Welsh and Édouard goals break Steelmen’s resistance for Celtic win

Stephen Welsh scored his first objective for Celtic because the Parkhead facet overcame Motherwell 2-1.

The 21-year-old defender headed in from a nook after two minutes and in-form striker Odsonne Édouard fired in a second within the 51st minute of a Scottish Premiership match which was nearly completely managed by Neil Lennon’s facet till they conceded.

Motherwell midfielder Allan Campbell lowered the deficit within the 66th minute with a drive and the house facet survived an added-time surge by the guests with substitute Diego Laxalt clearing off the road.

Following a convincing 4-0 win at Kilmarnock on Tuesday evening, the Parkhead facet have gained two successive sport for the primary time in 2021 and transfer 20 factors behind Rangers with a sport in hand.

The unchanged guests arrived on the again of back-to-back wins however they quickly discovered themselves in a Celtic stranglehold.

The dwelling facet, with midfielder Tom Rogic in for injured Ryan Christie, scored from their first nook when former Motherwell midfielder David Turnbull’s supply was met by the unmarked Welsh who powered his header previous goalkeeper Liam Kelly from eight yards.

Moments later, the reigning champions may and most likely ought to have doubled their lead when left-back Greg Taylor picked out Édouard with an ideal cross however the French ahead glanced a header extensive from in entrance of objective.

Taylor arrange Albian Ajeti with one other fantastic cross however Kelly caught the Switzerland striker’s weak header underneath his bar earlier than blocking an angled-drive from right-back Jonjoe Kenny.

In the forty fourth minute the Lanarkshire facet had an opportunity when Celtic defender Kristoffer Ajer fouled Chris Long on the sting of the field however the Motherwell ahead’s curling free-kick was effectively held by the beforehand untested Celtic keeper Scott Bain.

Within seconds of the restart, Édouard took a Taylor move, turned and fired extensive, then Ajeti headed into the arms of Kelly.

However, the Motherwell keeper had no likelihood moments later when, with the Motherwell objective underneath siege once more, midfielder Callum McGregor performed in Édouard who turned and drove a low shot into the nook of the web for his fifth objective in 4 video games and his seventeenth of the season.

Then a short interval of Motherwell positivity proved important. Bain was referred to as into motion within the 63rd minute when he stopped a shot from Motherwell striker Devante Cole along with his foot, and from the ensuing nook an unmarked Bevis Mugabi headed extensive.

However, three minutes later Motherwell discovered themselves again within the sport when Campbell’s shot from the sting of the field looped over Bain and into the web. It was an unlikely lifeline for the guests and launched some jeopardy into the sport.

In the 76th minute Cole obtained his head on a Long cross however couldn’t direct it in the direction of objective and amid some panic within the Celtic defence the hazard was averted.

At the opposite finish, Kelly tipped a robust drive from Rogic over the bar as Celtic regained the higher hand.

But within the closing seconds – after Cole was maybe fortunate solely to get a yellow card for a kick out at Celtic substitute Ismaila Soro – Motherwell substitute Harry Smith directed a header in the direction of objective solely to see it hooked away by Laxalt.