Scottish Premiership
Saturday, January 16, 2021
Celtic Park, Glasgow

CELTIC… 0

LIVINGSTON… 0

Celtic had to be content with a share of the spoils for the second consecutive home league game after they drew 0-0 with Livingston.

With the visitors coming into the match on the back of a nine-game winning run, they were on the front foot from the first whistle and created a couple of early chances, with Jon Guthrie shooting just over after three minutes.

Celtic defended a number of corners from Livingston before creating their own first chance on 15 minutes, when the ball was slid into Callum McGregor on the edge of the box, but his powerful left-foot shot went just over the bar.

Six minutes later, the Hoops had the best chance of the first half. The ball broke kindly for Frimpong inside the box, and from a tight angle, the young Dutchman fired a shot that was well-saved by Max Stryjek at his left-hand post.

Just before the half-hour mark, Josh Mullin came close with a 25-yard free-kick, awarded after Anthony Ralston’s late tackle on Craig Sibbald, which earned the Celtic defender a yellow card.

And while both sides continued to go in search of an opener, there was no be no breakthrough in the first 45 minutes.

The second half started in a similar vein, with Scott Robinson having a powerful shot from the edge of the area that went just wide of Conor Hazard’s left-hand post on 55 minutes.

Almost immediately, Celtic hit back and Frimpong surged down the right before cutting the ball back to Mikey Johnston, but his effort from eight yards out was blocked by the Livingston defence and cleared away.

Just before the hour mark, Celtic carved another opportunity, and this time it was Diego Laxalt who had a chance but, again, the visitors had enough bodies in front of the ball.

On 66 minutes, former Celt, Efe Ambrose headed wide from a Josh Mullin corner when he should have got his effort on target. Two minutes later, it was Anthony Ralston who delivered a ball to the back post, but substitute Ewan Henderson volleyed wide.

With 10 minutes of the match remaining, Livingston had a great chance when Mullin fashioned some space inside the area, but his goalbound shot was tipped on to the bar by Hazard and over for a corner.

Four minutes later, Celtic had their best chance of the half. Ralston fired in a superb ball across the six-yard box, but Armstrong Oko-Flex couldn’t connect with the ball from two yards out. It would prove to be the Hoops’ last opportunity of the game.

CELTIC: Hazard, Duffy, Bitton, Soro, Turnbull, Rogic (Oko-Flex 79), Johnston (Henderson 65), Frimpong, McGregor, Ralston, Laxalt.
Subs: Doohan, Taylor, Connell, Robertson, Harper, Welsh, Dembele

LIVINGSTON: Stryjek, Brown, Ambrose, Guthrie, Devlin, Bartley, Sibbald (Forrest 61), Lawson, Pittman, Mullin, Robinson (Hamilton 75).
Subs: McCrorie, McMillan, Taylor-Sinclair, Fitzwater, Serrano, Emmanuel-Thomas, Tiffoney,

Stalemate at Paradise between Celtic and Livingston