A sodden McDiarmid Park was the venue for Celtic’s latest triumph as they forged an astounding 5 points clear at the summit of the SPL. Joos Valgaeren and Henrik Larsson were the goalscorers – the latter from the spot four minutes from time after Alan Kernaghan had body-checked Bobby Petta in the box – who ensured Celtic’s unbeaten run remained in tact.

It was an evening drenched in controversy with Substitute Stuart Malcolm the recipient of a red card after a blatant punch of Johan Mjallby whilst Celtic loomed over an indirect free-kick in the penalty box, following an illegal St.Johnstone passback to Alan Main. In addition to the red card, there were a further seven bookings for the hosts as the game degenerated into a scrappy and often bad-tempered affair.

The actual display masqueraded as a football contest, with the weather conditions making any sort of reasonable contest nigh impossible. Football became a bystander as the ball stuck in the water-logged pitch and players clattered into one another with alarming speed and regularity.

The incessant rain meant that the second period in particular was a fraught affair with the pitch practically unplayable.

Celtic once again dominated proceedings, but despite enjoying the bulk of possession they struggled to create many clear-cut chances.

After just four minutes there were cries for a penalty from the visitors when Petta took a tumble in the Saints box following a lunge from Moma Sylla, but referee John Rowbotham waved play on.

A minute later a clearance from Alan Kernaghan went only so far as Paul Lambert, but the midfielder’s shot rasped just wide of Main’s left-hand upright.

Jonathan Gould was called into question when he was forced to punch away a Gary Bollan attempt after he had been teed up by Sean Evers.

However, by and large Celtic dominated proceedings, although it was left to defender Valgaeren to find the breakthrough in the 42^nd minute. A free-kick on the left-flank just outside the box was ordered to be retaken after jostling in the box, and Alan Thompson’s cross was met by Valgaeren who bulleted the ball into the net.

The greasy surface was responsible for all manner of mistimed tackles and mistakes, and Paul Kaneanic in his own defence when he slipped, and gifted Thompson the ball. The midfielder set off for goal, but his ferocious drive sailed wide of the post.

On the hour mark a neat one-two between Larsson and Chris Sutton came to a premature halt when Jim Weir expertly collected the ball off the toe of Sutton.

Kernaghan completed misjudged the flight of the ball in the 62^nd minute, whilst Gould had to look alert to thwart the danger of a Nick Dasovic effort a few minutes later.

Sutton tried to turn the hazardous elements to his advantage when he unleashed a long-range effort from thirty yards, but it was collected at the second attempt by Main. Larsson almost doubled Celtic’s advantage in the 73^rd minute when he connected with another Thompson free-kick, but his attempt was narrowly wide of the target.

With four minutes of the game remaining, Celtic were awarded an indirect free-kick in the box after the referee had adjudged a St.Johnstone pass-back to be illegal. In the commotion inside the box Malcolm vary clearly took a swing at Mjallby, but he was caught out by the assistant referee.

With minutes remaining the game deteriorated into further controversy when a spot kick was awarded after Petta had been fouled. Larsson duly netted to hammer home the message that this time around there’s certainly a genuine challenge coming from the East End of Glasgow.