9th Dec 2016 Partick Thistle 1 Celtic 4 (SPFL Premiership - game 16)

matches:2016-17: ← 24game 2526 →

39y, 4m, 26d	Alan Archibald	Brendan Rodgers

David Amoo; Chris Erskine
Ryan Edwards; Ade Azeez

Liam Lindsay (1-3, 61 mins)		Stuart Armstrong (0-1, 39 mins); Stuart Armstrong (0-2, 49 mins); Leigh Griffiths (0-3, 50 mins); Callum McGregor (1-4, 82 mins)
Sean Welsh (1-3, 61 mins)		Leigh Griffiths (0-1, 39 mins); Leigh Griffiths (0-2, 49 mins); none (0-3, 50 mins); Emilio Izaguirre (1-4, 82 mins)
Ziggy Gordon; Ade Azeez

Chris Erskine (Steven Lawless, 58 mins); David Amoo (Ryan Edwards, 58 mins); Kris Doolan (Ade Azeez, 76 mins)		Gary Mackay-Steven (Ryan Christie, 58 mins); Tom Rogic (Callum McGregor, 58 mins); Patrick Roberts (Moussa Dembele, 79 mins)

31y, 7m, 29d	Tomáš Černý	Craig Gordon
23y, 7m, 16d	Ziggy Gordon	Emilio Izaguirre
25y, 6m, 9d	Callum Booth	Scott Brown
21y, 1m, 27d	Liam Lindsay	Leigh Griffiths
25y, 11m, 2d	Adam Barton	Cristian Gamboa
29y, 9m, 12d	Abdul Osman	Stuart Armstrong
25y, 7m, 26d	David Amoo	Gary Mackay-Steven future Jag
26y, 8m, 24d	Sean Welsh	Tom Rogic
29y, 11m, 28d	Kris Doolan	Mikael Lustig
29y, 10m, 1d	Chris Erskine	Patrick Roberts
25y, 6m, 13d	Christie Elliott	Erik Sviatchenko

26y, 10m, 9d

35y, 8m, 22d	Thorsten Stuckmann	Dorus de Vries
25y, 7m, 27d	Steven Lawless	Kolo Toure
24y, 3m, 2d	Danny Devine	Nir Bitton
22y, 11m, 1d	Ade Azeez	Ryan Christie
22y, 3m, 3d	David Wilson [ii]	Dedryck Boyata
23y, 0m, 22d	Ryan Edwards	Moussa Dembele
21y, 0m, 17d	Declan McDaid	Callum McGregor

notes

Thistle generally in playing order, opposition in squad number order.

TTA report

Erskine's drive was Thistle's best chance then Celtic (37 pts from 39) scored 39, 47 and 48. Erskine's lob went close then Lindsay headed in a Welsh free-kick (61) before a Welsh goal was deemed off-side. Azeez was upended but booked for diving before a 4th (81). Gifted goals and no threat whatsoever.

Media report

Tom English, 09-Dec-2016, bbc.com

Celtic eased aside Partick Thistle at Firhill to increase their lead at the top of the Premiership to 11 points. Stuart Armstrong tapped in from Leigh Griffiths' ball across goal. After half-time Celtic scored twice in a minute, Armstrong's long-range shot added to by Griffiths taking advantage of Adam Barton's error. Liam Lindsay headed a consolation, but Celtic continued to press and Callum McGregor finished Emilio Izaguirre's cut-back. Partick had limited Celtic to a few half-chances in the opening 40 minutes, the champions never looking in danger of conceding but not exactly moving at their fluent best. From a contest, though, Celtic opened up in the space of eight minutes either side of the break. Having defended well for much of the half, Thistle switched off just before half-time. Griffiths slid a ball in from the left and Armstrong was the only alert man in the six-yard box, driving home a close-range finish. The second came when Griffiths rolled a free-kick into Armstrong's path, who then curled it beyond goalkeeper Tomas Cerny. Armstrong was a key man again for the visitors but Cerny was unconvincing when trying to keep out his effort.

Last season's 40-goal man has had his thunder stolen by Moussa Dembele since he got injured back in August. This was only his third start since then and his goal - and his earlier assists - would have come as blessed relief. The one that made it 3-0 came only a minute after Armstrong's second and it was about determination, awful defending and class finishing. He mugged Barton of possession on the right-hand side of the penalty area, spun away from him impudently and then whipped his shot past Cerny. Cheeky and ruthless. On the hour, Lindsay got his head on the end of free-kick and sent a diagonal effort across and beyond Craig Gordon. Celtic had gone to sleep at the back. Bizarrely, the same thing happened again five minutes later - another Partick free-kick, another free header, from Sean Welsh. Welsh was just offside, but Celtic's concentration levels had deserted them again. Celtic have scored four or more goals in half of their league games so far this season. Their fourth here was a while coming - they had chances to do it earlier - but they eventually found their way through again. Dembele was on the field by then, playing up front with Griffiths - just what Partick didn't want to see - but it was Izaguirre, the full-back, who did the damage and not the strikers, and it was McGregor who thumped it home. That was their 43rd league goal in 14 games and it all meant that their lead at the top of the Premiership stretched out to 11 with two games in hand over second-placed Rangers.

Reaction

Partick Thistle manager Alan Archibald (speaking to the BBC):

We made it tough for ourselves. You can't give good sides goals. We struggled with the basics tonight, they got in behind us with a couple of long balls and that was the disappointment. Good sides can cut you open but I thought we gave them goals. We got into good positions but we didn't do anything with it. You've got to have that belief and we didn't have that tonight.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers (speaking to the BBC):

I don't think Partick Thistle have conceded more than two goals in a game this season. On the back of Tuesday night [away to Manchester City] with only two days recovery, to come here and play to that level was exceptional really. You give Partick credit tonight, they made it really difficult, but the mentality in the team is very strong. I can see the development, the relationship between training and the game, they are taking on board the concepts of our build-up play and consolidating the game and then we've obviously got goals in the team. We're staying very composed and calm under pressure and that's a really good sign.

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