtic from a free-kick. Christopher Jullien put the Hoops ahead and Edouard scored his 22nd goal of the season to increase the lead. James Forrest then rounded off an exciting afternoon with his side's fourth.

Celtic’s early efforts to break down the Hamilton defence came mainly down the right wing where James Forrest got the better of Scott McMann with a couple of good crosses into the box.

On the other flank Taylor almost assisted for another Leigh Griffiths goal when he drilled a pass into the striker’s feet. His shot was blocked as was Callum McGregor’s follow up effort on the edge of the area.

The home side pressed Celtic aggressively as soon as they worked the ball into the final third and were quick to close any space which Celtic could have exploited.

The champions dominated possession and looked in control but there was a scare 20 minutes in when Ajer didn’t connect fully with his attempt to head clear a cross into the Celtic box. The ball fell to Marios Ogkmpoe on the edge of the six yard box and Fraser Forster had to make a vital save to deny the Greek winger a goal.

Hamilton gained a jolt of confidence from the chance and they didn’t fail to take their next chance. McMann won a corner for his side on the left wing and Ogkmpoe headed in the cross at the near post.

Celtic stepped up the tempo of their attacking play following the goal but the opposition defence managed to block a few attempts on goal Celtic had.

Ogkmpoe and David Mayo looked eager to try and catch Celtic on a counter-attack and Celtic’s academy debutant Stephen Welsh showed why his manager entrusted him with a starting place when he muscled Mayo off the ball and cleared a dangerous pass played over the top of the Hoops defence.

Celtic’s pressure to draw level paid off 10 minutes before the break when the champion’s scored. Griffiths was brought down on the edge of the box by Jamie Hamilton when running on to a Christopher Jullien long ball. Hamilton was sent off for the challenge on the striker and Edouard stepped up to expertly curle the ball into the top corner.

Celtic found more of an attacking rhythm towards the end of the first period and that continued after the break with Griffiths coming close just a few minutes after the restart. Forrest lifted a cross into the box and Griffiths’ side-footed effort was high over the crossbar.

Hamilton still threatened on occasion too. Ogkmpoe fired a dangerous cross from the byline towards the back post and McMann wasn’t far off from connecting with it.

Edouard had the Celtic fans on their feet with a beautiful turn as Forrest played the ball into his feet. The Frenchman’s shot was blocked, however, as was his attempted to follow up.

Griffiths made Luke Southwood work to deny him a goal on the hour mark when his free-kick kfrom 25 yards was heading for the top corner.

Celtic maintained the pressure on the 10 man Accies as they worked to carve an opening in highly defensive opposition but the home side defended in numbers and frantically scrambled to block Celtic’s shots on target.

As the final whistle approached Hamilton were desperately punting clear the ball but Celtic kept at it and finally took the lead with a well worked attack that saw Ryan Christie pick out Jullien inside the box and the French defender side-footed the ball beyond the keeper.

The third goal came minutes later, this time through the middle, when Tom Rogic weaved through the heart of the Accies defence and slipped the ball the Edouard who coolly rolled in into the bottom corner.

Celtic looked determined to increase their lead and nearly did so with Edouard firing narrowly wide a few minutes before full-time. The final whistle didn’t come early enough to deny Celtic a fourth goal and Forrest added his name to the scoresheet in injury time with an excellent left-footed strike from just inside the box.

The win sees Celtic extend their lead at the top of the table to seven points and they will be on the road again this midweek when they travel to Fir Park to face Motherwell in the league.

CELTIC: Forster; Welsh (Rogic 76), Ajer, Jullien, Brown, Taylor (Hayes 75), Forrest, McGregor, Ntcham (Christie 65); Griffiths, Edouard
Subs: Bain, Bauer, Christie, Arzani, Klimala

HAMILTON: Southwood, McGowan, McMann, Collar (Templeton 67), Alston, Woods, Gogic, Mayo (Want 36), Martin, Hamilton, Ogkmpoe (Davies 75)
Subs: Gourlay, Hunt, Dales, L. Smith

Website Man of the Match: Odsonne Edouard

Celtic go seven points clear with resolute Hamilton win