Brendan Rodgers has made no secret of his want to get regulars rest ahead of the Scottish Cup final and Champions League qualifiers early this summer. Against St. Johnstone, Rodgers finally got some of those regulars the rest they needed.
That idea didn’t cost Celtic at all, as the youngsters on the roster helped lead Celtic to a 3-1 win. It moved Celtic to a 43-game domestic unbeaten streak in all contests this season.
Defender Anthony Ralston and midfielder Michael Johnston got their official debuts in the Scottish Premiership. The U-20 starlets didn’t disappoint either, helping Celtic look dangerous most of the afternoon.
After a scoreless first half, Celtic and St. Johnstone combined for three goals in a span of six minutes. It led to the Hoops’ 2-1 lead and a continued run towards an undefeated season.
While neither Johnston or Ralston got on the scoresheet, both equated themselves well enough to get further looks from Rodgers.
It was another youngster that got things going though, as Patrick Roberts notched the opening goal thanks to a great pass from Johnston. He took the pass in stride and fired a low shot to the opposite left corner for the opening goal of the match.
Celtic’s lead didn’t last long, as St. Johnstone took advantage of some brutal defending in the box and fired home a rebound for a 1-1 scoreline.
Roberts nearly doubled Celtic’s lead right back, firing low and just past the left post. However, it was just a matter of minutes before the lead was re-taken anyway.
The second goal came as Leigh Griffiths fired an excellent corner kick, connecting with big man Dedryck Boyata’s head for the 2-1 lead.
Roberts made it 3-1 just 10 minutes later, getting on the end of a cut-back ball from Scott Sinclair just minutes after he replaced Johnston on the pitch. Sinclair stopped the ball from going out, cut it back to a wide open Roberts inside the six-yard box and it was a brace for the young English star.
The youthful feel to this match continued, as Callum McGregor came on to replace Tom Rogic in the 70th minute. Just a minute later McGregor dispossessed St. Johnstone in the middle of the park and teased about five defenders before firing a low effort to the right side and a 4-1 Celtic lead.
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The win marks 43 games unbeaten for Celtic in domestic competition this season. It also showed this club has depth supporters likely didn’t know it had. Chalk it up to a club full of confidence under Rodgers, as this has just been magical by everyone involved this season.