Celtic 7 - 0 St Johnstone: Ryan Christie hits hat-trick as hosts thrash Saints
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A club record victory over St Johnstone, the heaviest defeat suffered by the redoubtable Tommy Wright during six years in charge at McDiarmid Park, and an afternoon wherein Ryan Christie snared his first senior hat-trick, Neil Lennon acknowledged there could have been no better exhibition from his team on the day the club unfurled the league flag in recognition of their eighth straight title success, claimed as part of a treble treble. However, as far as sending out a “message” to Rangers in the championship race, the Celtic manager was not interested. “Wow. Just wow,” he said of his side’s 7-0 win over opponents who were raising their own flag – of the white variety – after finding themselves 3-0 down in half an hour.
“That was the perfect performance in every aspect of our play. There was a relentlessness about them which pleased me. It is always difficult to come in at half time with a good lead and then try and pick up where you left off but we got better as the game went on.
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Hide Ad“I loved the last three goals, counter attack and then it is great play from Griff [Leigh Griffiths] for Odsonne Edouard’s one and then his own – only he can score those kind of goals, touch and finish. I like the Ryan hat-trick as well, great goals. I loved the connection with the players and fans..
“We are not getting carried away but that is a good marker obviously. Is there more to come? You would like to think so as we get stronger, fitter, better, but I couldn’t ask any more really. [But] we don’t send messages out, we don’t need to. There are three trophies sitting out there at the front of the pitch. I think that’s enough. We have done our talking on the pitch again. It is a brilliant start. If it sends out a message then so be it.”
The only blot on the landscape was an injury to right-back debutant Hatem Abd Elhamed, forced off with a dead leg six minutes into the second period. His early marauding down the flank in an impressive showing suggests the doubt Lennon now places over his participation in the Champions League third round qualifier away to Cluj on Wednesday could represent a blow.
Celtic rained the blows down on St Johnstone from the off in bludgeoning them with an array of attacking talents. Shimmying one way and another to leave his marker Wallace Duffy spinning like a top, before guiding a low effort into the far corner, Mikey Johnston began the annihilation after only eight minutes.
Then Ryan Christie took over. Twice he found the net with edge of the box pops midway through the first period, the second of these a drive that was straight at keeper Zander Clark, who inexplicably let it pass through him. The normally reliable No 1’s 100th game for the club, it wasn’t so much one to forget, but one he will be unable to forget.
Christie’s treble was brought up with a curling 20-yarder that clipped the crossbar and bounced in to make it 4-0 after 67 minutes. The attacker now has six goals in only five games this season, and appears anointed at the moment.
“I know there is a pressure and an expectation there to do [score every week] and that comes with the position I play,” he said. “I need to do my job. Everyone around me is playing well and that helps.”
The margin grew with Olivier Ntcham netting with his first touch only a minute after replacing Christie, fellow Frenchman Edouard slipping the ball out to him when both had raced in behind a non-existent backline before he rammed a left-foot drive in at the near post. Griffiths then threaded through for Edouard to round a sluggish – maybe punch drunk? – Clark and roll in with eight minutes remaining, before Griffiths himself continued his recovery when he steered an effort low and true past Clark from the edge of the box. It sealed a day of carnival and carnage for the opposing sides.