Adam Idah got Celtic out of jail as his second half double helped the champions to win three critical points against Motherwell at Fir Park.

The hosts had taken a deserved lead into the interval after Blair Spittal’s well taken opener, with Celtic miles off the pace.

But Idah’s introduction swung the momentum of the match, and his header shortly after the interval drew Celtic level.

It looked as though Motherwell would see the game out from there though, but their fans - who unveiled a banner before kick off that read ‘You are my cinema, I could watch you forever’ – had seen this movie before. And they must be heartily sick of it.

Just as they had here earlier in the campaign, Celtic sickened the Steelmen deep into stoppage time, as Idah got on the end of Alistair Johnston’s cutback to side-foot home.

Luis Palma tapped in a third soon after to put a sheen on the scoreline that neither Celtic or Motherwell probably deserved.

Here are the talking points from Fir Park…

CELTIC GET AWAY WITH IT

Credit where it is due first of all. After a dire first-half showing here, Celtic did show character here to turn things around after the interval, with Idah’s entrance the telling factor.

Perhaps when all is said and done at the end of the season, this will be looked back upon as a pivotal moment in the title race, but the evidence of the entire 90 minutes hardly supported the theory that Celtic are going to be able to pull their season out of the fire.

The first 45 minutes were as poor as they have produced all season, though Motherwell must take credit for that. They swarmed Callum McGregor and Matt O’Riley whenever they got on the ball, and stymied Celtic’s threat as a result.

The ability to throw a cross into  a target in the box after the break changed the dynamic, and they did eventually get the job done, but it was another scrappy performance that raised more questions than answers about this team.

Rodgers will point to their resilience, but they look as if they can drop points in almost every match, and that is worrying with no room left now for error.

IDAH TOO HOT FOR MOTHERWELL TO HANDLE, AND NOW AHEAD OF KYOGO?

Celtic’s lack of invention in attacking areas in the first half was scarcely believable, with Daizen Maeda and Nick Kuhn both desperately poor in wide areas and striker Kyogo Furuhashi – as he has done so often this season – cutting a peripheral and frustrated figure.

The one sniff at goal he had came from a McGregor through ball that Liam Kelly did well to come out and smother.

The fact he went down holding his troublesome shoulder just before the interval may have sealed the deal in terms of his withdrawal from the action, but it wouldn’t have been a surprise in any case to see Idah sent on in his stead, and that was indeed the change made as Rodgers tried to inject a bit of life into his labouring side.

It paid off almost immediately, as Greg Taylor’s brilliant cross from deep on the left found the big Irishman getting in between Bevis Mugabi and Dan Casey to glance expertly beyond Kelly and haul Celtic level.

He should have hit a second late on as Taylor once again found him free in the middle of the Motherwell area, but this time he glanced wide. He would soon have his moment though, producing a nice near post run and cool finish to break Motherwell’s hearts and send the Celtic contingent behind the goal wild.

HIGH CELTIC BACKLINE EXPLOITED

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me four or five times, as Motherwell did to the Celtic backline with balls over the top, then you might want to re-think your set up.

The tactics of Motherwell were obvious from early on. Win the ball and immediately look for the pace of Theo Bair and Jack Vale in behind the visitors’ high line.

Celtic got away with one as Miller helped one over the top of Bair to hare onto in the opening minutes, the re-born striker chopping inside the out-of-sorts Liam Scales and finishing under Joe Hart, only to be left frustrated as the flag eventually was raised and a Var check confirmed that he had gone just a little too early.

Celtic failed to heed the lesson though, and soon after Vale was the one who was found by Miller running into acres, but the striker tried one chop too many and Maik Nawrocki eventually did well to get back and get a toe to the ball to deny the on-loan Blackburn Rovers man.

Still, the Celtic fans would be relieved to see Cameron Carter-Vickers returning in the second period to steady the ship, and you feel his fitness will be a crucial factor in his team’s chances of retaining their title.

LENNON MILLER IMPRESSES

It is hard to believe that the Motherwell midfielder is only 17 years of age, and he showed here again just why there is such excitement around him in Lanarkshire. His overall game was marked by an impressive composure beyond his years, and the moment of quality he produced as Motherwell opened the scoring was one that very few other players – even in green and white – could produce.

His brilliant swivel completely took McGregor out of the game, and then he had the presence of up mind to look up and lay the ball perfectly into the path of Spittal to sweep home with a great first time finish.

He looks to be a kid that is going places, and perhaps for big money in the summer. 

DAIZEN MAEDA CHIEF SINNER FOR CELTIC

Much has been made of Celtic’s woes in wide areas this season, and the lack of impact that the wingers they have brought in have made. It was a remnant of the Ange Postecoglou era that produced the biggest stinker on the day here though, with Maeda blowing several presentable chances to put Celtic ahead in the second half.

The look on Alistair Johnston’s face when he somehow headed wide his cross in the second half was priceless, and the Japanese just looks completely out of sorts. His teammates saved his blushes in the end, and they might just have saved their season.