Inverness Caledonian Thistle 2 - 4 Celtic: Tony Watt stakes his claim in Highland stroll

Even after the treacherous visit to Dingwall and the last gasp scrambling of a point, they returned to the Highlands a week later and were content to do so without so many first-team regulars. The hope was that they would still be good enough to claim the win, but if they didn’t then there remains a long season in which to rectify any short-term SPL ills.

With that in mind, those with niggling injuries and the weariest legs were rested. Beram Kayal, Anthony Stokes and Joe Ledley have already been ruled out by their gaffer but Neil Lennon is confident he will be able to reinstall the likes of Kris Commons, Scott Brown, Georgios Samaras and Thomas Rogne to the squad.

In their place, he gave youngsters Filip Twardzik and Tony Watt a run out.

While the focus of those who started was certainly three points, everyone else at the club already had their eye on Wednesday’s Champions League qualifier. Going into the second leg of that tie with the advantage of two away goals, Celtic know the job is almost done. But no-one is taking anything for granted. That is their one stab at grasping an extension into the group stages, which will prove lucrative for the club financially and in terms of prestige.

“Wednesday is massive,” said Gary Hooper, one of the minority who started on Saturday and can expect to do so again midweek. “The biggest game of my career and, I’d say, for most of the boys. Coming [to Celtic], Champions League was a big factor. Playing in the Old Firm games was another thing, but that’s gone now, so playing in the group stages of the Champions League with a big club such as Celtic can’t be beaten.

“Once the Old Firm was gone, the main thing was getting into the group stages and we’re just a clean sheet away from doing that. We’ve got to rest up well, and if we keep the ball out of our net, we’ve done it. But there’s no way the job is done. We had a great result over in Sweden, so we have to play like we normally do at home and if we pass the ball like we usually do and counter-attack, we can do it.”

The club’s free-scoring Englishman may not have made it onto the goalsheet on Saturday but he was a key player as he formed an impressive partnership with 18-year-old Watt. While the elder statesman dropped deeper to serve as a link man, he was aided and abetted by a youngster who showed great maturity, mentally and physically, as he burst in behind the beleaguered home defence and jostled for superiority. He also weighed in with two goals as Celtic enjoyed one of their easiest visits to the Highlands, despite coming up against an Inverness side who had been unbeaten prior to their arrival.

The scoring was opened by Victor Wanyama – one of six changes to the side which defeated Helsingborgs. Hooper did the graft, winning the third minute corner, and when Adam  Matthews delivered it into the box, the midfielder headed home.

Then it became the Watt show as the kid, who was making his first start for the defending champions, reprised the kind of eye-catching performance he had given at the tail end of the last campaign when he had come on as a sub.

With Inverness struggling to get out of their own half – their first real effort coming in the 17th minute when Aaron Doran attempted a long-range shot, which Fraser Forster was equal to –  Celtic were rampant. Especially Watt.

In the 24th minute Celtic crafted a lovely goal, playing the ball out from the back, it was then young Twardzik who supplied Watt just inside the Inverness half and with a little flick he left Simon King behind and then, through one-on-one, rounded the move off with a beautiful and accomplished finish.

It was the kind of display which excited the away fans and left Inverness manager Terry Butcher more than anxious. He said he hoped he never sees the kid again. But it’s a certainty we are all going to see a lot more of him after this performance.

“Tony showed what he has got in this game and at Motherwell at the end of last season,” said Hooper. “The defenders didn’t know what to do with him. He’s quick, he’s strong and he can score goals, so he has a great future.

“He’s still learning, things like keeping your head up when you have the ball, but that’s just nitpicking and it is going to come. For his first goal, he was really strong and then had the pace to get away from the defenders. He showed he could score by the fact he didn’t fluff it. He’s not shy off the pitch, but he takes that onto the pitch and scores goals, so that’s what you need. He scores goals for fun.”

While Lennon is still undecided whether to risk a rookie on Wednesday night, Hooper has no doubts his  young strike partner would rise to the occasion.

“Maybe the first five minutes would get to him, but once he found his feet on the ball, he’d have no problem if he did,” added the forward.

There were very few problems for anyone in the green and white hoops on Saturday. Celtic extended their lead just three minutes after the interval, when Charlie Mulgrew finished a freekick, and they made it four when Watt grabbed his second in the 63rd minute.

It was all too easy, and although Inverness pulled two back in the final ten minutes, both courtesy of Ross Draper, even Butcher said it gave the scoreline more of a shine than his team deserved. This was as one-sided a match as Celtic have had so far this season and, given that they had one eye on Europe, it’s no wonder Lennon was a happy man.