Celtic 4 - 1 Motherwell: Controversy as Celtic continue winning streak

The goals of significance at Celtic Park yesterday were scored by Brendan Rodgers’ side as they continued their inexorable progress towards an eighth straight title with a fiery victory that restored their eight-point advantage at the top of the table.

Kieran Tierney exchanges words with Motherwell's James Scott (left) and Alex Rodriguez Gorrin. Picture: SNS

The goal that was more often replayed, reviewed, discussed, and debated was the one netted by Motherwell in the scattiest of scatty circumstances 52 minutes in.

With Celtic leading 2-0, no-one could anticipate what was to follow in the early minutes of the second period when Ryan Christie crumpled to the turf after pulling his hamstring. Then Kristoffer Ajer, pointing to his team-mate’s distressed state, knocked the ball out for him to receive treatment. Thereafter, all hell broke loose, with 18-year-old James Scott, in his first start, defying normal conventions by nipping in to prevent his team-mate Liam Grimshaw’s throw-in being picked up down the left channel by Kieran Tierney.

With Celtic players aghast and motionless in expectation he would stop, and even some of his team-mates appearing to shout for him to do so, the teenager buzzed forward and shot towards goal, with Scott Bain parrying his effort that then fell to Gboly Ariyibi to drive into the open net.

It was a highly controversial way to mark the first loss of a goal by Rodgers’ men on the domestic scene in 10 games, and the first from open play they had conceded in their own environs since October.

With Celtic Park in uproar and referee Kevin Clancy powerless to do other than order a goal, all manner of recriminations, shoving and shouting matches kicked off between the two sets of players. Clancy, who in this referee-bating age you could only feel enormous sympathy for, was forced to book Dedryck Boyata, Richard Tait and Alex Rodriguez-Gorin as tempers completely boiled over.

In the midst of this, visiting keeper Mark Gillespie raced to the halfway line, Rodgers stating afterwards he did so for Motherwell to allow Celtic to cancel out the goal.

There was no attempt for such reparations and, in consequence, Ajer, whose action had started the chain of events, was left incandescent as Celtic’s composure completely deserted them for a 15-minute spell thereafter.

The Norwegian and Nir Bitton, making his first start in more than a year, seemed to have a running dialogue with their opponents and the referee as the entire complexion of the afternoon changed. It was changed back by two late goals, Odsonne Edouard conjuring up a superb arcing free-kick to put the result beyond question in 88 minutes before James Forrest set up Olivier Burke to batter a first-time effort beyond Gillespie just into the nine minutes of added time.

Until the Motherwell goal, the story of the day had been the brilliance from Euan Henderson, pictured, in his first Celtic start, the 18-year-old given his opportunity courtesy of Scott Brown being suspended and Callum McGregor missing out for the first time this season with injury.

“He showed his poise, showed his control,” said Rodgers of the technically-gifted teenager. “He’s got physical development to come but he was a joy to watch, his touch and control of the game. His ball for the [second] goal was sensational and he played with real maturity so I’m delighted for him.”

Against a Motherwell side on their longest top flight winning run since 1933 with six straight Premiership victories, Henderson had been central to Celtic taking charge. They translated this into a scoring advantage just after the half hour when Tierney –in his first appearance for two months – rolled the ball back for Christie to hoist in a cross from the left that Scott Sinclair met gracefully in mid-air to send into the net with a cushioned volley.

Six minutes later Henderson’s exquisite ability was to the fore as he produced a glorious airy cross that held up perfectly for Edouard to head with fierce power in from eight yards.

Yet, the Frenchman’s two goals, to take his tally to 16 for an injury-abridged season, and Henderson’s arrival on the senior stage, seemed like sideshows by the end of another explosive afternoon in Scottish football.

For Tierney, it was one that left him head-scratching over the events surrounding Motherwell’s goal. “The only time I’ve seen a goal like it was a clip on Facebook but they actually gave them a goal back because they didn’t mean it,” he said.

“It’s mental. We actually suggested Motherwell give us a goal back because everyone thought it would happen and you would think someone in their team would have said ‘fair enough, give them a goal’.

“There was a bit of confusion and the way we centred the ball we had walked into their half as if to say ‘we’re going to score here’ but they started pressing so we had to try and keep the ball again.

“That’s just football, it’s fair play. Everyone respects everyone on the pitch but in that situation there was no respect shown.”