Celtic put on best display in a year against feeble St. Mirren
21st August 2021, Celtic Park
Celtic 6-0 St. Mirren
With Rangers making a faltering start to their title defence, the eternal Old Firm tug-of-war has pulled back in favour of Celtic. Despite a loss on day one, Celtic got two wins from the next two, both powerfully emphatic. Is normal service restored in Scotland? We should know for sure soon.
This was satisfying revenge for Celtic whose Covid-depleted squad went down to a humiliating home defeat to Paisley’s finest back in the winter. Ironically, St. Mirren’s coach, Jim Goodwin, was missing for this meeting with a Covid diagnosis of his own, but his absence cannot begin to account for this loss. Recklessness and poor discipline would be stronger candidates.
Liel Abada scored the first of a brace after seventeen minutes to put Celtic ahead, and just two minutes later, Alan Power was sent off for an out-of-control late challenge on David Turnbull. Abada added his second moments later.
Turnbull proceeded to make sure Power’s transgression received maximum punishment as he struck an utterly ruthless hat-trick. The first on 28 minutes was a 25-yard beauty. His second, just before half-time, was more opportunist, seizing on a spill by Jak Alnwick, who had a poor day between the St. Mirren sticks, to tap home.
St. Mirren had had a goal questionably disallowed for offside at 2-0 down, but after the game assistant coach Lee Sharp made too much of refereeing question marks and ignored how much his team were outmanoeuvred both before and after the red card.
In the second half, Odsonne Edouard, possibly playing his last match for Celtic (he is heavily linked with West Ham United), added a fifth as he enjoyed his afternoon dragging the St. Mirren defence one way and the other. Turnbull had time to complete his hat-trick in the closing stages, and Celtic were right back in the title hunt, where they (think they) belong.
As for St.Mirren, one point from three games means they are already up against it.
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