Celtic 4, Inverness Caledonian Thistle 2: Scott Allan watches his team chalk up another win

The Highlanders are clearly desperate for additions of their own, however, they kept going and scored a couple of goals after going four down. For the most part it was all too easy for Ronny Deila’s men ahead of their Champions League play-off with Malmo.

And the Celtic supporters were obviously impressed with their latest signing, as they awarded him a standing ovation when he was introduced to them. Who the midfielder once supported and the club he might have joined was immediately judged utterly unimportant.

“Football-terms, me coming here was a no-brainer,” said Allan. “It's unbelievable for me to join a massive club. I will try my hardest to be a great player here. I can’t wait to get started.” This went down well.

Allan’s first task will to fight his way into the Celtic midfield. Captain Scott Brown, back after missing two games, was superb. Nir Bitton did not break sweat while man of the match Stuart Armstrong, Stefan Johansen and Gary-Mackay Steven were always a threat.

Celtic took just seven minutes to take the lead and take control. Johansen floated a free-kick into the box and while the Inverness players and goalkeeper Owain Fon Williams watched the ball, Mikael Lustig made it his and directed his header home.

That lead was doubled four minutes later. Bitton produced some dazzling footwork on the left which left Lewis Horner with twisted blood, he crossed, Leigh Griffiths out-jumped Daniel Devine and sent a header into the bottom corner.

It should have been 3-0 on 25 minutes. Celtic swept forward into the Inverness box, Lustig and Johansen swapped passes and the latter put his shot against the underside the bar – he should have scored – Armstrong pounced on the loose ball, but his shot was blocked on the line by Ross Draper.

Griffiths was presented with a terrific chance on 38 minutes when he raced onto a quite stunning pass from Emilo Izaguirre, which cut open the Inverness defence, the striker got off a shot under pressure, but was denied by Williams.

A minute before the break, Craig Gordon was forced into a good save when he got up high to get his fingers to a well hit effort from Andrea Mbuyi-Mutombo from the edge of the box.

It took Celtic a whole ten minutes of the second-half to stretch their lead. Johansen’s cross was palmed away by Williams with Griffiths close by, the striker recovered the ball, passed to Armstrong and he aimed a curling shot just under the crossbar.

Armstrong got his second on 68 minutes. A loose ball out of the Inverness defence got picked off by the winger, he side-stepped three opponents before placing a shot across Williams and into the bottom corner.

Ryan Christie scored for the visitors a few minutes later, the substitute making the most of Celtic’s too casual defending and his finish past Gordon was good.

And then Boyata made himself look foolish on 77 minutes when he dallied on the ball, not for the first time, Dani Lopez nicked it off him, strode forward with great purpose and then despatched his shot into the Celtic net.

Deila would have been happy with most things, but not the late sloppiness which has been a slight problem. For John Hughes, the Inverness manager, his players at least showed some fight.

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