Celtic stay seven points ahead at top of league with win at Motherwell

Celtic have won at Motherwell to stay seven points clear at the top of the Premiership in the penultimate game before the winter break.

Kyogo Furuhashi and Daizen Maeda put the league leaders 2-0 before a late strike from Ross Tierney made it a tense last five minutes in North Lanarkshire.

Kyogo scored the first goal of the game after 14 minutes with a close-range finish and his 10th of the season so far.

The Japan forward, who has been left out of his country’s World Cup squad, nearly had his second when he reacted to a Jota when it saved by Liam Kelly, but his shot was deflected wide.

Celtic had the lion’s share of possession and chances in the first half, but they still only had one goal to show for it when the referee blew for the break.

Portuguese winger Jota then had the ball in the net on the hour mark, but his chipped effort was ruled out for offside by the tightest of margins.

As the game reached the last 15 minutes the league leaders started to look a bit frustrated that they couldn’t put the game to bed.

Motherwell also created one of two chances of their own as they started to look more confident in their chances of getting an equaliser.

Giakoumakis, who had just come on in place of Kyogo, should have made it 2-0 after a superb through ball by Jota, but the Greek forward put the ball over the bar from close range.

Louis Moult then came close to making Celtic regretting that missing up the other end just a minute later, but his header was inches over as the game started to open up a bit.

Maeda doubled Celtic’s lead just minutes after coming off the bench to make it 2-0 after latching on to a through ball by David Turnbull.

But just as Postecoglou’s men thought they had secured all three points young Tierney popped up to volley the ball past Joe Hart and make it 2-1 with around five minutes to go.

Celtic host Ross County in their last game before the break on Saturday and Motherwell play St Johnstone in Perth.