Ten-man Motherwell were left to rue a couple of big chances for teenage sensation Lennor Miller early on in their clash with Celtic – as the champions sent the Steelmen spinning to their fourth defeat of the season.
The 18-year-old hit the woodwork twice inside 60 seconds in the opening 10 minutes of the match, first hitting the post after the hosts had pounced on an error from Paulo Bernardo and then cracking the crossbar with a terrific free-kick 25 yards out.
Despite enjoying a very bright start, the Hoops made them pay when a great piece of skill from Luke McCowan led to the midfielder rifling home the opener in 27 minutes before Alistair Johnston’s header and Adam Idah’s effort in the second half sealed the points.
Liam Gordon then saw red in stoppage time when his late tackle on Idah was upgraded from a yellow after a VAR check.
The game kicked off a big week in Motherwell’s season ahead of next Sunday’s League Cup semi-final at Hampden with Rangers, which comes after a midweek trip to Tannadice to face Dundee United, and the Steelmen cam at least take some positives from the problems they caused Brendan Rodgers’ men early on.
Stuart Kettlewell’s side stay fifth in the Premiership, two points behind Dundee United, while Celtic returned to the top of the table alongside joint-leaders and fellow unbeaten side Aberdeen.
Motherwell made two changes from last week’s defeat to Dundee, as Tom Sparrow and Marvin Kaleta came in to replace Dan Casey and Zach Robinson, while Celtic were without skipper Callum McGregor who missed out due to injury.
And it was the hosts who got the first clear sight at goal inside five minutes amid a sprightly start. Andy Halliday whipped a corner to the back post, finding Lennon Miller in space, but he put his downward header into the side netting from a good position.
In nine minutes Miller went even closer and really should have opened the scoring. The hosts pounced on a heavy touch by Paulo Bernardo on the edge of the box was pounced upon by Apostolos Stamatelopoulos, and when he laid the ball off to Miller, the teenager saw a thumping strike come off the post.
Just 60 seconds later, the woodwork denied Miller again when he curled a superb 25-yard free-kick towards the top corner, only for it to come off the crossbar with Kasper Schmeichel beaten.
The Hoops forced Aston Oxborough into his first save of the match when a he turned a glacing header from Daizen Maeda behind for a corner.
Miller continued to be a constant threat and he and Halliday combined at a corner once again in 22 minutes, with the Hoops managing to scramble the ball clear after his initial effort was blocked.
He then produced an outrageous backheel pass moments later to set up Sparrow for a strike, but the midfielder drileld the ball straight at Schmeichel as the visitors came under yet more pressure.
However, for all Motherwell’s early dominance, it was Celtic who broke the deadlock. The hosts didn’t get out to McCowan quick enough at the edge of the box after a neat piece of skill created space for a shot, and he drilled a low strike beyond Oxborough.
Celtic thought they had doubled their lead in 33 minutes when Stephen O’Donnell and Maeda clattered one another in the box trying to get onto an Alistair Johnson pass, and the ball ended up in the net off of Madea. A lengthy VAR check ensued before the goal was ruled out for a handball from the Hoops man and half-time arrived with the visitors just a goal to the good.
Seven minutes into the second half Oxborough came up with a big save to keep Motherwell in it. Furuhashi was played in by Reo Hatate and when te Japanese star worked space for the shot, his powerful effort was kept out by the Fir Park No.1 before the rebound was scrambled clear.
Celtic were enjoying themselves more now and in 56 minutes they doubled their lead. They worked the ball out wide to Alex Valle and when he swung a tempting delivery across the face of goal, Johnston was there first to power home a header and all but seal the points.
Furuhashi then sliced an effort wide from a James Forrest cutback in 66 minutes and substitute Adam Idah hit the post nine minutes later, as Celtic threatened to find a third.
But two minutes from time Idah did put some gloss on the scoreline when he turned the ball home from Kuhn’s cross.
And Motherwell’s misery was complete when Liam Gordon’s yellow card for a tackle from behind on Idah was upgraded to a red after a VAR check in stoppage time.
The Steelmen are back in action on Wednesday night when they travel to Dundee United.
MOTHERWELL: Oxborough, Balmer, Gordon, O’Donnell, Kaleta (Casey 69), Wilson, Miller, Halliday (Watt 64), Zdravkovski (Maswanhise 64), Stamatelopoulos (Robinson 64), Sparrow (Ebiye 80).
Scorers:
Bookings: O’Donnell
Sent off: Gordon
Subs not used: Hegyi, Seddon, Casey, Blaney, Koutroumbis.
CELTIC: Schmeichel, Trusty, Johnston, Valle (Carter-Vickers 68), Scales, McCowan (Engels 75), Hatate, Bernardo, Forrest (Kuhn 67), Maeda (Palma 86), Furuhashi (Idah 75).
Scorers: McCowan 27, Johnston 56, Idah 88
Bookings: Bernardo, Johnston
Subs not used: Sinisalo, Taylor, Yang, Ralston.
HT: 0-1
Ref: David Dickinson
Att: 8,692