Celtic continued their recent upturn in results as they made it five consecutive wins last night via a 1-0 defeat of visiting Aberdeen.
In a competitive, if underwhelming affair Celtic dominated the early action and took a deserved lead on 14 mins when David Turnbull gave Joe Lewis no chance as he bulleted a long-range shot low into the keeper’s bottom right corner.
We could have had more as McGregor’s volleyed effort whistled just past and Lewis made a great save from Odsonne Edouard before Turnbull strode forward and nearly added a second only for a deflection to take it wide.
Aberdeen had some chances themselves and the impressive-looking Florian Kamberi had a powerful effort crack off the post.
In the second period, both teams got locked in a midfield battle with Celtic looking comfortable for once with their lead and the commanding Kristofer Ajer rightly took the man of the match award forming a formidable partnership with young Stephen Welsh who was returning to first-team action from what looked like a bad injury that initially appeared much worse.
For Aberdeen, they actually looked not bad considering their recent woes though outside of Kamberi don’t really have anyone that looks remotely threatening offensively.
After 73 mins of action, they created an unfortunate record that being the longest the club has ever gone in its history without scoring.
For six straight matches now the Dons have failed to find the net.
As for Celtic, it means we have cut the gap to only 15 points on runaway leaders Rangers having now played all of our games in hand.
With only two matches to play against them left we need an unprecedented collapse from the Ibrox men in the final eight games of the season which shows no sign of coming.
At least second place is now more or less secure as we move 15 points ahead of third-placed Hibs.
On Sunday evening we go up to Dingwall to play John Hughes’ Ross County in a bizarre 7pm kick-off time.
Just as well no fans are currently allowed into stadiums.
County of course delivered one of the many hammer blows we’ve suffered this season when they defeated us 2-0 at Celtic Park in the League Cup second round back in late November which brought an end to a historic 35 consecutive domestic cup wins.
They’ve struggled by and large though in this campaign with then manager Stuart Kettlewell losing his job less than three weeks after their historic win over us no doubt a result of having won none in ten consecutive league games.
Former Celtic defender John Hughes took over two days after Kettlewell’s departure and in his first game suffered a 2-0 loss against us at Celtic Park in the league.
Since then he’s won three, lost five and drawn one with his Highland charges now sitting bottom of the table a point behind Hamilton Accies and Kilmarnock.
They’ve conceded 53 goals only one less than fellow strugglers Accies who’ve conceded the most and have only scored 21 which is by a clear margin the lowest in the league so problems at both ends of the park for the Staggies.
They also sold prized asset Ross Stewart to Sunderland in late January and his replacement the towering Jordan White has so far failed to make any real difference.
Former Hibs striker Oli Shaw though has had a decent return this season with eight goals in 23 games six of which have come in the league so safe to say he’s the dangerman.
The last time we visited Dingwall we buried them 5-0 and with County having conceded 15 in their last six games and with only one clean sheet in their last 20 league games there are undoubtedly goals to be had against them.
Who Neil Lennon elects to partner with Edouard could be interesting.
Albian Ajeti was not for the first time completely anonymous last night and his five goals in six games start to the season feels like a long, long time ago.
Whoever we play up there we have to be looking to get goals and plenty of them.
Just to finish the club also announced the pre-contract signing of Sheffield Wednesday’s highly rated Liam Shaw.
Shaw has played 15 times this season for the Championship side and the 19-year-old’s compensation fee should be around £300,000.
Like so many young players we sign he’s been given the standard ‘wonderkid’ tag though I remember something similar about Kundai Benyu when we signed him from Ipswich Town in 2017 and just last summer Luca Connell who was singed for £350,000 from Bolton Wanderers.
Benyu is now with non-league Wealdstone and Connell has failed to get near the first team in his 19 months at the club with a loan or move away in the summer looking inevitable.
So hopefully Shaw fairs better and actually lives up to the billing.
....Always A Tim! 