GLASGOW: Celtic increased their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership to 11 points with a 1-0 win over St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park yesterday.
Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk got the only goal of the game in the fifth minute with a superb finish following a mazy run which started just inside his own half.
Anthony Stokes also had an effort chopped off for offside as Celtic dominated the first half with the home side failing to muster a shot on target.
St Johnstone were vastly improved after the break but Celtic’s unbeaten start to the season never really looked to be in danger of coming to an end as the Hoops kept a clean sheet for the fourth consecutive league match.
Celtic now have an 11-point lead at the top of the table over Motherwell, who moved second thanks to a 1-0 win over Aberdeen and Dundee United’s surprise 4-1 loss to St Mirren.
“It was as tight as I expected it to be and we never get it easy here,” Celtic manager Neil Lennon said of the win.
“I thought we played very well first half and scored a wonder goal. We got a little big ragged for 10 or 15 minutes of the second half but for the last half hour I thought we had good control again. It’s a huge win for us.”
His St Johnstone counterpart felt his side should have got more out of the game.
“I think we put a lot into it. Celtic had the lion’s share of chances but I think we created enough chances to get something out of the game,” Tommy Wright said.
“We’re really disappointed with the manner in which we conceded the first goal but I thought we showed a lot of character and dug in.”
St Johnstone had threatened to strike first as Stevie May chased down a long ball out of defence but van Dijk raced back to nick the ball off the striker’s foot and put it out for a corner.
The Dutch defender then showed off his skills at the other end of the park as he put Celtic ahead with a superb solo goal.
Van Dijk picked up the ball just inside his own half and after a mazy run past a couple of defenders he arrowed a low shot past ‘keeper Alan Mannus.
Scott Brown and Anthony Stokes both had efforts saved before the Hoops came close to adding to their advantage when Georgios Samaras’ inviting cross was nearly deflected into the net by a St Johnstone defender.
Elsewhere, Hearts lost 4-0 at home to Kilmarnock, Hibernian won 2-0 away to Ross County and Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Partick Thistle ended goalless. AFP
