St Johnstone may have left Glasgow pointless but there was nothing in this typically determined Parkhead performance to suggest it will have a long-lasting effect on their bid for a European place.
Champions-in-waiting Celtic took more than an hour to breakdown the McDiarmid Park side when Georgios Samaras scored with a header, which was swiftly followed by a Chris Millar own goal just four minutes later.
Up until that point, however, Saints were giving as good as they got, and a second win at Celtic Park this season was a real possibility against jittery hosts who were coming into the match on the back of League Cup final and Old Firm defeats.
Before Celtic took the lead Saints were enjoying their best spell of pressure in the match and ex-Hoops man Cillian Sheridan should have buried a near-post header.
As so often proves to be the case in Glasgow though, passing up that golden chance proved to be fatal. You also need refereeing decisions to go your way, and that was another box not ticked.
Saints made no changes to the team which defeated Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Wednesday night, with Callum and Murray Davidson still out injured and new signing Derek Riordan not included in the squad.
Celtic looked in the mood from the first whistle and Samaras went on the charge through the middle. Liam Craig brought him down 25 yards from goal and from the resultant free-kick Anthony Stokes was unable to keep his shot on target.
Samaras was again a threat to the Saints defence on seven minutes when he showed fine close control in the box before chipping the ball beyond the back post, picking out Stokes. The Irishman made Alan Mannus work this time but his header was comfortably saved by the Perth keeper.
Moments later the visitors worked themselves into the Celtic box for the first time. The move ended up with Jody Morris shooting from 20 yards but he dragged his low effort well wide of Fraser Forster’s right hand post.Minute’s applauseOn the 19th minute of the game there was a moving tribute to former Celtic star Stilyan Petrov. Nineteen is the Bulgarian’s squad number at Aston Villa and as happened at Villa Park on Saturday the whole ground, both benches included, rose to their feet to give a minute’s applause.
That minute didn’t provide any noteworthy action on the pitch, but the 21st did. Alan Maybury fouled Skokes but referee George Salmond played advantage when he saw Gary Hooper was in with a chance of scoring.
The Englishman tried to lob Mannus but he didn’t get enough height on his shot and it was an easy save.
Shortly after the best chance of the match so far fell to Kris Commons after Stokes slid a ball through to him down the left side of the box. His low angled shot beat Mannus but sneaked inches wide of the post.
A free-kick was awarded to Saints around 25 yards from goal, which was taken by Craig. It was well enough struck but Forster wasn’t caught out and parried it away to safety.
Craig had another effort on goal on 42 minutes after a Lee Croft cross, which was meant for Fran Sandaza, came into his path just inside the box. Glenn Loovens bravely charged the shot down and kept it away from Forster.
Two minutes before half-time the Saints’ goal lived a charmed life. Croft fouled Joe Ledley and was booked. Commons curled the free-kick into the box and a punch from Mannus on the six yard line only made it as far as Charlie Mulgrew.
Frazer Wright blocked this effort and a second one from Stokes, and the Perth men were able to make it into the break still on level terms.
There were early signs in the second period that there was a change in the tide, when Saints twice came close to breaking the deadlock.
Just four minutes after the restart Dave Mackay crossed from the right and Sheridan met it with a glancing header at the near post which just missed.
Then on 52 minutes a deep Craig free-kick picked out Sandaza. The Spaniard’s looping header had Forster beaten but it didn’t dip quickly enough to make it under the bar.Restless fansThe home fans were getting increasingly restless, and their players less and less composed. Saints, on the other hand, were growing in confidence and Millar tried a speculative long-range effort which didn’t worry the goal.
Shortly after the hour mark Celtic got themselves back on the attack and two near misses swiftly followed.
First a Scott Brown 20-yarder was deflected just over. Then from the Commons corner that followed the ball broke back to the ex-Derby County winger and his curling shot was tipped over by Mannus at full stretch.
The momentum was building in Celtic’s favour and they got their reward with the opener in 66 minutes.
David McCracken was penalised for climbing over Samaras and when Commons floated the free-kick into the danger area the Greek striker gave Mannus no chance with his downward header.
Saints had a penalty shout moments later when Sandaza went down while cutting across Loovens from the left, but the referee wasn’t convinced.
The most significant minute of the match came on 69 when Matthews cut out a Croft cross which Craig was poised to bury at the back post. From the corner there was a goalmouth scramble, which resulted in another corner.
Near the touchline Craig looked to be fouled by Commons, no foul was awarded, and the Hoops broke upfield in numbers, switching the play quickly to the right side. It was from there that goal scorer Samaras turned goal provider and his low drilled cross was put into his own net by Millar.
Saints manager Steve Lomas was furious, as was Craig, who was booked for his protest at the assistant referee who hadn’t given him a free-kick.
Craig nearly made it an interesting end to the match when an 84th minute free-kick took a deflection off the wall and was just touched over by Forster.
It wasn’t the former Falkirk man’s day as he blazed over on 88 minutes when Forster palmed a Sandaza cross at his feet 10 yards out.