Henrik Larsson headed his 44th goal of the season to move Celtic 16 points
clear at the top of the Scottish Premier League which put them within touching
distance of the championship.
But a late injury to Stilian Petrov soured an otherwise perfect evening for
Martin O'Neill's men when he was stretchered off late on with a suspected broken
ankle which could see him miss Sunday's League Cup final.
But the Celtic fans celebrated their title tonight after Rangers missed the
chance to keep the pressure on their Old Firm rivals after a home defeat to
Dundee, while Hibernian's title challenge has already passed by the way-side.
St Johnstone tried to keep the championship race alive at McDiarmid Park, but
despite again not being at their best or strongest Celtic just did enough to
take the points.
While Larsson grabbed the headlines with his second-half winner, his
strike-partner Tommy Johnson gave the Bhoys boss a nudge that he should be in
the side for the CIS Insurance Cup final against Kilmarnock.
Stuart McCluskey had cancelled out Johnson's opener at the break, but the
former Aston Villa man's all-round display has given O'Neill something to think
about as he decides between Lubo Moravcik and Johnson for the place.
St Johnstone manager Sandy Clark had selection problems of his own before the
game and was forced to hand Brendan Crozier and Ross Forsyth their first starts
as Saints chased their first win at McDiarmid Park in 2001.
It was the home side who almost took a shock lead after just one minute.
Forsyth's ball over the top caught out Ramon Vega, who under-hit his backpass
giving Keigan Parker the chance to nip in, but Vega made amends to block Momo
Sylla who had followed up to shoot.
That woke the runaway league leaders, who almost broke the deadlock
immediately.
Johan Mjallby played the ball over the top to Johnson and the striker broke
into the box to unleash a powerful effort which Alan Main saved with his feet.
In-form striker Larsson then shaved the St Johnstone post in the 17th minute
when he latched on to Alan Thompson's cross with the outside of his right boot.
Johnson looked lively during the first half and almost bagged the opener in
the 24th minute, timing his run perfectly to beat the off-side trap and collet
Larsson's pass, but he fired low from a tight angle and Main saved.
But Johnson was celebrating four minutes later when he broke the deadlock
after Thompson swung over the corner and the unmarked striker headed home from
just six yards.
St Johnstone, however, hauled themselves back on level terms in the 42nd
minute when Neil Lennon was adjudged to have brought Sylla down just wide of the
box after he had left a number of Celtic players in his wake.
Paul Kane curled in a dangerous free-kick and McCluskey found space to head
past Douglas into the corner of the net.
St Johnstone took the initiative after the restart and in the 48th minute
Thompson had to defend Kane's dangerous cross with a header behind with Stephen
Frail lurking ominously behind.
From Kane's resulting corner, Alan Kernaghan proved the unlikely dangerman
when he turned just inside the box before firing on target which Douglas saved
low to his right.
But Celtic came right back and, but for a little bit more composure, Johnson
could have put his side ahead again in the 56th minute when he sliced Thompson's
free-kick well wide.
The home side were warned and five minutes later it was Thompson who created
Celtic's second goal.
The midfielder curled in a free-kick from the right flank and Larsson
outjumped the St Johnstone defence to head the ball into the corner for his 44th
goal of the season.
Didier Agathe almost caught the home side on the hop in the 63rd minute when
he found himself in acres of space before lobbing Main, who was well off his
line, but the keeper managed to get a slight touch to tip it away.
With nine minutes remaining, Celtic were dealt an injury blow when Bulgarian
international Petrov was stretchered off with a suspected broken ankle after a
tackle with Jim Weir.
While no-one will deny that the title is now in the bag, Celtic and Larsson's
thoughts were with Petrov tonight, who was taken to hospital after the game for
X-rays.
Teams
St Johnstone: Main, Weir, Kernaghan, McCluskey,
Frail (Hartley 78), Forsyth, Dasovic, Kane,
Crozier (Lovenkrands 67), Sylla, Parker.
Subs Not Used: Cuthbert, O'Neill, McClune.
Booked: Kernaghan.
Goals: McCluskey 41.
Celtic: Douglas, Valgaeren, Mjallby, Vega, Thompson,
Agathe (Crainey 90), Lennon, Lambert, Petrov (McNamara 83), Johnson, Larsson.
Subs Not Used: Gould, Boyd, Moravcik.
Goals: Johnson 28, Larsson 61.
Att: 8,993
Ref: J Underhill (Scotland).
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