Soccer

Scottish Premiership review: Composed Celtic extend lead at top

Celtic's Tom Rogic scores his side's third goal of the game during the Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership match at Celtic Park, 
Celtic's Tom Rogic scores his side's third goal of the game during the Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership match at Celtic Park,  Celtic's Tom Rogic scores his side's third goal of the game during the Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership match at Celtic Park, 

CELTIC extended their near-perfect record in the Ladbrokes Premiership with comfortable 3-0 win over Inverness at Parkhead.

Winger Scott Sinclair opened the scoring in the 48th minute before striker Leigh Griffiths, making his first start in more than two months, made it 2-0 from close range in the 64th minute.

Caley Thistle midfielder Greg Tansey, booked just before the break for one too many infringements, was sent off by referee Crawford Allan for fouling Callum McGregor in the build-up to the second goal.

The visitors, the only team to have taken points off Celtic in the league this season with their 2-2 draw back in September, conceded a third to substitute Tom Rogic in the 83rd minute as the leaders made it to 10 wins and one draw in 11 fixtures to go 10 points clear of Aberdeen with a game in hand.

Callum Paterson rescued a point for Hearts as they played out a breathless 2-2 draw with St Johnstone.

The 22-year-old defender rose highest to meet a corner with just three minutes remaining, powering beyond the excellent Zander Clark to see Hearts climb to third in the standings.

Paterson's sixth goal of the season cancelled out Chris Kane's strike 60 seconds earlier which looked destined to see the spoils return to Perth.

It was a grandstand finish to a magnificent encounter which had earlier seen Hearts claim the lead through Prince Buaben in the first half before Swanson, who started just five matches during an underwhelming six months in Gorgie last term, came back to haunt the Jambos with a superb leveller before the break.

Cammy Kerr and Marcus Haber netted their first goals for Dundee to get them off the foot of the table as they defeated Motherwell 2-0 - though the hosts owed the match officials a major thank-you for failing to spot a Motherwell opener.

Dundee goalkeeper David Mitchell back-pedalled over his line when catching Scott McDonald's 21st-minute cross, but referee John Beaton and assistant Ross Haswell played on. The whole of Mitchell's body was inside the goal, but he recovered quickly enough to escape with an extraordinary let-off.

Elsewhere, Kilmarnock drew 0-0 with Hamilton.