CELTIC captain Scott Brown racked up his 500th game for the club in last night’s win over Motherwell, and rarely during that remarkable run will he have had an easier 90 minutes. The skipper could have had his Christmas slippers on as he brought up the landmark against a side who were full of the generosity of spirit associated with the season.

First-half goals from Anthony Ralston, Scott Sinclair and substitute Mikey Johnston with his first senior goal for the club had Celtic on easy street, and the only concern from a satisfying night’s work for Brendan Rodgers will be a first-half injury picked up by Odsonne Edouard that forced him from the action.

Still, with Celtic now top of the league with a game on hand over their closest challengers, it was a more than decent night’s work for the champions.

Celtic made just one change from the defeat to Hibs at the weekend, with Ralston coming in for Kristoffer Ajer as the champions reverted to their more familiar back four.

By contrast, Motherwell manager Stephen Robinson remained true to his pre-match words by mixing up his side after the impressive away win over St Johnstone, making five changes in all from the side that triumphed at McDiarmid Park. The Fir Park boss was clearly signalling that the St Mirren game on Saturday was of more pressing importance to his side, and boy, did it show.

But all Celtic could do was beat what was in front of them, and they did so with ease to win their eighth home game from eight in the Premiership this season.

Ralston looked determined to make the most of his first start of the campaign, and he skipped past Charles Dunne in the opening moments to fire a ball across the face of goal that no one in a hooped jersey could get on the end of.

Olivier Ntcham was seeing plenty of the ball early on, and his run and shot from the edge of the area nicked Tom Aldred as it squeaked just wide of the post.

Motherwell’s gameplan was to frustrate Celtic, and it was working in the opening 20 minutes as the Hoops struggled to break down the organised visitors, but Robinson’s men were offering nothing by way of an attacking threat.

In fact, the closest they came to creating a chance was when Liam Grimshaw’s wayward ball back to his defence played in Edouard who was making his way back from the previous attack. The forward set up Sinclair, but after weaving his way past three challenges and in on Mark Gillespie, the Motherwell keeper proved equal to his effort to block away to safety.

It looked a matter of time before Celtic picked Motherwell apart, and the goal eventually came from the right-hand side where Ralston had been getting all sorts of room. Edouard picked the ball up centrally and played a simple ball inside Charles Dunne for Celtic’s rampaging right-back to run in and poke beyond Gillespie.

Four minutes later, a moment of madness from Dunne gifted Celtic the chance to extend their lead, the defender diving in rashly on James Forrest to send the winger sprawling in the area and leaving referee Bobby Madden no choice but to point to the spot.

Motherwell keeper Gillespie had saved the last two penalties he had faced, including one from Leigh Griffiths in the draw between the sides at Fir Park a fortnight ago, while Celtic had missed their last two. There was no mistake from Sinclair though, who stepped up and buried it low to Gillespie’s right to finish the game as a contest a little over half an hour in.

If both sides could have ended the game there with no injuries, they might have taken it, but Celtic weren’t to be so fortunate. The last thing that Celtic boss Rodgers was needing was an injury to a striker, but Edouard went down before the break with no one near him clutching his stomach, and the sight of him limping off to be replaced by Johnston was one that caused concern around Celtic Park with three crucial fixtures culminating in an Old Firm showdown prior to the winter break.

Johnston set out to immediately lift the mild gloom Edouard’s injury had temporarily settled over Celtic Park, and on the stroke of half-time the youngster scored a peach. Picking the ball up on the edge of the area from Forrest, he twisted and turned before firing a rocket in off the underside of Gillespie’s bar.

Motherwell boss Robinson made a double change at the break to try and stem the tide, with Alan Campbell and Aaron Taylor-Sinclair coming on for Gael Bigirimana and Ryan Bowman, and they did start the second period a little brighter, with Campbell at least giving Brown something to think about.

It was Ntcham though that came closest to troubling the scoresheet as Celtic then clicked into cruise control, the midfielder forcing Gillespie into a fine low save from a tight angle.

The game rather petered out into an exercise in avoiding any real over-exertion for either side as they tried to avoid any further injuries heading into their final three fixtures before getting to put their feet up for real in time for the bells, a rest that both sides look as if they will welcome with open arms when it comes.

There was still time for a nice touch as Brown received the man of the match award, a well-deserved nod to his invaluable contribution over the years for Celtic rather than any great heroics on the night.