Celtic move eight clear at the top

Wales striker John Hartson warmed up for next week's Euro 2004 playoff games with Russia by scoring twice as Celtic crushed Dunfermline…

Wales striker John Hartson warmed up for next week's Euro 2004 playoff games with Russia by scoring twice as Celtic crushed Dunfermline Athletic 5-0 to move eight points clear at the top of the Scottish premier league.

Hartson was on target after 23 and 77 minutes to crack Dunfermline's resistance before Ross Wallace, Stanislav Varga and Henrik Larsson completed the rout in the final 10 minutes.

Celtic remain unbeaten at the top with 34 points from 12 games, eight points clear of champions Rangers who play at Kilmarnock on Sunday.

Despite the winning margin, Martin O'Neill's side looked unconvincing for long spells at Celtic Park on Saturday before finding their form, and the net, late on.

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"We ended up winning 5-0 yet Dunfermline played very well in patches so I'm delighted to have won 5-0 and shown the ability and resilience that is currently running through the team," said O'Neill.

Hartson scored the opener from Didier Agathe's cross on 23 minutes and slipped in his team's second, which looked offside, with 13 minutes of the game remaining.

The floodgates then opened with young substitute winger Wallace tormenting the visitors to net the third on 81 minutes and then turning supplier for Varga's headed fourth two minutes later.

Larsson popped up to grab the fifth when he slammed the ball into the net from an almost impossible angle on 87 minutes.

Dunfermline, who drew 0-0 with Celtic in their league opener in August and remain the only side to have taken points from them this term, slipped two places to eight in the table.

"I thought we were very well organised and frustrated Celtic here," said their manager Jimmy Calderwood. "We've lost 5-0 but you wonder how it ended up like that.

Motherwell leapfrogged Dundee into fourth place thanks to their 1-0 victory at Dens Park, while Livingston beat bottom club Partick Thistle 2-0 to move up to sixth. Dundee United drew 2-2 at Hibernian. Third-placed Hearts travel to Aberdeen on Sunday.