Nicolas Kuhn stars as Celtic extend lead at the top
Celtic 3 - 0 St Mirren
Nicolas Kuhn added two more to his impressive tally goal this season, inspiring Celtic to a comfortable win over St Mirren and extending their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership to 13 points.
Kuhn struck on either side of half-time to bring his season total to 16 goals, with Auston Trusty heading home in between to secure a dominant victory for Brendan Rodgers’ side.
After suffering their first league defeat of the season against Rangers on Thursday, Celtic bounced back strongly, capitalising on their rivals’ latest slip-up at Easter Road to tighten their grip on the title race.
Celtic break St Mirren’s resilience
St Mirren made life difficult in the early stages, pressing well and limiting Celtic’s chances. However, the deadlock was broken in style.
Luke McCowan’s superb pass set Daizen Maeda free down the left wing, and the Japanese winger’s pinpoint cross found Kuhn, who delivered a typically clinical finish.
That goal deflated the visitors, and Celtic doubled their lead before half-time when Trusty rose to head in Arne Engels’ corner.
Kuhn came close to scoring a sensational second after a brilliant counter-attack led by Kasper Schmeichel, but his effort was well saved by Zach Hemming in the St Mirren goal. Moments later, however, Hemming gifted Kuhn his second of the match, spilling the ball in the box and leaving the German winger with a simple finish.
Adam Idah thought he’d added a fourth, but his goal was ruled out for offside. At the other end, Schmeichel ensured his clean sheet remained intact with a late save from Jonah Ayunga as Celtic cruised to a well-earned victory.
Rodgers’ men recover with quality and composure
After the disappointment of Thursday’s derby defeat, Brendan Rodgers called for perspective, reminding fans it was the team’s first league loss in 34 domestic matches.
While this wasn’t quite a vintage performance, Celtic showed enough quality to secure the three points comfortably.
The first goal was a well-worked move that gave the champions the control they needed, and from there, they never looked back. McCowan was a lively presence in midfield, constantly looking to create opportunities, while Alistair Johnston caused problems down the right with his dangerous deliveries.
Once again, it was Kuhn who made the difference. The winger’s sensational form this season continues to turn heads, and if he keeps this up, he’ll surely be a contender for Player of the Year honours.
