Match ends, Motherwell 1, Celtic 2.
MotherwellMotherwell1CelticCeltic2
Two Leigh Griffiths goals in a madcap win over Motherwell moved defending champions Celtic eight points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
Celtic had eight attempts on goal in the first half - including a missed Griffiths penalty - before the striker made amends just before the break.
Motherwell had their goalkeeper Connor Ripley to thank for keeping them in it before Scott McDonald equalised.
But Griffiths struck again, the ball squirming through Ripley's legs.
It was a bitter end to what had been a terrific performance by the Englishman.
Celtic lorded it early on. The irony was that of all their pot-shots at goal the one shot that did not trouble Ripley was that missed Griffiths penalty.
Patrick Roberts, excellent in the first half, had the first of those chances, Nir Bitton the second and Griffiths the third. All of them were beaten away by Ripley.
Midway through the half, Roberts' quick feet bamboozled Morgaro Gomis and the penalty was won - and then missed. Griffiths pulled his effort wide of Ripley's left-hand post. Bizarrely for a man who has scored buckets of goals this season, it was Griffiths' fourth miss from the penalty spot since August.
Ripley continued dealing with the Celtic barrage. Lovely build-up play put Colin Kazim-Richards through on goal but Ripley denied him, this time with his feet.
Motherwell, in that opening half, had none of the edge that had helped them win five on the spin. Their use of the ball was awful, their composure suffering some kind of peculiar bypass.
They continued to invite Celtic on to them. Kieran Tierney and Roberts, again, forced saves from Ripley. True, many of these blocks from the keeper were from attempts delivered straight down his throat, but he had still made seven saves by the time the game was 40 minutes old.
A minute before the break, he was beaten at last, Tierney delivering from the left and Griffiths sweeping it home from close range. One goal was the least that their pressure deserved, but even that slender margin was to be wiped out soon enough.
Motherwell turned up at the party in the second half. At last, they had a bit of attitude and accuracy going forward.
McDonald had the ball in the Celtic net 10 minutes into the half but it was disallowed, controversially, for offside. Celtic now became the nervy team. Dedryck Boyata was an unsettling presence at the heart of their defence as Motherwell's confidence grew.
The equaliser came on the hour when Chris Cadden got the better of Tierney on the left and pulled it back for Celtic's old boy, McDonald, to thump home, aided by a slight deflection off Boyata's knee. It was an emphatic finish from the Australian - one that utterly stunned the visitors.
Celtic dug it out, though. With 15 minutes left - and just after an angry exchange that could have seen Kazim-Richards sent off - Griffiths struck again, his snapshot going through Ripley's legs.
A frustrated figure for much of the afternoon, the irrepressible Celtic striker found a way of getting the job done - again.
Line-ups
Motherwell
Formation 4-4-1-1
- 1Ripley
- 18Law
- 16Kennedy
- 6McManusBooked at 83mins
- 3Hammell
- 26CaddenSubstituted forAinsworthat 76'minutes
- 14LasleySubstituted forLeitchat 76'minutes
- 17GomisSubstituted forThomasat 90'minutes
- 11Johnson
- 77McDonald
- 20Moult
Substitutes
- 7Ainsworth
- 13Samson
- 15Chalmers
- 21Leitch
- 23Thomas
- 28Watt
- 32Hall
Celtic
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Gordon
- 23Lustig
- 20Boyata
- 21Mulgrew
- 63Tierney
- 8Brown
- 6Bitton
- 27RobertsSubstituted forS Armstrongat 90+1'minutes
- 25JohansenSubstituted forRogicat 70'minutes
- 13Kazim-RichardsBooked at 75minsSubstituted forMcGregorat 76'minutes
- 9GriffithsBooked at 45mins
Substitutes
- 3Izaguirre
- 4Ambrose
- 14S Armstrong
- 15Commons
- 18Rogic
- 38Fasan
- 42McGregor
- Referee:
- William Collum
- Attendance:
- 9,123
Match Stats
Home TeamMotherwellAway TeamCeltic
- Possession
- Home44%
- Away56%
- Shots
- Home9
- Away23
- Shots on Target
- Home4
- Away13
- Corners
- Home3
- Away6
- Fouls
- Home17
- Away12
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Motherwell 1, Celtic 2.
Post update
Attempt missed. Louis Moult (Motherwell) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the right.
Post update
Attempt missed. Leigh Griffiths (Celtic) left footed shot from long range on the right is close, but misses to the right.
Post update
Foul by Jack Leitch (Motherwell).
Post update
Nir Bitton (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Celtic. Stuart Armstrong replaces Patrick Roberts.
Post update
Foul by Scott McDonald (Motherwell).
Post update
Nir Bitton (Celtic) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Substitution
Substitution, Motherwell. Dom Thomas replaces Morgaro Gomis.
Post update
Attempt saved. Leigh Griffiths (Celtic) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Post update
Attempt saved. Lionel Ainsworth (Motherwell) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Post update
Attempt missed. Leigh Griffiths (Celtic) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high.
Booking
Stephen McManus (Motherwell) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by Stephen McManus (Motherwell).
Post update
Nir Bitton (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Attempt missed. Louis Moult (Motherwell) header from the left side of the box misses to the left.
Post update
Lionel Ainsworth (Motherwell) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Callum McGregor (Celtic).
Post update
Attempt blocked. Lionel Ainsworth (Motherwell) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
