Celtic crashed out on a disappointing note. Even this past weekend, one of Europe’s most in-form teams took a 1-0 loss to St Johnstone, who are bottom feeders in the Scottish Premiership. The clash boiled over at McDiarmid Park. St Johnstone’s early goal was matched by a brilliant display of dogged defending, as the relegation threatened team held on to snatch a crucial win. Celtic ran away with the league, routinely creating high-quality chances with ease. Through a combination of hitting the post and great goalkeeping, they didn’t manage to score, meaning they would need two more victories to ensure they would be crowned champs.
23′ Celtic 0-1 RFS Daniels Balodis delivered the Majestics’ beautiful opener just four minutes into the match, stunning Celtic’s ambitions right away. Then he scored with a near-post, bullet header from Graham Carey’s perfectly-placed routine. Balodis’ goal marked a significant moment in the game, as St Johnstone put themselves ahead early, forcing Celtic to chase the game.
A Heroic Performance by Fisher
Andy Fisher, St Johnstone’s goalkeeper, played a pivotal role in the match, making several crucial saves that kept his team in front. He made one magnificent, sprawling save to prevent James Forrest’s point-blank shot from reaching the net, illustrating his flexibility and response time. Fisher denied Luke McCowan in injury time when the Celtic striker had a direct shot to level the match.
In addition to stopping Forrest and McCowan, Fisher was tested by Daizen Maeda, who was denied from a tight angle after seizing on a loose back pass. His sequence of staggering stops turned out to be all-important for St Johnstone as they defended their narrow advantage.
“We were very badly hurt by last week and our performance. The boys worked hard, we needed some heroes, Andy Fisher some great saves, our defenders, the strikers, how they defended. Then you give yourself a chance.” – Simo Valakari, St Johnstone manager
Among all of Fisher’s performances, this one stood out. To his teammates and coaches alike, his contributions were no less vital in securing those three vital points.
Celtic’s Missed Opportunities
Despite going a goal down, Celtic controlled the ball for almost the entirety of their match. Their half was dominated by chances to equalize, each one failed to be converted. The visitors found it more difficult to get into their groove and were frequently denied by St Johnstone’s defiant backline.
Even with a wealth of opportunities (including a pair of nearmisses) themselves, Celtic couldn’t make the most of it. Never shy of an honest assessment, Celtic’s boss Brendan Rodgers admitted they were well below par and praised St Johnstone for their performance and fight.
“The bottom line is nothing has changed. We got the three points and need to keep fighting.” – Simo Valakari
Rodgers made no excuses, admitting his side did not meet the level that St Johnstone set right from the start. He emphasized the need to get better ahead of their next matches.
Implications for Both Teams
With this win, St Johnstone is now just six points adrift of safety at the bottom of the league table. The win has provided a massive surge of hope to them as they pursue their fight against relegation. Manager Simo Valakari commended his team’s fighting spirit and determination, saying they required this victory to restore confidence.
A 13-point gap between Celtic and Rangers at the top of the table is one reason. Next, they must turn their attention to winning two out of their remaining three matches to win the Scottish Premiership championship. Only the loss at McDiarmid Park seems to have startled the champions-elect into action. Now, they’ll need to do so with laser focus as they enter the homestretch of the season.
“It’s massive but if we go into next week and lose, it counts for nothing. We need to keep our heads down and focus on the next game.” – Andy Fisher, St Johnstone goalkeeper
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