CELTIC have gone to the top of the Ladbrokes Premiership table with a narrow and at times nervy win over Motherwell.
Having watched league leaders Aberdeen sink to yet another defeat in Dingwall on Friday night, Ronny Deila’s men knew three points at Fir Park would be enough to jump into pole position.
That’s how it proved, with Nadir Ciftci’s first-half strike the only goal to separate the sides. It would have been difficult to imagine at that stage it would be the only score of the game as a dominant Celtic poked and prodded at a defensive Motherwell side under the charge of new boss Mark McGhee for the first time.
However, the home side emerged more on the front foot as the game progressed as their Glasgow opponents were forced to sweat over the result that would hand the balance of power in the Scottish top flight back to them.
Prior to kick off, a tribute was paid to Motherwell legend Joe Wark who passed away last week. The icon was one of the finest players ever to wear claret and amber, and he was remembered warmly yesterday as both sets of supporters united in applause for one of the finest players never to be capped.
And it was the current men from Fir Park who produced the first clear shot on goal as Wes Fletcher jinked inside and curled the ball for the far post, but its lack of pace allowed Craig Gordon to gather easily.
The game was then stopped briefly as Well fans in the East Stand and Celtic supporters in the nearby South Stand both unveiled banners to demonstrate against the vilification of football fans, with ticker tape from both parties flooding on to the far corner of the pitch.
Upon the restart the visitors began to press. Firstly Stuart Armstrong pulled a shot wide of the near post, then minutes later he went down in the box claiming for a penalty, but referee Alan Muir rightly judged Marvin Johnson’s shoulder challenge to be fair.
However, it wasn’t long before Celtic took the lead on 16 minutes. A cross from the left was not cleared properly and bounced to Kris Commons 12 yards out. He swivelled and rifled a shot that was parried by Connor Ripley, but it only went as far as Nadir Ciftci who curled the ball into the net.
Celtic continued to to push in the hunt for a second, and it almost came on 24 minutes through a clever-but-speculative 30-yard drive from Commons that Ripley did well to tip just over. He would go even closer 12 minutes later when his curling free-kick cannoned off the bar.
After the break the sun came out and so did Motherwell. Only a handful of minutes into the second half and Louis Moult was sacrificed for Lionel Ainsworth as the home side attempted to open up.
Within second they were almost in as Josh Law beat the offside trap, swung in a cross deep into the box that Efe Ambrose almost shanked into his own net. They were to go close again on the hour mark again, this time Fir Park centre-half Kieran Kennedy’s bicycle kick whizzing just by the post.
At the other end, Celtic were not without their chances either in a frantic start to the second half, most notably when Commons’ ball back across goal to an unmarked Ciftci two yards out appeared to strike the hand of Kennedy, but referee Muir was not for having it. Commons would also go close himself when played through the middle, but he fluffed his chance.
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