SPL: Celtic duo sink Motherwell

Celtic 2 0 Motherwell

Celtic provided some New Year's resolution as Henrik Larsson and John Hartson netted inside the last 10 minutes to sink Motherwell and move Martin O'Neill's men 13 points clear of Rangers.

O'Neill made one change from the side which crushed Dundee United at Tannadice last Saturday with Joos Valgaeren back to replace the injured Stephen Crainey.

Motherwell, on the other hand, have problems of a different nature as they fight the drop with St Johnstone, who are currently five points behind them at the foot of the SPL.

Hartson almost brought a subdued crowd to life with a lucky goal after just three minutes.

The Welshman curled the ball in from the right, deceiving goalkeeper Stephen Woods.

The Well stopper thought the ball had gone out - but his blushes were spared as the ball came back off the crossbar.

Hartson then turned provider for Larsson, who really should have scored just two minutes later.

The Swede laid the ball off to his partner in the box and then received the ball back six yards out, but he headed straight at Woods.

Bobo Balde was fortunate to go unpunished after a lapse in concentration while Larsson fired wide.

Larsson again came close to breaking the deadlock in the 23rd minute but he headed Stilian Petrov's corner onto the roof of the net from six yards.

Motherwell, however, did break away two minutes later when Jan Soloy sent Martyn Corrigan away on the overlap. But his run was halted by a trip by Alan Thompson, who was perhaps fortunate to escape with just a booking.

Larsson again squandered a glorious chance to give Celtic the lead in the 28th minute from Petrov's cut-back, but he screwed his right-foot effort wide of the post.

Seven minutes later and Hartson again hit the woodwork after reading Thompson's free-kick perfectly, but his stretching effort crashed against the foot of the post and came out.

Referee Alan Freeland then incited the crowd by failing to give Celtic a free-kick after Hartson was clearly man-handled by Greg Strong. But he then booked Karl Ready for a reckless challenge from behind on Larsson.

Motherwell then survived a late onslaught with Larsson and Hartson both going close with headers from corners.

Celtic appeared to come out for the second half with more purpose and twice went close within three minutes.

The home side were awarded free-kick in the 49th minute and Thompson, with two goals in his last two games, let fly with a fierce left-foot effort which Woods had to divert over the bar.

The Motherwell keeper then bettered that effort and spared Ready's blushes after his mistake allowed Larsson to run clean from Hartson's pass, but Woods saved low to his left.

Woods again denied the home side with his best save of the match in the 58th minute.

Hartson's knock down from Paul Lambert's long ball was picked up by Valgaeren, who unleashed a shot which would have nestled in the bottom corner, but for the keeper's one-handed save.

Celtic almost paid the price in the 63rd minute when Soloy found the overlapping Steven Hammell down the left, but his chip had too much power to dip underneath the crossbar.

Moments later, Hartson headed Lambert's cross just over before Woods again pulled off a great stop to deny Larsson from the Welshman's pass.

O'Neill brought on Slovakian playmaker Lubomir Moravcik for Petrov in the 66th minute in a desperate bid for a goal. Then in the last throw of the dice O'Neill threw on Bobby Petta for Balde in the 77th minute and his boldness paid off with the opener within four minutes.

Hartson knocked Lambert's long-ball into the path of Larsson, who shrugged off the challenge of Eric Deloumeaux before scoring past the despairing dive of Woods.

Larsson should have wrapped up the points but he fired wide with just the goalkeeper to beat.

However, Hartson made no mistake in injury time by firing Larsson's centre home from close range.