Celtic 2-0 Livingston: Kyogo on target as leaders return to winning ways
- Published
Kyogo Furuhashi touches in the opening goal at Celtic Park
Manager Brendan Rodgers praised the persistence of Kyogo Furuhashi after the striker ended a seven-game sequence without scoring in Celtic's victory over Livingston.
The Japan international netted from close range at the start of the second half and Liam Scales added a splendid header as the champions recovered from successive Scottish Premiership losses.
Luis Palma provided smart crosses for both goals in a one-sided contest that opens up a five-point lead over Rangers at the summit.
The Ibrox side, who have two games in hand, visit Motherwell on Sunday and the year will end with an Old Firm derby at Celtic Park.
Livingston, five points adrift at the foot of the table, are now without a win in 10 top-flight outings and have scored just twice in that run.
"He's three goals short of where he was (at this time) last season but, for me, it's more important for the team," said Rodgers of Kyogo's contribution.
"Attacking players, their job is to create and score. You could see relief on his face.
"He read it well and it was nice for him to get the goal because he had other chances which didn't quite drop. From the team point of view it's what we needed.
"I think it's one where there's probably been frustration when he maybe hasn't had the ball through or runs behind to allow him to highlight his clever movement. But he's kept going and persisting. He's got this shoulder issue but he's kept working and that's important.
"Any striker wants to get goals but it's not just about the striker. A striker can can get 40 goals but it's no good if other members aren't contributing."
Seeking a response after suffering back-to-back league defeats for the first time in a decade, Celtic were out of the traps quickly.
The hosts were swarming forward but Livingston deployed a deep, collective block, making it extremely congested in their penalty area.
There were first-half openings for Matt O'Riley, Kyogo and Daizen Maeda but the visitors were in determined mood with a series of last-ditch interventions.
All of that brave resistance was undone in the opening minute of the second period when Kyogo took advantage of a lapse in concentration to touch home a curling cross from Palma.
Celtic's advantage was doubled soon after when Scales leapt impressively to steer home a corner from Palma. The defender was going away from goal but managed to twist and power the pacey delivery beyond goalkeeper Jack Hamilton, who was deputising for Shamal George.
Hamilton remained under siege, making a smart save to thwart Cameron Carter-Vickers after Maeda had spurned a good opportunity with his head.
Making just his fourth appearance of the season, Hamilton excelled again, pushing away a late header from Celtic substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu.
Player of the match - Luis Palma
Luis Palma (right) laid on both goals and could have had a few more assists, with Daizen Maeda and Matt O'Riley guilty of misses in front of the target
Celtic dominate dogged opposition - analysis
With the Green Brigade returning to their corner of the stadium, the atmosphere at Celtic Park was much improved but there were a few grumbles from the home crowd at half-time.
The champions were finding it tough to find space against well-organised and spirited opponents and when they did, Kyogo had a rushed effort cleared by James Penrice and Maeda poked a tentative shot straight at Hamilton.
Livingston were putting bodies on the line with laudable commitment but found themselves behind 28 seconds into the second half and when Scales made it 2-0 five minutes later the result was beyond doubt.
The visitors made no attempt to chase the game, continuing to sit deep and limit the damage, with massive matches against St Johnstone and Motherwell to come.
With the shots tally 22-0 in their favour, Celtic really should have added to their lead. But the returning Maeda did not provide the same threat as fellow winger Palma and the auditions for a Reo Hatate replacement continue without much success, with Paulo Bernardo rather anonymous.
Kyogo was involved much more than he has been of late and his goal, along with Palma's continuing improvement, will probably please boss Brendan Rodgers most.
What they said
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers: "We probably didn't get the goals we deserved, but, from the off, you could see tempo and intensity was much better.
"December can be a grind with a lot of games. It could have been slow but our speed is so important.
"Against a team that was camped in we had to be bright and creative in our play to break them down."
Livingston manager David Martindale: "We rode our luck a bit in the first 15 minutes, then we were managing the game pretty well.
"Second half, the first goal, from a group point of view, is a shocker. We let Palma inside and Luiyi (de Lucas) has to do a lot better, he's got the contact on Kyogo. For the second, Knotts (Michael Nottingham) has got to go and get contact. It's his man. At that point, it's game over.
"It's not rocket science to understand we need a wee bit of help. We need two or three bodies in, but they have got to be boys that can and play for us now, not boys we're trying to develop."
What next?
Celtic visit Dundee on Boxing Day (15:00 GMT), while Livingston are at home to St Johnstone the following evening (19:45).