St Johnstone 2-4 Celtic: Visitors edge an exciting contest

Celtic overcame a spirited St Johnstone side to win 4-2 in a Scottish Premiership thriller at McDiarmid Park.

Saints were opened up three times in 16 minutes, having defended doggedly for most of the opening period, with Leigh Griffiths, Scott Sinclair and James Forrest all hitting the net.

Danny Swanson and Steven MacLean then struck a late double for St Johnstone before substitute Ryan Christie settled the outcome in stoppage-time.

The visitors dominated early possession but it was St Johnstone who produced the first serious attempt on target when Swanson tested Craig Gordon with a dipping drive from 25 yards which the 'keeper held.

Celtic responded when Sinclair curled a free-kick just beyond several onrushing team-mates and past the far post after Ricky Foster had tripped Kieran Tierney on the left side of the penalty area.

Sinclair ghosted in at the back post to meet a corner from Griffiths and clip the ball towards goal but his effort was blocked by a St Johnstone defender, and Tom Rogic was twice frustrated inside the box as the home side held firm.

At the other end of the pitch, Gordon tipped a David Wotherspoon free-kick over the bar after Murray Davidson had gone down 20 yards from goal under pressure from Nir Bitton.

Celtic made the breakthrough on 28 minutes when Tierney slipped the ball through the legs of Foster and his delivery spun out to Griffiths for the striker to crash his shot under the bar from 15 yards with a slight deflection off Saints defender Brian Easton.

The visitors doubled their lead when Rogic slipped a through pass to Forrest, who forced Alan Mannus into a diving save before the goalkeeper reacted the block the follow up from Griffiths, but was unable to prevent Sinclair (40) scoring with the second rebound.

Four minutes later Griffiths used his strength to win a challenge on the halfway line and send the ball on to Forrest for the winger to weave past a defender and score with the outside of his right boot.

Celtic came close to a fourth when Rogic collected a pass from Bitton and blasted a drive from 22 yards off the crossbar.

The visitors continued to dominate but were unable to press home their advantage, although Foster almost put the ball into his own net when trying to cut out a Tierney delivery.

With seven minutes remaining substitute Liam Henderson took out Swanson in the box and the Saints midfielder blasted home the resulting penalty.

Henderson went off with a nasty head knock and Celtic were suddenly looking vulnerable as MacLean bundled the ball over the line from close range after Swanson delivered from the right side of the box.

But Celtic secured victory in the third minute of stoppage-time when Henderson threaded a pass to Moussa Dembele and when his shot was blocked by a defender, Christie followed up to beat Mannus with a low drive.