CELTIC extended their unbeaten domestic run to 69 games with a 3-1 home win over Hamilton but it was far from a vintage performance from the champions and runaway leaders.
Midfielder Olivier Ntcham opened the scoring with a spectacular volley in the 12th minute before Accies midfielder Danny Redmond produced a stunning equaliser just before the half-hour mark.
That served only to irk the champions and two goals in a minute just before the break from James Forrest and Scott Sinclair had the Hoops firmly back in control of the Ladbrokes Premiership encounter.
However, the home side laboured after the break and allowed Martin Canning’s side a few chances on the counter-attack before the final whistle confirmed a victory which keeps them five points clear at the top.
Amid the home side’s expected early dominance Nir Bitton, brought back in at centre-back, tested Gary Woods with a 35-yard drive in the second minute with the Accies keeper grateful to parry to safety.
Shortly after midfielders Stuart Armstrong and Ntcham came close with speculative efforts from distance.
The Frenchman was more accurate when Sinclair played a one-two with Callum McGregor down the left-hand side before lifting the ball to the back post where, from 12 yards, the 21-year-old lashed a right-footed volley high past Woods with some venom for his fifth goal of the season.
However, the goal only served to spur a determined Accies further forward.
A terrific last-gasp tackle by Bitton on Redmond in the 17th minute stopped the Accies player bursting into the Hoops penalty area while at the other end Woods threw himself to his left to save a 25-yard drive from Ntcham.
The home fans were surprised and silenced in the 29th minute when the Lanarkshire side levelled.
Bitton was dispossessed by Darian MacKinnon near his own byline and when the battling Hamilton midfielder then took a return pass from captain Dougie Imrie he rolled the ball along the 18-yard box where Redmond curled it high past Hoops keeper Craig Gordon.
It took a while for Celtic to respond but respond they did.
Striker Odsonne Edouard headed an Armstrong corner over the bar before Celtic restored their lead in the 40th minute, winger James Forrest taking an Armstrong pass before rounding Woods and sliding the ball into the net.
Barely a minute later, with the visitors reeling, Forrest played the ball across the penalty area to Sinclair and from 16 yards he delightfully curled the ball past the hapless Accies keeper for number three.
Woods thwarted Edouard twice as Celtic threatened in the early stages of the second-half while valiant Accies pushed forward as often as they could without leaving too many gaps to be exploited by the hosts.
To help Hoops’ hopes of a fourth goal Rodgers brought on Leigh Griffiths for Edouard in the 68th minute.
Moments later, however, some nifty footwork from Accies midfielder Greg Docherty saw him escape Parkhead stopper Dedryck Boyata down the right but his terrific cross was knocked wide by striker Rakish Bingham.
Accies still, though, had more chances.
Docherty fired wide of the target in another break moments later before Bingham beat Gordon with a shot only to see it come back off the post and thereafter the Hoops continued to huff and puff around the Hamilton box but to no avail.
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