Stepping out from the McDiarmid Park stands on Sunday the euphoria from the travelling support having seen Celtic hit four in a league match for the first time since the sides last met in August was palpable. As one punter put it “Diego Maradona is looking to see if Paddy McCourt has got an Argentinean granny”. Keeping Leo Messi out the team might be going a step too far but the Northern Irishman certainly gave Celtic an extra dimension as they stormed the Saints goal in the second-half. McCourt was unlucky not to have a hat-trick to show for his 35 minute cameo having been denied by a stunning save by Graeme Smith and a goal-line clearance before his reward came with a sensational individual goal on 86 minutes.
However, even McCourt’s performance shouldn’t overshadow Marc-Antoine Fortune’s performance which was so good even Neil McCann gave him man of the match. Fortune has taken his fair share of stick over the past few months and not only from the naysayers of the Scottish press but from our good selves in the stands and on the forums. Hopefully the Frenchman’s 2 goals will give him the confidence to now go on a badly needed scoring run. Fortune’s ability in linking the play and moving off the ball was on show more than ever on Sunday and not only in his goals but in causing the panic that led to the sending off and in creating simple chances for McGeady and Samaras when the score was still 1-0.
With Samaras’s fine goal again masking a generally frustrating performance, McDonald on the treatment table and potentially for the off and Rasmussen likely to need a settling in period similar to Hooiveld now more than ever Celtic need Fortune to hit his straps and the back of the net in the forthcoming hectic few weeks.
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