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Highlights - Celtic 4-0 Motherwell

By Martin Conaghan

Celtic extended their winning streak in the league under Neil Lennon to six matches with a comfortable victory against Motherwell in Glasgow.

Aiden McGeady's delightful second-half chip gave the hosts a 48th-minute lead.

The Republic of Ireland international played a role in Celtic's second goal, crossing in for Darren O'Dea to nod in at the back post in the 78th minute.

James Forrest scored on his debut with a flick-on then Robbie Keane completed the win with a well-executed strike.

The defeat keeps the pressure on Motherwell in fifth place in the Scottish Premier League, although with sixth-placed Hibs losing out to Hearts earlier in the day, the Fir Park side retain a one-point lead in their pursuit of a Europa League qualifying slot.

Josh Thompson and Darren O'Dea returned for Celtic, while Diomansy Kamara and Robbie Keane dropped to the bench. In came Edson Braafheid, Georgios Samaras, Zheng Zhi and Morten Rasmussen.

Motherwell goalkeeper John Ruddy recovered from a thigh injury to replace Michael Fraser, while Ross Forbes and Jamie Murphy were drafted in for Giles Coke and Lukas Jutkiewicz respectively.

In the opening minutes of the match, Rasmussen fired in a close-range shot but Ruddy made the save before Scott Brown and Thompson both had headers narrowly wide of the visiting goal.

McGeady tested Ruddy from distance with a powerful shot that was deflected out for a corner.

In the 18th minute, Forbes sent in Motherwell's first chance of the match from the edge of the Celtic penalty area, but Thompson was on hand to clear the danger.

Tom Hateley flicked in from close range after good work by Steven Saunders down the right, but the final ball inched past Artur Boruc's right-hand post.

Jim O'Brien was unlucky to see a shot blocked by Celtic's Zheng Zhi, then Braafheid sent a training-ground free-kick sailing over the Motherwell bar.

Boruc had to make a crucial block when Hately flighted in a corner to the near post and the ball almost made it's way past the Celtic defence.

Ruddy dived at the feet of Marc-Antoine Fortune to deny Celtic a half-time lead.

Immediately after the restart, Brown hit the Motherwell post with a shot-cum-cross from the heart of the penalty area.

The stalemate was broken when McGeady fired in the neatest of chips over the head of Ruddy from the edge of the Motherwell penalty area after his first effort was blocked.

Moments later, Samaras curled in a right-footed shot that Ruddy parried away and Rassmusen headed the rebound over.

Rasmussen delivered a left-footed shot from the edge of box that inched wide, then Steve Jennings fired over from distance at the other end.

O'Dea nodded in at the back post with a glancing header from an inch-perfect McGeady cross to extend Celtic's lead with 12 minutes remaining.

Saunders had a late strike cleared off the line by Andreas Hinkel, then debutant Forrest put the match beyond the visitors with a neat finish in the 87th minute after Fortune had set him up.

Keane found the net with the last kick of the ball, striking high into the back of the net from 12 yards out for his 16th goal since arriving at the club on-loan in January from Tottenham.

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