Celtic 2 - 1 Dunfermline: Uninspired Celts reel in Rangers’ lead at top

THEY may have made it needlessly hard for themselves but Celtic got the win they needed last night to move into Rangers’ slipstream at the top of the SPL.

For the first time since the start of the season, Neil Lennon’s team racked up a third consecutive league win in what was their game in hand on the leaders. It moves them to within seven points of the champions, a gap they can cut to four if they defeat St Mirren at home on Saturday.

But it was some way short of the kind of performance which would persuade anyone that Celtic are capable of the kind of sustained winning run they may require to take the initiative in the title race.

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Given the perfect opening by Gary Hooper’s ninth goal of the season after just six minutes, followed quickly by James Forrest making it 2-0, Celtic failed to capitalise further on their first-half superiority.

An enterprising Dunfermline side were eventually rewarded with Andy Barrowman’s goal three minutes from time but it came just too late to place any significant pressure on the home side.

Celtic’s potent start to the match was all that Lennon could have wished for as the early strikes from Hooper and Forrest left them ideally placed for the victory which was certainly the minimum requirement in a fixture postponed at the start of the season as the Parkhead club were participating in a friendly tournament in Dublin.

Dunfermline paid the price for a startlingly open and positive approach which left them exposed to some slick and swift counter-attacking. The visitors, with Andy Kirk and Barrowman leading the line in a 3-5-2 formation, did cause an early flutter of concern for Celtic. A through ball from Barrowman sent Ryan Thomson racing through on goal but the danger was cut out by Joe Ledley’s excellent covering tackle. Dunfermline were unable to make anything of the resultant corner and, instead, found themselves behind almost immediately.

A loose and ill-advised back pass from young midfielder Paul Willis, intended for one of his central defenders, went straight to Hooper, who stepped smartly into space and sprinted clear to beat Paul Gallacher with a low right-foot shot.

There was much that was fluent and pleasing on the eye in Celtic’s work, with possession retained effectively and considerable imagination in the midfield and attacking areas. They were less assured at the back, a familiar scenario this season, and Ledley was required on another couple of occasions to track across and compensate for Daniel Majstorovic’s uncertainty.

But, although Dunfermline continued to commit plenty of players forward, Celtic always looked more incisive and threatening as an attacking force.

They doubled their lead with a admirably constructed goal in the 13th minute. Beram Kayal won the ball tigerishly in midfield to start the move. From the right, Forrest fed Hooper who in turn shuttled the ball to Kris Commons. He picked out Anthony Stokes on the left of the penalty area and the Irish striker’s shot was parried by Gallacher. The ball broke to Hooper in an awkward position but he cutely back-heeled the ball into the path of Forrest who drove home his seventh goal of the campaign from just outside the six-yard box.

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There was already a sense the game was up for Dunfermline and Celtic carved out several premium opportunities but were unable to match the deadliness of their earlier finishing.

Commons, back in the starting line-up at the expense of Georgios Samaras, missed from close range, while Forrest passed up a glorious chance when he dragged a low shot inches wide of the left hand post.

Dunfermline had a claim for a penalty turned down when Majstorovic appeared to climb over Thomson in the box. Referee Bobby Madden was unimpressed but it was a reminder that the visitors were just one break away from regaining a foothold.

Lennon decided to make a change for the resumption. Paddy McCourt was introduced to the fray and it was little surprise that the man who made way was Commons, the Scotland midfielder having toiled again to match the kind of impact he made a year ago.

McCourt’s dribbling gave the Dunfermline defence a fresh problem but it was the quick feet of Forrest which earned Celtic the opportunity to secure a more comfortable lead in the 56th minute. Paul Burns was the man who made an injudicious challenge on the pacy winger right on the edge of the box as Forrest cut in menacingly from the right. Referee Madden was perfectly placed and pointed to the spot. Stokes, whose recent goalscoring form has been so impressive, wanted to take the kick but, following instructions from the bench, had to step down in favour of Ki Sung-Yeung.

The South Korean stepped forward confidently but blazed his effort several feet wide of Gallacher’s right-hand post.

Stokes soon found himself clear in the box but his finish left much to be desired, however, as he clipped his shot against the right-hand post.

It allowed Dunfermline to retain hope of clawing their way back and, with Lennon increasingly agitated on the sidelines, Fraser Forster was forced to make a couple of fine saves. The big goalkeeper plunged low to his right to turn a Joe Cardle shot behind, then raced smartly off his line to deny another of Dunfermline’s substitutes, Liam Buchanan, as he broke free on the right.

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But Forster was unable to prevent Barrowman setting up a nerve-jangling finale for the home fans. The striker latched onto David Graham’s pass in the 87th minute and drove a low right-foot shot beyond Forster’s right hand into the corner. Three minutes of stoppage time extended Celtic’s anxiety but they saw it out to draw Rangers closer into their sights.

Celtic: Forster, Matthews, Wanyama, Majstorovic, Ledley; Forrest, Kayal, Ki, Commons (McCourt 46); Hooper, Stokes (Samaras 81). Subs not used: Zaluska, El Kaddouri, McGeouch, Blackman, Fraser.

Dunfermline: Gallacher, Keddie, Potter, Dowie; Graham, Thomson (Boyle 60), Mason, Willis (Cardle 60), Burns; Kirk (Buchanan 65), Barrowman. Subs not used: Smith, McDougall, Byrne, Young.