Celtic 3-1 Hamilton Academical

Celtic eased aside Hamilton Academical to maintain their five-point lead at the top of the table and stretch their unbeaten domestic run to 69 games.

It was no surprise when, after a spell of early pressure, Olivier Ntcham fired Celtic into a 12th-minute lead.

Danny Redmond equalised with a fine finish, but the Premiership leaders scored twice within a minute through James Forrest and Scott Sinclair.

Rakish Bingham hit the post as Accies had the better second-half chances.

But there was to be no fightback from the side who remain ninth in the table after their three-match unbeaten run away from home came to an end.

With Aberdeen sweeping aside St Johnstone and Rangers edging out Hibernian, Brendan Rodgers' reigning champions retain the gap at the summit with both - and still have a game in hand.

Celtic made a lively start and Nir Bitton, who had returned to the centre of defence, forced a save from goalkeeper Gary Woods then Stuart Armstrong and Ntcham fired just wide from distance.

They were getting closer and opened the scoring with a wonderful effort from Ntcham. Sinclair worked a neat one-two with Callum McGregor before picking out the Frenchman, who blasted a right-foot volley from 10 yards into the net for his fifth goal of the season.

Ntcham came close to adding to his tally with a fine half volley from the edge of the area that Woods tipped excellently round the post.

Hamilton had won only one of their previous 20 matches against Celtic, but they stunned the home crowd with an equaliser just before the half-hour mark.

Scott Sinclair (right) scored his third goal in two games and his 15th of the season

Darian MacKinnon set up Redmond on the 18-yard line and he sent a left-foot shot over goalkeeper Craig Gordon and into the top left-hand corner of the net.

However, Celtic were dominating and regained the lead through Forrest. A defence-splitting pass from Armstrong picked out the winger on the run and he rounded Woods before slotting home with a low left-foot shot.

Sinclair, who scored twice at the weekend against Hibs, hit Celtic's third three minutes before the break with an exquisite finish, chipping from 16 yards beyond Woods.

Redmond had an effort deflected wide early in the second half as he followed up after his own free-kick was blocked by the defensive wall.

Celtic were still creating more than the visitors and, when Odsonne Edouard was clean through, Woods was up to the task of saving his low shot.

Accies were always dangerous on the counter attack and Bingham missed a glorious chance, screwing his shot wide when unmarked eight yards from Greg Docherty's low cross.

Docherty wasted another chance when he burst forward and dragged his shot wide when he had the opportunity to pass to Bingham.

A short pass-back from substitute Jozo Simunovic presented Bingham with another chance and the striker sent a low shot beyond goalkeeper Craig Gordon but back off the post.

Celtic substitute Jonny Hayes forced another fine save from Woods, but the damage for Accies had been done in the first half as Rodgers' men stretched their unbeaten home run in domestic game to 44 matches.

Match reaction

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers: "I was very pleased because Hamilton showed why they've gone to Ibrox and gone to Easter Road and other places and won games because they're a good side with good players and Martin Canning's done a very very good job with them.

"So it was always going to be a test for us, but I thought we came through it very well.

"We tried something slightly different in our shape and our positioning when we had the ball and, in the main, that worked really well for us.

"We scored three very good goals with things we've been working on in terms of breaking the line.

"There were a couple of mistakes which weren't so good, but at this time of the season, when games are coming thick and fast, it was a very very good win for us.

"Olivier Ntcham's first goal was great technique and his overall play and passing and movement was very good."

Hamilton Academical manager Martin Canning: "I thought we performed well. Obviously, at 1-1, a one-minute period killed us in terms of the game - we go 3-1 down.

"In the second half at 3-1, a goal for us and it's game back on and we had two or three really good chances from which we could quite easily scored.

"In terms of the performance, the boys worked hard, the shape was good and we created our chances and I'd have liked to have seen us take one of them to add that little bit of pressure on.

"We competed very well and limited Celtic to not a lot as far as opportunities because a lot of the chances came from distance.

"Obviously Celtic are a top team and, when you come here, its always going to be difficult, but in terms of the players effort and commitment, it was first class."