Henrik Larsson and John Hartson rose to the occasion as Martin O'Neill's
men clinched their first back-to-back title triumphs in 20 years with an
emphatic victory over Livingston.
The Scottish Premier League trophy, the champagne and the fireworks were on
stand-by before kick-off and, unlike last season, Celtic showed no nerves and
retained the title in style.
But it was a stunning hat-trick from Swedish star Larsson and a first half
double from his Welsh strike partner Hartson that made the Parkhead championship
celebrations go with a bang.
Livingston had hoped to gatecrash the party, but it was the home fans who
almost single-handedly succeeded in ruining the day by failing to honour the
minute's silence for the Queen Mother.
Supporters jeered and whistled throughout, which forced referee Willie Young
to cut short the gesture.
It was a rare dark moment on a gloriously sunny and wonderful occasion for the
runaway Premier League champions which started in the best possible fashion with
a second minute opener.
Paul Lambert made a determined burst to the byline and pulled the ball back
into the path of Larsson, who comfortably swept home from six yards.
That strike mirrored his goal against St Johnstone in the final game of the
1998 season which clinched their championship triumph that year.
The goal kick-started the carnival atmosphere, but it took Hartson's strike in
the 19th minute for the party to fully commence.
Didier Agathe did well down the right and swung an inviting ball into the box
and the Welshman volleyed emphatically home past Javier Sanchez-Broto.
Hartson came within inches of scoring his second of the match three minutes
later.
The Welshman took Lambert's through ball in his stride and crashed a fierce
right-foot shot against the upright.
He attempted to fire home the rebound, but only managed to accidentally kick
Oscar Rubio in the head.
But Celtic were threatening to run riot and Hartson made no mistake in the
25th minute when he headed Steve Guppy's cross home from close range for his
21st goal of the campaign.
Livingston offered little in the way of an attacking threat and they fell
further behind in the 33rd minute when Larsson headed Guppy's cross into the
corner of the net for his second.
Larsson could have completed a sensational first half hat-trick just two
minutes before the break after skipping past Gary Bollan and Broto, but Rubio
got back to clear off the line.
Livingston manager Jim Leishman made two changes at the break, with Cherif
Toure-Maman and short-term signing Noko Jokovic replacing David Bingham and
Francisco Quino.
And that almost had the desired effect as they pulled one back in the 55th
minute when David Xausa dispossessed young defender Stephen Crainey in the
Celtic half.
He played the ball onto Barry Wilson, who picked him out in the centre, but
his effort was easily saved by Robert Douglas.
That sparked a response from Celtic and just four minutes later Larsson was
celebrating his hat-trick.
Neil Lennon found Lambert and the midfielder crossed for the Swedish star to
fire home for his 35th goal of the season.
Larsson almost capped that with a glorious fourth soon after when he caught
Agathe's cross on the volley, but watched as the ball flew just wide of the
upright.
The Celtic fans were off their feet again in the 68th minute when O'Neill took
off Guppy and introduced their favourite son Lubo Moravcik, who leaves at the
end of the season.
But it was Livingston who reacted to that with a consolation as Jokovic played
Wilson through and he slid the ball past Douglas.
That did little to lift the spirits of the visitors, who almost conceded
another in bizarre fashion moments later.
Moravcik over-hit his cross, but the ball came back off the crossbar and
Hartson was just unable to capitalise.
Celtic seemed to switch off late on as the players' minds turned to the trophy
presentation and Wilson almost grabbed his second, but he pulled his right-foot
shot into the side-netting.
The fans were already celebrating and Young's final whistle sparked amazing
scenes at Parkhead and the east end of Glasgow as O'Neill and his players got
their hands on the championship trophy for the second successive season.
Teams
Celtic: Douglas, Mjallby, Sutton, Crainey (McNamara 76), Agathe, Lennon, Lambert (Smith 75), Petrov, Guppy (Moravcik 67), Larsson, Hartson.
Subs Not Used: Gould, Boyd.
Goals: Larsson 3, Hartson 19, 25, Larsson 33, 59.
Livingston: Broto, Petersen, Rubio, Andrews, Bollan, Lovell, Quino (Toure-Maman 45), Makel, Bingham (Jokovic 45), Wilson, Xausa (Brittain 60).
Subs Not Used: McEwan, Santini.
Booked: Wilson.
Goals: Wilson 72.
Att: 59,752
Ref: W Young (Scotland).
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