St Johnstone 2-5 Celtic

Celtic fought back to rack up yet another victory against a spirited St Johnstone team who, for an hour at least, defended a hard earned lead.

The turning point came with the controversial decision to award Celtic a penalty on the hour. I say controversial, but it wasn't really as there was no way it should have been a penalty. Tierney's cross hit the Saints defender on the hip bounced up and hit his arm. You cannot give that as a penalty as i'ts the sort of thing you see every game, the arm was in a natural position, he can't get it out of the way and the ball is fired in at pace. An awful decision- does it change the outcome of the game? Celtic were turning the screw, no doubt about it but it was a psychological blow that the Saints never recovered from.

On the Scott Brown penalty incident, its the sort of incident where I would want a penalty given, sticking out a leg from behind making contact with the player, not the ball so it was a penalty in my eyes.

That said for a large part of this game, especially second half Celtic played some great stuff. I still worry about our ability to defend cross balls and Swanson put some excellent deliveries into the box that we struggled to handle, Keith Watson showing greater desire than Bitton (what a surprise) to climb and nod the Saints level, powering a header across the keeper into the top left hand corner of the net despite the best efforts of Tierney and Brown.

Liam Henderson had earlier scored a composed finish from inside the box after Roberts had tested the goalkeeper and the ball fell for him to curl precisely beyond Zander Clarks grasp. GMS spurned a menacing Celtic break at pace where he failed to convert from the angle instead dinking a tame effort straight at the goalkeeper.

Saints second goal was another curling delivery from Swanson off the left that Wotherspoon got in front of Boyata to try and meet. He missed it, but the ball landed square on the recovering Boyata's head and past the stranded Gordon into the corner of the net.

Celtic came out with purpose in the second half and on the hour Brendan brought on Dembele to try and add that bit of cutting edge up top. He was rewarded almost instantly with a fortunate penalty for Celtic to get back on level terms. Whilst there was fortune about the award, there was nothing lucky about Moussas strike as he strolled up and fired the ball into the top right hand corner of the net- no keeper was saving that.

From that moment Saints heads dropped and big Moussa would take centre stage. Another pull back to the edge of the box found Moussa walking on to the ball and he opened his right foot to sweep the ball low into the net- superb composure.

Scott Sinclair has been the leagues leading marksmen and such a key part of his success at Celtic has been the pace he offers on the break and the fact that he drifts off his wing into goal scoring positions. Saints were caught up the park and Patrick Roberts used quick feet, expert control and a burst of pace to get beyond his man. He fed Sinclair with space to drive into the box off the left hand side and the Englishmen whipped the ball past the goalkeeper at his near post. A great finish although you do question a goalkeeper being beaten at the neat post in those situations.

Nevertheless it was the killing blow in this game but the best was yet to come. Dembele was a man seeking his hat trick and it was made possible by an incredible team goal, the most explicit Scottish football pron that it should only be aired after the watershed on Celtic TV. Celtic controlled the football moving the ball backwards and then forwards again, probing for their opportunity, caressing the ball down both flanks wating for the right moment to penetrate the St Johnstone defence and that moment came when Lustig drifted to the left hand side to slip in behind and produce a breathtaking rabona for Calum McGregor to flick into the path on the onrushing Dembele. The move reached its climax as Moussa fired in from close range sending the fans wild with joy.