The newly-crowned back-to-back champions moved to within one game of making more history after putting five past a beleaguered Dunfermline side at Parkhead on Saturday afternoon.

Martin O'Neill's all-conquering men secured their first consecutive title success in 20 years with victory over Livingston last week.

But a John Hartson double and goals from Paul Lambert, Jamie Smith and Momo Sylla took the Glasgow giants to within one win of maintaining a 100 per cent home record throughout the season for the first time in the club's 114-year history.

Celtic are also just one point away from equalling last season's points tally of 97 having dropped just nine points.

But Dunfermline were as bad as Celtic were impressive and failed to make it much of a contest, even though the home side were without Henrik Larsson and Chris Sutton.

The party atmosphere of last week was very much still spilling over again today as the home side made a bright side.

But Dunfermline threatened to bring the champions back down to earth with a bang in the fifth minute.

Jason Dair skipped away from Paul Lambert on the left and played a dangerous ball into the box, but fortunately Stephen Crainey was on hand to clear with Stephen Crawford lurking ominously.

But Celtic should have taken the lead in the 12th minute after carving out their first great chance of the game.

Didier Agathe outwitted Andre Karnebeek on the right and pulled the ball back to John Hartson on the edge of the six-yard box, but the Welshman snatched at his shot and blazed high and wide.

Hartson made amends for his earlier missed inadequacy by grabbing his side's opener after 18 minutes.

It all stemmed from a throw-in which was wrongly given to the home side and clearly outraged Jimmy Calderwood and his assistant Jimmy Nicholl, who were still raging five minutes later.

But Celtic capitalised on their moment of fortune as Steve Guppy picked out the Welshman, who pulled away from his marker and made no mistake to head past Ruitenbeek from nine yards out.

Hartson was relishing his role as the main striker and tried to double their lead in glorious fashion in the 28th minute.

He took Crainey's pass in his stride, shrugged off Scott Thomson and attempted an audacious chip over the keeper from a tight angle, but was just unable to get the weight and direction right to finish it off.

Agathe tried to pick out Hartson for his second in the 35th minute after another trademark burst down the right flank, but Thomson did well to turn the ball behind for a corner.

But the champions did extend their advantage four minutes later with the players queuing up to get on the scoresheet.

Ruitenbeek did well to push out Crainey's left-foot strike from Stilian Petrov's cut-back, but the ball eventually broke to Lambert and he curled a left-foot shot into the bottom corner.

Scotland's new recruit again came close to scoring three minutes before the break, when he curled a left-footed free-kick just past the upright after Andrius Skerla fouled Hartson.

Agathe was again looking to wreak havoc in the 51st minute, but he was cut down recklessly in his stride by David Nichols, who earned the first yellow card of the day for his troubles.

A minute later and the visitors were lucky not to concede a penalty when Lee Bullen appeared to push Sylla in the back after Guppy's cross, but John Underhill somehow failed to see it.

Agathe then left the field after failing to recover from Nichols' wild challenge and was replaced by Bobby Petta.

Smith's arrival had the desired effect in the 58th minute when he fired home Celtic's third of the afternoon.

Hartson unselfishly teed the ball up to him and his right-foot shot clipped Thomson before nestling in the bottom corner.

Moments later Morten Wieghorst was given a hero's welcome with another appearance after recovering from Guillain-Barre Syndrome and he came on for Johan Mjallby.

Dunfermline almost caught Celtic by surprise on the hour mark when Gary Mason picked out Nichols on the edge of the box, but his volley whistled just past the upright.

That seemed to wake the champions again and moments later Hartson's cheeky lob from Lambert's pass sailed just over.

Petta should have made it four in the 67th minute, but Ruitenbeek did well to save with his feet from point-blank range while Hartson's goalbound effort was blocked by Skerla.

The impressive Hartson grabbed a richly-deserved second in the 70th minute with a clinical shot into the bottom corner following a fine pass from Lambert for his 23rd of the season.

But that was not the end of the show as Sylla got in on the act to convert Guppy's cross home at the far post.

Rangers now stand in the way of more glory for arch-rivals Celtic, but on this evidence history is in the making.

Teams:

Celtic Douglas, Mjallby (Wieghorst 59), Boyd, Crainey, Agathe (Petta 54), Lambert, Lennon (Smith 45), Petrov, Guppy, Hartson, Sylla.

Subs Not Used: Gould, McNamara.

Goals: Hartson 18, Lambert 40, Smith 58, Hartson 70, Sylla 76.

Dunfermline Ruitenbeek, Karnebeek (McGarty 74), Bullen, Skerla, Dair, Nicholson, Mason, Nicholls (Petrie 64), Scott Thomson, Crawford, N'Diaye (Skinner 46).

Subs Not Used: Scott Y Thomson, Kilgannon.

Booked: Nicholls, Dair.

Att: 57,016