Evergreen James Forrest rolled back the years to score a deadly double in a nervy 2-1 win over Dundee to keep the champions three points ahead of Rangers.
The winger starting for Celtic for the first time since November and made the difference. His first strike was a stunner and his second was vital after Antonio Portales helped half the arrears when his speculative strike was hacked into his own next by a mortified Adam Idah after 75 minutes. But Celtic showed their mettle and and remained in control of their title destiny.
Weeks removed from the Dens Park cancellation farce, thankfully, the only pitch battles here were between the 22 combatants in a hotly contested clash between would-be champions and Tony Docherty's upstarts who went from relegation favourites to potential European gatecrashers – an incredible achievement architected by one of Scottish football's most revered coaches who has thrived in stepping out of Derek McInnes' shadow.
And Docherty was primed and ready for Celtic – even though he was forced to pop his airpods in to converse with his coaching staff, as he was banished to the stands due to the SFA touchline ban. Celtic started quickly and the ever-improving Nicolas Kuhn made his personal mission to strike with three quick-fire attempts on goal.
Celtic had dominated this fixture with 13 goals in three games this season, however, any notion this was going to result in a deluge of goals were washed away when the hosts finally bared their teeth against Celtic after a campaign of meek resistance. En vogue Luke McCowan – namechecked by Hoops superfan Rod Stewart as a must-get signing – was playing with a real panache.
Forrest's stunning opener came amid Dundee's best spell and that stunning strike did little to calm frayed nerves for those in green and white. The second half was one way traffic for the first 15 minutes as Dundee marched down the hill at Dens and forced the title favourites into keeping them at bay.
But trust the 32-year-old to step up when it mattered most as he sniffed out a chance to pounce on slapstick Dundee defending and his second was all about power as his strike ended up going through the legs of the exposed Jon McCracken. Reo Hatate then cracked the post with a trademark effort from the edge of the box.
But Idah's own goal saw the panic return and Dundee piled it on in a nerve-shredding finale. Long throws and a series of testing crosses pushed Celtic to their limits. But the sweet relief of three points was secured at the sound of John Beaton's whistle moments after Michael Mellon had headed wide with the Dee's final chance. Here's 3 talking points from Dens Park.
Champions...just
Rodgers remarked back in February, minutes after Idah's later winner at Motherwell, that even if his side had dropped four points behind Rangers that day it wouldn't have been fatal. A message of serenity amid the madness of a title race which, back then, felt was slipping out of the champions' grasp. And almost every action since then has underlined a manager who has remained unmoved amid the maelstrom, however, that calmness was tested to the max in the City of Discovery. Wonky defending, flimsy resistance in midfield and a lack of bite in the final third – there's plenty of notes in Rodgers' black book which will need to be reviewed before they take on Hearts.
A cross to bear
Oftentimes, a team's weakness is viewed in a more general fashion, however, the way to get a Celtic appears evident for anyone to see. Scoop a cross from the left wing and cause Liam Scales and Greg Taylor nightmares at the back post. Aberdeen scored twice from the routine last week and Amadou Bakayoko was kicking himself for not doing the same. Taylor and Scales – normally the first two names suggested by fans over who could be upgraded – have plenty of positives in their game but they appear prone to crosses which have them going backwards. There's five big games to go and standing tall is a necessity.
Forrest fires roar
The Forrest story at Celtic is one of both brilliance and resilience. He battled back from crippling injuries to become a standout under Rodgers first time out and now, true to type, is returning to prominence when nobody else saw it coming. His goal against Aberdeen last week was merely a taster for the magic he had in store at Dens Park. A brilliant brace was heralded but his all-round game pointed towards a player who will have a real say on how this title race will shape up.
