SPL Tuesday March 19th

Motherwell 0

Celtic 4

0:1 Lambert (10); 0:2 Larsson (53); 0:3 Larsson (pen 61); 0:4 Mjallby (78)

Att: 10,134

MIB:

Celtic: Douglas; Mjallby, Boyd, Crainey; Guppy, Lambert (McNamara), Moravcik (Sylla ), Petrov, Agathe (Smith) Hartson, Larsson

A vintage performance from Celtic as they rocked Fir Park with a display of sublime football, combined with sheer physical power, against jaded Steelmen whose metal buckled under the stress.

Within ten minutes Celtic were one up as Lambert was the fulcrum for a run and series of one -twos in the box , before finding the net. The quality of the goal set the stage for the remainder of the proceedings, though a couple of thrupenny bit headers from Larsson and Hartson should have put matters well beyond doubt had they found the net. Both players' movement looked laboured and Larsson clearly wasn't running easily.

A classic penalty box melee almost gifted Larsson the second, only for the ball to deflect off a defender at an angle as obtuse as a David Murray spin on the financial crisis at Ibrox.

It took until the start of the second half before Well finally crumbled. Henke managed to net from a header for number two and broke the dam that allowed a flood of shots to wash the Well goal. Terry Butcher's raucous cackling could clearly be heard on the touch line as Well were ran ragged. This saw Pearson respond by scything down Agathe from behind, with the sort of crude timing and callousness that made 'Butchery' such a beloved word among the cloven hooves at Govan. A red card resulted and should have been followed by another as Hartson was up-ended in the box. Henke's converted penalty made for the third, which was justice enough.

Stan almost got in on the act with a rasping volley that would have made goal of the season had it not been beaten away by the keeper, before an unstoppable drive from Mjallby made it four.

OFM even had the luxury of a triple substitution to play out the final 20 minutes in a game that saw the champions stamp their class.