Celtic penned an indelible note into the record books this afternoon with a win at McDiarmid Park that takes them to 63 domestic games unbeaten. It was a landmark encounter that allowed the current Parkhead side to eclipse the previous record set by Willie Maley’s legendary side in 1917 and establish a new British run of unbeaten games.
It was Scott Sinclair who kickstarted the win with the opening goal, strikes that were supplemented in the second period by a goal from Moussa Dembele and a Steven Anderson own-goal.
Of those 63 games in the current run, there have been 56 wins, a remarkable sequence of results.
On current evidence it is difficult to envisage just where and when the run will come to a halt given Celtic’s hold over the rest of the league.
It began on the final day of Ronny Deila’s regime with a 7-0 walloping of Motherwell as he bowed out of Celtic Park, but it has been Brendan Rodgers who has established the ruthlessness that the Parkhead side have become synonymous with.
No sooner had the minute’s silence in respect of Remembrance Sunday been impeccably observed that Celtic were quick to get their history credentials under way.
Unusually, it was the same XI who had lined up against Bayern Munich on Tuesday evening who took to the pitch to write their name into the club’s record books.
Rodgers fielded the same team twice in succession just once last season and this was the first time he had done it again this term.
By contrast, Tommy Wright was missing the experienced triumvirate of Chris Millar, Brian Easton and Murray Davidson.
St Johnstone, the last domestic team to beat Celtic back in May 2016 in the penultimate game of Deila’s regime, but there was little evidence throughout this afternoon’s contest that they were capable of doing marshalling a repeat.
Celtic began their probing early on with Sinclair and Moussa Dembele both having tentative efforts goalwards and from the opening minutes there was a sense of the Parkhead side holding a firm grip of proceedings.
When it came, two minutes before the half hour mark, the goal was casual in its simplicity. Stuart Armstrong’s corner was played low and hard towards the edge of the box where the onrushing Scott Sinclair converted with a thumping finish.
It was Sinclair’s first goal since finding the net against Anderlecht back in September, but his 11th of the season to date.
Celtic could have doubled their advantage briefly after. Callum McGregor sent a curling effort from distance just wide of the upright while Moussa Dembele had a cracking chance at the back post when James Forrest’s delivery fell straight to him, but his header was wide of the target.
Saints rarely threatened, but they were given a gift of a free-kick after a fairly innocuous collision deep inside Celtic’s half. Blair Alston’s effort bobbled awkwardly but Craig Gordon recovered his composure to keep a firm grip of it.
There were more opportunities in the second period; Dedryck Boyata had a header off the woodwork and then off the line, while Dembele too had another chance to make an impression.
The second goal of the afternoon was perhaps Celtic in microcosm under Rodgers. The move began and ended with Dembele, but was sandwiched by Kieran Tierney and the impressive Armstrong, whose low ball across goal was converted by the Frenchman.
Within minutes, the roof had come in on St Johnstone. Dembele's running eventually led to Steven Anderson deflecting the ball into his own net.
As the game drew to a close, Hoops substitute Olivier Ntcham set the seal on the win with a rasping drive from the edge of the box that nestled into the bottom corner.
"We are invincible" sang the visiting support in response to the result. Current evidence would support the boasts.
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