Raith Rovers manager Grant Murray had no complaints after watching his side exit the Scottish Communities League Cup.
Within a matter of seconds Celtic again threatened, as McGeough’s disguised free-kick first gave Hooper, then Efe Ambrose, then Thomas Rogne the chance to have efforts on goal with the latter’s shot hitting the upright and staying out.
Rovers weathered the storm though and the Kirkcaldy side stunned Celtic Park with an equaliser in the 28th minute.
Graham slipped the ball through to Allan Walker at the edge of the area and his shot took a wicked deflection off the sliding Kelvin Wilson before looping over Zaluska into the net.
Celtic found themselves back in front nine minutes before the break when Forrest outpaced the Raith defence and delivered an inch-perfect cross for the lurking Hooper to convert from close range.
Raith almost hit back two minutes later when Grant Anderson whipped a ball into the area, but Graham couldn’t get on the end of it.
Ambrose rifled a shot just wide as Celtic looked to start the second period where they left off, but Raith almost levelled again in 50 minutes when Walker’s cross was met by the head of Graham, although his header was inches off target.
McGurn then did well to smother a Hooper shot three minutes later, but the keeper was unable to keep the striker out in the 58th minute.
Good work by McGeough and Adam Matthews down the right enabled the latter to slip the ball through to Hooper, who fired the ball into the net.
Two minutes later Hooper grabbed his fourth when McGurn could only parry Kayal’s shot into the path of Celtic’s number 88, who made no mistake.
In the 73rd minute Forrest sent a superb curling shot which hit the inside of McGurn’s left-hand post and stayed out.
The Raith keeper then did well to tip over a long range Matthews effort with 10 minutes to go.
Hoops boss Neil Lennon said: “We knew it would be a difficult game but we played well and did what we had to do.”
Top marksman Gary Hooper, whom boss Neil Lennon believes is “good enough to play for England”, scored all four goals although Rovers had drawn level midway through the first half.
Murray said: “It was always going to be a difficult task and when you go behind early it does make it an uphill battle. But credit to the guys, they got themselves back in the game and probably had a chance after that. But when Celtic get the second and third it does make it difficult.
“But my players can come away from here heads held high they gave it everything they had.”
Murray added: “I wouldn’t mind having 11 Gary Hoopers in my team, put it that way. But I thought the boys did us proud tonight.
”Coming here was always going to be a learning curve for us and we’re playing against international class players.”
Celtic made six changes from the team that beat Dundee at the weekend, while Raith, who took an estimated 1,000 fans to Celtic Park, made one alteration to the side that lost 1-0 loss at Morton with Grant Anderson coming back into the starting line-up.
After Beram Kayal sent a long-range effort well over in the second minute, the visiting fans were calling for a penalty four minutes later when Brian Graham went down under keeper Lukasz Zaluska’s challenge, although referee Alan Muir was having none of it.
In the 12th minute James Forrest intercepted a loose pass by Jason Thomson and fed Dylan McGeough out wide right, with Hooper given the simplest of tasks to slot home the low cross into the danger area.
Two minutes later McGeough was given too much time and space to get a shot away in the box and Raith keeper David McGurn made a superb save down to his right to keep it 1-0.
Continued…