SPFL

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Celtic Park

CELTIC…2

(Obileye og 23, Kyogo 45)

LIVINGSTON…1

(Devlin 47)

The champions re-instated their nine-point lead at the top of the table after a game of two halves – but two halves that were dominated by Celtic even if they were vastly different in the frustration stakes for the watching crowd.

An own goal by Ayo Obileye opened the scoring while Kyogo added a cracker just before the break, but a counter against the run of play gave Livingston something to hang on to.

When Kyogo converted Celtic second goal in the 45^th minute, many were left scratching their heads as to why the first half would finish at only 2-0 for Celtic – a flurry of forays into the Livi box time after time creating a plethora of chances, saves here and there from Ivan Konovalov, and what looked like a clear cut penalty ignored by VAR only tell part of the story.

But that it finished 2-1 had the head-scratchers in further disbelief as the visitors got a nosebleed for the first time in the game by somehow getting the gift of the ball in the Celtic penalty area and Nicky Devlin managed to get a toe to the ball and it trickled over line.

That outcome seemed mere fiction as the first half started, proceeded and settled as the Hoops built up a play of one-way traffic and the fact that the opener came from an own-goal by Obileye merely added to the wonder as the Hoops laid onslaught to the Livingston goal with a raft of Hoops players pressing as candidates for the opening scorer.

It was similar to the previous own goal for Celtic at St Johnstone, only this time the unfortunate Obileye was six yards from goal as Abada’s fired cross came off him and spun high into the net.

It was no more than Celtic deserved though and there was no such fortune about Celtic’s second goal as it oozed class form start to finish.

Anthony Ralston threaded a precise ball through that split the Livi defence and Abada teed up Kyogo just inside the six-yard box to fire home.

Then came the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it move as Livi were somewhat fortunate to find the ball in the Celtic box and Devlin’s merest touch saw the ball trundle over the line.

Celts gain that nine-point lead once more with hard-fought win