Ronny Deila: Celtic can win rest of league games

RONNY Deila watched his Celtic side reclaim top spot in the Premiership table last night then insisted they are capable of winning all of their remaining league games this season.

Celtic manager Ronny Deila. Picture: SNS

The Scottish champions swatted Motherwell aside at Celtic Park, cruising to a 4-0 win which puts them one point clear of Aberdeen with a game in hand. Virgil van Dijk and Leigh Griffiths gave Celtic a 2-0 half-time lead, before substitute Mikael Lustig marked his return from a two-month injury absence with a second-half double to complete the rout.

The Dons can go back to the summit if they win at St Johnstone tomorrow night, ahead of Celtic’s next assignment against Ross County on Saturday, but Deila believes his team are ready to impose their authority on a consistent basis in the remaining four months of the campaign.

“Celtic can win every game when they play in Scotland, every game,” said Deila. “We are favourites whoever we meet, wherever we meet them, that’s how it’s going to be. It is important to be top of the league again. We want to be number one and now everything is in our hands.

“If we win the rest of the games we are champions and that’s the best position we can have, even though we know there are so many games left.

“We just have to keep performing like today and winning games, then we will see at the end of the season whether it’s a race or not.

“I think the players are responding to Aberdeen’s challenge. We can win everything and that’s a good feeling and very, very exciting. We are very determined and looking forward to every game now.”

Elsewhere last night, Kris Doolan hit four goals as Partick Thistle moved further away from the bottom three in the Scottish Premiership with a 5-0 thumping of Hamilton.

There was more than a touch of controversy about Doolan’s first but he proceeded to hand out a striking masterclass as he scored with his right foot, left foot, head and even his heel to inflict a third consecutive defeat on Hamilton caretaker player/manager Martin Canning. Nathan Eccleston added a late fifth.

St Mirren picked up a vital point in their fight against relegation as they held high-flying Dundee United to a 1-1 draw in Paisley.

Kenny McLean produced a spectacular opener after 37 minutes – but the lead lasted just five more as Stuart Armstrong lashed home for United.

Greg Stewart’s first-half penalty helped Dundee to a 1-0 win over Kilmarnock at Dens Park.