Wednesday night was one of numerous positives for Celtic manager Neil Lennon, who saw his team win in emphatic style and stretch their lead at the top of the Premiership.
The Hoops’ 5-0 thrashing of Hearts, coupled with Rangers losing at Kilmarnock, means that the champions are now 10 points clear at the summit, and Lennon had the satisfaction of seeing five different names on the scoresheet as Olivier Ntcham, Christopher Jullien, Callum McGregor, Ryan Christie and Jozo Simunovic all found the net.
Aside from that quintet, another Celtic man who can feel very satisfied with his night is left wing-back Greg Taylor, who had a hand in two of his team’s five goals at Parkhead as he continues to thrive from getting a series of starts under Lennon since the winter break.
With the home side two goals to the good after 52 minutes, Taylor was involved in a slick one-two with McGregor that resulted in the 26-year-old midfielder slipping the ball through the legs of John Souttar and into the visitors’ net. Two minutes after Christie had been introduced as a substitute for Leigh Griffiths, the “tireless” Celtic wing-back set him up to make it 4-0 to the Hoops, picking out the 24-year-old with a precision pass as the ball ended up in the net via a deflection off Craig Halkett. [via Sky Sports]
Taylor had made only three Premiership starts for Celtic prior to the winter break but Lennon’s recent change to a 3-5-2 formation (or variance thereof) has seen him finally enjoy a string of games in the starting line-up, making four consecutive league starts. The ex-Kilmarnock defender seems to be making the most of his opportunity, with several reporters praising his all-round contribution against Hearts.
Hamish Carton of 67hailhail.com described it as “a coming of age performance” for the 22-year-old, who “was a great outlet down the left hand side”. Read Celtic‘s Mizgan Masani hailed a “marauding performance” from the wing-back, who “worked his socks off”, while Glasgow Times reporter Graeme McGarry praised his link-up play with McGregor.
On a night when five Celtic players had their name up in lights on the scoreboard, the indefatigable contribution of Taylor on the left flank and his involvement in two goals deserves recognition as he delivered a performance which should surely guarantee his place in the starting XI for the foreseeable future.
Celtic fans, what did you make of Taylor’s performance in the win over Hearts? Comment below with your views!
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