Celtic back on top

Celtic cruised to a comfortable win over Hamilton at Parkhead to go top of the Premier League.

Celtic cruised to a comfortable win over Hamilton at Parkhead to go top of the Premier League on goal difference over Rangers. The Ibrox side play their game in hand against St Mirren on Sunday but Gordon Strachan's men can be pleased with the way they responded to the Champions League defeat by Villarreal in midweek. Goals from Shunsuke Nakamura and Georgios Samaras gave the home side a half-time lead and there was no way back for the SPL new boys. Scott McDonald grabbed number three in the 75th minute and after Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc had made a fine penalty save from James McArthur, as well as the header from the rebound from the Accies midfielder, Aiden McGeady slid in the fourth to complete the visitors' misery and erase the memory of El Madrigal. The home fans were in their seats less than a minute when Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink clashed with Accies left-back Brian Easton, the Dutchman hobbling off to be replaced by top scorer Samaras. Amid a subdued atmosphere, Celtic may have had a penalty in the ninth minute when McGeady was clumsily challenged close to the byline inside the box by Easton but referee Steve Conroy ignored the appeals. In the 15th minute Barry Robson's searching cross was met by Samaras pulling away at the back post. The Greece international's close-range header was knocked up in to the air by Accies goalkeeper Tomas Cerny before defender Martin Canning cleared for a corner which the visitors survived. Japan international Nakamura eventually broke the deadlock in the 25th minute with a fine volley. McGeady picked the ball up from Samaras on the right and drilled a cross to the back post, the ball evading David Elebert to be controlled almost effortlessly by Nakamura before he volleyed past Cerny from around six yards. As the champions turned the screw, McDonald came close when he accepted a Mark Wilson cut-back 16 yards out and smartly drove a right-footed shot against the inside of the post, the Lanarkshire side happy to escape again.

Precision

However, the respite was short-lived and in the 37th minute Billy Reid's men fell further behind when Nakamura squared to Samaras who sidefooted the ball from 16 yards past Cerny with some precision and power. Two minutes before the interval David Graham was robbed by McDonald, allowing McGeady to burst into the Accies penalty area but his carefully-placed shot lacked the pace to beat Cerny. Accies looked a broken team as they sloped off at the interval and Reid made two changes in personnel within a tactical reshuffle. Mark Corcoran and Stephen Ettien replaced Chris Swailes and Derek Lyle with Simon Mensing moving to right-back. The champions were relentless, initially, in their quest for the third goal and the Lanarkshire men struggled to get out of their own half. In the 55th minute a Nakamura drive was deflected by Mensing for a corner which came to nothing. The tempo had dropped to the extent that Accies moved up the pitch for the first time, the move ending with Corcoran heading a McArthur cross over the bar. On the hour mark, to the displeasure of the home fans, McArthur drove forward to the edge of the box before driving wide of the far post. In the 75th minute McDonald grabbed the third goal after McGeady had slipped him through at the edge of the Accies box. Canning looked to be favourite to win the race but the Australian international collected the ball in the challenge through sheer strength and determination before he curled his drive past Cerny. A couple of minutes later, out of the blue, Hamilton were awarded a penalty after Gary Caldwell was adjudged to have brought down James McCarthy in the box. But Boruc raised the roof when he made a fine double save from McArthur, the first from the initial penalty and then when the Accies midfielder had followed up the rebound with a header. Eight minutes from the end, Shaun Maloney, on for Samaras, then brilliantly set up McGeady to slide in number four.