Celtic 1-0 Motherwell: Tom Rogic strike the difference in slender win

James Forrest was lost to injury in the first half for Celtic

Celtic maintained a four-point gap behind Scottish Premiership leaders Rangers as Tom Rogic's strike earned a narrow home win over Motherwell.

Celtic took control in the second half but were made to hang on during a nervy finale at Celtic Park.

Motherwell slip to fifth on goal difference.

While the win keeps Celtic's momentum going, Ange Postecoglou lost yet another player to injury with winger James Forrest going off in the first half.

• Reaction & how it happened

Pre-match build up centred around one key question - how would Ange Postecoglou conquer Celtic's striking conundrum?

There has hardly been a lack of goals from his Celtic side - quite the opposite - but with Kyogo, Jota, Ajeti and Giakoumakis out, it left the Celtic manager without a glaring alternative.

David Turnbull was the card that Postecoglou would play - at first. The midfielder started as a false nine, but rotated heavily with Forrest, Abada and Rogic in the role.

Forrest didn't remain part of that fluid foursome for long, with the winger succumbing to injury early on and he is now, sadly, set for another spell on the sidelines.

It took the hosts a while to find their rhythm in this new formation and in the first-half, the Steelmen almost made them pay.

Callum Slattery rattled the bar with a sumptuous left-foot strike, whilst both Tony Watt and Kevin van Veen had penalty claims waved away by referee Euan Anderson.

The Hoops dealt with this pressure though and dealt a crushing blow when Rogic sweeped home a set-piece move whilst Motherwell's defence took a brief holiday at the back.

Celtic emerged from the tunnel with renewed vigour, on the hunt for a second which, somehow, would not come.

Rogic should have made it two when delicately threated through by Turnbull, but was denied by a brilliant Liam Kelly stop.

In the next phase of play, Liel Abada crashed a free header off the crossbar from six yards, although he was flagged offside.

That trio continued to menace, with all three testing the Well keeper throughout the second-half, but the lead would remain at just one goal.

Man of the Match: Tom Rogic

A moment of magic was needed to break the deadlock - step up the Wizard of Oz.

What did we learn?

Ange Postecoglou's coy pre-match response regarding strikers hinted at Celtic's striker-less formation. At least he didn't claim it was a 4-6-0.

Add to that a Motherwell side playing with confidence, with three wins from their last five, it was a seemingly perfect cocktail for a scare at Celtic Park.

Celtic have only conceded two at home in the league this season, though, and Graham Alexander's men could not find a way to change the usual narrative.

The Steelmen simply ran out of steam, morale deflated at the timing of the goal - at the end of a half in which they had equalled their hosts.

What they said?

Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou: "We certainly had opportunities to make it more comfortable. When you don't take those opportunities you always give the opposition a chance to hang in there.

"We still handled it fairly well. It was an important victory for us in the middle of a pretty congested schedule.

On James Forrest injury: "It's another challenge for us but I've had challenges since I walked through the door. There's no point crying about it or moaning about it.

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