EAST KILBRIDE...............0
CELITC..............................2 (Griffiths 20, Kazim-Richards 50)
Celtic did not so much brush aside part-timers East Kilbride but rather they squeezed their way into the quarter-finals of the William Hill Scottish Cup with an uncomfortable display in Airdrie.
It was a bitty, disjointed performance from Ronny Deila's side who controlled the game but who never quite found their groove at any stage.
A goal in each half from Leigh Griffiths and Colin Kazim-Richards prevented further ire falling on Deila after a desperate week for the Norwegian, but the manner of the performance will not quieten his critics.
East Kilbride may have been forgiven for believing they had weathered the storm when they made it to the 2-minute mark with the game still goalless, but a scrappy goal from Griffiths eased some of the tension within Deila's side.
Gary Mackay-Steven’s corner was met by Dedryck Boyata, his header appeared to brush off Griffiths' arm before bouncing off East Kilbride defender Scott Stevenson on the line. Griffiths was quick to react to the rebound, prodding the ball over the line.
However, those who expected the resistance of the minnows to crumble and Celtic to flood them under a torrent of chances were mistaken.
While Deila’s side inevitably saw the bulk of the ball, there was a justified accusation that they lacked any real imagination with it. There were chances from distance with James Forrest and Mackay-Steven taking aim, but there was always an unease about Celtic's display.
Kazim-Richards started a two-pronged attack with Griffiths up front, but with Mulgrew and Scott Brown deep at the heart of Celtic’s midfield, there was frequently a lack of link-up play between the midfield and the forward line.
Logan Bailly, in between the sticks in place of Craig Gordon, would have felt the icy blast of the remainder of storm Imogen as keenly as anyone in the stand such was his limited involvement in the game but until Celtic got the second goal shortly after the break there remained a tension about the game.
The second goal came just five minutes after the break when Kazim-Richards netted his first goal for the club. It was another messy finish as he prodded the ball into the net from close range but it was the goal which effectively finished the game off as a contest.
As Celtic put on Scott Allan, Nir Bitton and Ryan Christie and the part-timers tired, the Parkhead side continued to make heavy weather of it.
Brown clipped the post with a swerving chance deep into the game but the scoreline and Celtic's progression will not gloss over the very obvious deficiencies that are evident in Deila's current Celtic side.
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