Scottish Premier League: Livingston 0 Celtic 2: As a manager who has never before been on the verge of winning a league championship, Gordon Strachan's anxiety to see Celtic's procession to the Scottish title confirmed as early as possible is understandable. His team will finally be crowned if they defeat Hearts at Celtic Park on Wednesday week, after this latest workmanlike if uninspiring performance of their campaign.
"It wasn't brilliant, but we had to dig deep," conceded Strachan after his team maintained their 17-point lead over the Tynecastle side.
"I am very surprised to be so far in front at this stage, and I don't think we were favourites to win the title before the season started. But now that we're so close we just want things over and done with."
Celtic had their goalkeeper Artur Boruc to thank for not being behind within 10 minutes, as the Pole saved brilliantly at close range from Richard Brittain.
Livingston, who remain nine points adrift at the foot of the SPL, demonstrated every ounce of the fighting qualities that should be expected from a team trying to preserve top-flight status, and matched the possession of the champions-elect during the opening 45 minutes.
But clearly roused by a half-time pep talk from Strachan, Celtic began the second half with vigour and the prolific Maciej Zurawski buried the substitute Ross Wallace's cross from six yards only 120 seconds after the restart.
Five minutes later Dion Dublin, for much of the match a lumbering figure after being handed a rare start in green and white since his January move from Leicester City, won a hotly contested penalty after a tug from Manu Dorado.
Shaun Maloney emphasised why he is a strong contender for the Scottish player-of-the-year award with a typically clinical finish from the spot for his sixth goal in as many games.
Celtic played out the game under little duress, with post-match debate centring on a two-footed and reckless tackle by the visitors' Stephen McManus on Allan Walker in the first half.
McManus was booked for the lunge but the Livingston manager John Robertson was adamant the referee Kenny Clark had treated the young Celtic defender lightly.
"Our whole camp felt it should have been a straight red card," said Robertson. "It was two-footed and over the top of the ball. Everybody in the ground knew it was a red card apart from the referee."
Walker admitted he feared the worse. He said: "At first the pain was unbelievable. I tried to jump up but my ankle caved in and it was one of the sorest things I have ever felt. I did fear the worst but thankfully it was all right. I don't think Stephen would do that intentionally, he's a fellow professional and a good one at that."
LIVINGSTON: McKenzie, Mackay, Strong, Dorado, Tierney, McNamee (Healy 57), Adams (Dorrans 61), Brittain, Hoolahan, Morrow, Walker. Subs not used: Snodgrass, Roy, Hislop, Miller, Whelan. Booked: Walker, Strong.
CELTIC: Boruc, Telfer (Wallace 45), McManus, Balde, Wilson (Varga 64), Nakamura, Petrov, Lennon, Maloney, Dublin (Hartson 80), Zurawski. Subs not used: Marshall, Thompson, Pearson, Lawson.
Booked: McManus.
Goals: Zurawski 47, Maloney 52 pen.
Referee: K Clarke (Scotland).
