Celtic were grateful for an excellent first-half display to earn a win against a Jekyll-and-Hyde Livingston at the City Stadium in the Premier League yesterday.
Stilian Petrov had put the Hoops a goal up within two minutes of the start before strikes from Henri Camara, John Hartson and Chris Sutton looked to have sealed the game after 32 minutes. Burton O'Brien appeared to have offered only a consolation with his goal in the final minute of the first period.
But a rejuvenated Livi hit back in the second half and O'Brien grabbed his second eight minutes after the break, leaving an injury-ravaged Celtic to hang on.
However, the Parkhead injury jinx struck again - claiming Camara, defender Stephen McManus and Stanislav Varga.
In the second minute Petrov fired them ahead after a five-man move. The Bulgarian flicked Jackie McNamara's pass to Hartson and the Welshman and Sutton combined to play the midfielder through to coolly fire past Roddy McKenzie.
Camara gave the Livingston goalkeeper no chance in the 14th minute as he capitalised on a mistake by Emmanuel Dorado. The defender gave away the ball just inside the Celtic half and Hartson quickly played his strike-partner through and the on-loan Senegal international side-footed the ball into the right corner of the net.
Camara returned the favour for Hartson in the 19th minute. Oscar Rubio and his team-mates watched as the on-loan Wolves man got on the end of a punt downfield. Camara was then allowed to wait for Hartson to arrive in the box before playing him in for the easiest of goals. In the 25th minute, McManus was stretchered off with an ankle to be replaced by midfielder Stephen Pearson.
And Sutton looked to have put them out of sight in the 32nd minute following another great passing move. Petrov and the ex-Blackburn forward started it off before a clever backheel from Hartson put his team-mate clean through and Sutton blasted home.
O'Brien gave the home side some cheer in the final minute of the half when he fired to the net from eight yards. O'Brien hauled Livingston back into the game in the 53rd minute when firing low through a ruck of players and past Marshall.
LIVINGSTON: McKenzie, McNamee, Rubio, Dorado, Stanic (Libbra 85), McLaughlin, Easton, Lovell, O'Brien, Snodgrass (Brittain 45), Hamilton (Lilley 77). Subs Not Used: McMenamin, Snowdon, Bahoken, Meldrum. Booked: Dorado, Stanic, Rubio, Easton. Goals: O'Brien 45, 53.
CELTIC: Marshall, McNamara, Balde, Varga (Lambert 45), McManus (Pearson 26), Petrov, Lennon, Sutton, Wallace, Camara (Juninho Paulista 37), Hartson. Subs Not Used: Hedman, Sylla, Beattie, McGeady. Booked: Pearson, Hartson, Lennon, Lambert. Goals: Petrov 2, Camara 14, Hartson 19, Sutton 32.
Referee: A Freeland (Scotland).
Rangers manager Alex McLeish accused his players of lacking a killer instinct after Dundee United were allowed to escape with the draw at Ibrox yesterday. The result leaves Rangers trailing Celtic by seven points. Barry Robson's sweetly-struck free-kick in the 89th minute cancelled out an equally impressive opener from Nacho Novo 10 minutes earlier.
McLeish insisted: "We were not robbed. We have only ourselves to blame. We weren't ruthless enough on the day."
The free-kick award, made by referee Steve Conroy after Karim Kerkar had gone down under Dado Prso's challenge, had looked a dubious one and the official also had to make a snap decision in stoppage time when Steven Thompson went down in the box as David McCracken challenged.
That also went United's way and McLeish added: "It looked like a soft award."
RANGERS: Klos, Khizanishvili, Andrews, Boumsong, Vignal, Burke (Namouchi 87), Ricksen, Malcolm, Novo, Prso, Arveladze (Thompson 54). Subs Not Used: Graeme Smith, Lovenkrands, Ball, Hughes, McLean. Booked: Novo. Goals: Novo 69.
DUNDEE UTD: Jarvie, Wilson, Innes, McCracken, Archibald, McInnes, Brebner, Robson, Dodds, Samuel (McIntyre 73), Grady (Kerkar 80). Subs Not Used: Hirschfeld, Duff, Ritchie, Robertson, Gardiner. Booked: Robson, Samuel , McInnes. Goals: Robson 90.
Referee: S Conroy (Scotland)
