Strach buoyant as clinical Celtic march on

CELTIC manager Gordon Strachan praised midfield duo Shunsuke Nakamura and Shaun Maloney after they combined against Inverness to take the Scottish Premier League leaders seven points clear of second-placed Rangers.

After their shock exit from Europe at the hands of Aalborg in midweek, the visit of Caley Thistle did little to inspire the Hoops players and fans on a freezing cold day at Parkhead.

The one shaft of inspiration though, came in the 29th minute when Maloney timed his run to perfection to capitalise on a fine reverse pass from Nakamura and fire past Caley keeper Ryan Esson.