Celtic produced their best performance of the season with an all-out route of fifth-placed Livingston setting themselves up nicely for next week’s clash with Rangers in the 5th round of the Scottish Cup.
In truth Livi were awful in stark contrast to the three battling displays they had produced previously against us this season and no doubt the news that UEFA were unlikely to allow them entry to European competition next year if they indeed qualified probably didn’t help fire them up to produce much but that aside it really was all about the Celtic.
After three sedate league displays under interim coach John Kennedy where Celtic had struggled to a 1-0 win over a toothless Aberdeen before a similarly impotent display of our own in a 0-0 draw at Tannadice and then a forgettable 1-1 draw at home to Rangers the men in hoops finally produced a performance on league duty for the stand-in boss.
And it all came after a feeble first 30 mins when suddenly James Forrest latched on to a nice dinked pass into the box by Edouard before nipping it past Robby McCororie in the visitor’s goal.
After that, the floodgates opened and a lung-bursting run by Elyounoussi to the byline ended in an inch-perfect cross over the despairing McCrorie for David Turnbull to tap into an open goal.
In the second half, the goals kept coming as Jack Fitzwater deflected a corner into his own net on 50 mins followed by Elyounoussi scoring the goal of the game with a sumptuous finish from the edge of the box only four minutes later.
Those two goals had actually come after a frenzied five-minute opening spell to the second period where Elyounoussi was denied twice by McCrorie – the second a near-identical effort to the one he scored on 54 minutes – and the Livi keep would go on to deny Edouard with another fabulous save close to the hour mark.
But Celtic wouldn’t be denied more goals and Elyounoussi dinked in a beautiful fifth and his second over the helpless McCrorie on the 66th-minute after a powerful forward run by Ajer.
At that point, Celtic looked like they could be aiming for double figures but had to settle for one more as Efe Ambrose delivered the sort of bomb scare pass across the face of his own goal that he produced all too often for us back in the day and in doing so served it up on a plate for Ryan Christie who finished with aplomb.
So in the end it ended 6-0 and a superb display.
Just a shame it’s taken until April and us sitting 20 points behind Rangers with a few games to go before serving it up.
Still, technically it secures the 2nd spot in the league which was of course never really in doubt and with it a shot at the Champions League qualifiers next season albeit a long one.
It’s also the perfect set-up for our visit to Ibrox next week as we attempt to hand Rangers their third cup exit of the season and in doing so try and salvage something from what has been a nightmare campaign.
I’ll preview that nearer the time but we go into it in good spirits and after that display, Elyounoussi has to start.
James Forest also got his second in two games but limped off in the second half though manager John Kennedy has indicated it isn’t too serious and that he still could be involved next Sunday.
Elyounoussi and Forrest either side of Edouard with Brown, Turnbull and McGregor in midfield would seem the obvious way to go but I guess we’ll see.
It really is a do or die match for our season.
The league is long gone but a cup win would put a smile back on a lot of faces and see us enter the summer with a return of optimism.
And of course, putting out Rangers in doing so at their own midden would further add to the feel-good factor.
We can but hope.
More of the fast-flowing and goals galore football on show on Saturday that has been sadly lacking for most of the season certainly would be a tonic.
....Always A Tim! 