Freddie offers Bhoys festive cheer

Celtic 2 St Johnstone 0

After watching his side score two injury-time goals through South Korea duo Cha Du-Ri and Ki Sung-yueng to beat St Johnstone and keep their Clydesdale Bank Premier League title challenge alive, the Hoops boss talked about the possible recruitment of the former Arsenal and West Ham star who latterly played his football in the United States.

Lennon said: “It is not a trial or anything like that. It’s so that we can have a look at him and he can look at us.

“We were contacted three or four weeks ago. I don’t think he is over the hill. I think he is 34 but he has always kept himself in good condition

“He had a horrendous time with injuries at West Ham but in the last 18 months he has played a lot of games in America.

“You don’t lose the quality, he might be missing an edge but we will see how he is.

“He has been a quality player for a long time, he is vastly experienced and again, it’s just an opportunity that might be there for us.

“Johan Mjallby helped Ljungberg’s agency contacted us and Johan had a chat with him.

“He is keen to come and he wants to play in Europe again.”

Cha (Du-Ri) broke the deadlock with a drive from distance in the first of three added minutes and in the dying seconds, fellow Korean Ki Sung-yueng scored a second to send the Hoops fans home happy and keep them within two points of leaders Rangers, although the Light Blues have a game in hand.

Celtic’s fit-again skipper Scott Brown started for the first time since October in one of three changes Neil Lennon made to his side.

Also included in the starting line-up were Georgios Samaras and Paddy McCourt with Joe Ledley, James Forrest and the injured Gary Hooper missing.

A half-empty Celtic Park saw the home side take control early on and it soon became clear St Johnstone were content to play counter-attacking football.

But Celtic’s first real chance did not arrive until the 19th minute when Niall McGinn’s cross from the right found McCourt coming in at the back post but his fellow Northern Ireland international failed to connect properly and the ball bounced wide.

Celtic looked unconvincing for the most part though, with St Johnstone goalkeeper Peter Enckelman having little to deal with.

In a rare St Johnstone attack on the half-hour mark Alan Maybury drove high over the crossbar from 25 yards after being set up by Chris Millar.

Minutes later McCourt darted past a couple of St Johnstone challenges at the edge of the visitors’ penalty area but his shot went straight at Enckelman.

Celtic started the second half brightly and within a minute McCourt had gone on a trademark mazy run into the St Johnstone penalty area only to fire wide of the target from six yards.

Moments later Murphy had an angled drive from 12 yards saved by Enckelman, but the groans from the home fans grew in volume after Saints midfielder Taylor had drilled the ball across Celtic’s six-yard box to find no takers.

There were loud boos on the hour mark when Anthony Stokes replaced Samaras.

After Murphy had missed a decent chance while under pressure in the St Johnstone box he was replaced by Olivier Kapo, who was making his Celtic debut and hit the crossbar with three minutes to go.

However there was to be late drama when, in the first minute of three added minutes Cha Du-ri broke the deadlock and with almost the last kick Ki grabbed a second.

Lennon will lose Cha and Ki to the Asia Cup today but he joked that he might have “strangled” both of them as Celtic struggled to break down the Perth men during a woeful match.

“I was delighted for the players,” the Irishman said. “We kept plugging away and it was frustrating but we are very grateful for the two goals.

“But I could have strangled the both of them before Cha scored.

“You fancy Ki to hit the target with his two free kicks and Cha kept getting in to good positions and hitting the first man.”

CELTIC: Forster, Cha, Rogne, Izaguirre, Majstorovic, McGinn, Brown, Ki, McCourt (Kayal 90), Samaras (Stokes 60), Murphy (Kapo 77).

ST JOHNSTONE: Enckelman, Maybury, Duberry, MacKay, Grainger, Millar, Anderson, Craig (Myrie-Williams 90), Taylor (May 73), Samuel (MacDonald 81), Parkin.

Ref: C Murray (Scotland).