Livingston boss David Martindale was left to rue a rare Greg Taylor stunner as Celtic ran out 3-0 winners at Parkhead to maintain their nine point lead the top of the Scottish Premiership table, speaking to Sky Sports.
The improvements Taylor has made in the final third since Ange Postecoglou’s arrival are well documented. But, still, there’s improving and then there’s this.
It was a strike straight out of the Roberto Carlos textbook; an unerring, thumping left-footed strike which fizzed across the penalty area and almost sent the Livingston net flying out the stadium.
Taylor’s fifth goal in Celtic colours will certainly take some beating.
“I thought it was a great finish with Greg. He probably hits another ten of them and, with no disrespect to Greg, they don’t bend in the corner!” Martindale quips.
Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic cruise to Livingston win
If Taylor’s 29th minute opener belonged in the ‘unstoppable’ category, then Martindale certainly doesn’t think the same of the goals which turned a 1-0 lead into a three-goal deficit before half-time.
Daizen Maeda’s second was less brilliant and more bizarre; a clearance rebounding off the Japan international and in. Maeda has been in outstanding form throughout 2023. And, hey, when things are going your way, these sort of incidents can happen.
Kyogo Furuhashi then killed the game as a contest, latching onto a raking Matt O’Riley pass before finishing with the confidence of a man who now has 18 goals in 22 league games.
“I thought the other two were very cheap goals (to concede),” Martindale adds. “I don’t think they caused us too many problems and we found ourselves 3-0 down! We were unfortunate for it to be three. It’s unacceptable, the manner which we lost them goals.
“But Celtic were worthy winners. When they move the ball at the tempo they move the ball, the rotations and movements in the wide areas, it’s very, very good. The play that led to the first goal was very good.
“They are league champions for a reason. They are the team to beat. I said that to Ange, I thought they’ve been fantastic.”
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