Celtic’s youth side returned to winning ways with a comfortable 5-0 win over Dundee United.
Robbie Thomson and Mikey Miller came in for the over-age duo of Nick Feely and Lewis Toshney with Darnell Fisher making his first competitive start in place of the injured John Herron.
John Kennedy’s side dominated the match from the first whistle and could well have scored more than five times against a disappointing Dundee United side.
Rhys Williamson opened the scoring in the 14th minute with a memorable first goal as a Celtic player. Cutting through the midfield onto his left foot the former Crystal Palace kid let rip with a sweet left foot drive that found the postage stamp corner with nothing that the United keeper could do to stop it.
Four minutes later Filp Twardzik doubled Celtic’s lead with a low 20 yard drive that flew into the net at the keeper’s right hand post. Twardzik and Jackson Irvine were dominating the midfield with Williamson, Darnell Fisher and Paul George all exchanging passes in support of Tony Watt.
The former Aurdrie striker did put the ball in the net with a 29th minute header from a George cross but the referee spotted an infringement and disallowed the ‘goal’.
Celtic’s third goal arrived in the 32nd minute when a United defender sliced an attempted clearance past his own keeper from Twardzik’s cross from the left.
Seven minutes into the second half a fierce 30 yarder from Joe Chamlers rattled the post as Celtic chased a fourth goal.
Liam Gormley and Bahrudin Atajic replaced Williamson and Fisher early in the second half with George dropping to right midfield, Atajic partnering Watt in attack and Gormley slotting into the left wing.
Midway through the second half Watt turned quickly in the penalty box to drive home his fifth goal of the season with Gormley adding the fifth in the 77th minute when he snapped up the rebound from a Watt effort that was parried by the United keeper.
Adam Brown, a member of the u-17 squad immediately replaced George and almost marked his debut with a dipping 20 yard effort in the final minute but the United keeper managed to touch his shot over for a corner.
CELTIC Thomson, Miller, Fraser, Jones, Chalmers; Fisher, F Twardzik, Irvine, Williamson; Watt, George
SUBS Daniels, Gormley (Williamson 62), Atajic (Fisher 53), Brown (George 78), O’Brien, Yaqub