Six in a row for Celtic

Celtic made it six league wins in a row as they warmed up for the final Old Firm derby of the season with a 4-0 second-half rout of Motherwell.

With one eye on Tuesday’s match interim manager Neil Lennon rested several top team stars meaning rare starts for Morten Rasmussen and China captain Zheng Zhi.

Lennon said he was happy to get the win before the Old Firm clash.

“Their consistency and level of performance over the last two or three games has really gone up a level I’ve felt,” the Celtic coach said.

“In general today it was quite good but it kept breaking down in the final third so we asked them to step it up a little and to be fair they did that second-half.”

Motherwell manager Craig Brown said the score-line was a reflection of Celtic’s dominance.

“In football the better team usually wins and should win and that is what happened today,” Brown said.

After a goalless first-half Aiden McGeady opened the scoring three minutes after the break before Darren O’Dea headed in a second 12 minutes from time.

Substitute James Forrest, making his debut for the Hoops, scored a third late on before fellow sub Robbie Keane added a fourth in injury time.

Rivals Rangers will also head into the Glasgow derby on the back of a win as the champions claimed a 2-1 win over Dundee United.

Kris Boyd scored his 100th league goal for Rangers and Nacho Novo doubled their lead before Damian Casanlinuovo pulled one back.

At Parkhead the home side squandered several opportunities in the opening minutes with Rasmussen and Josh Thompson guilty of wasting chances.

Motherwell began to regain their composure and Ross Forbes had a shot cleared off the line before Tom Hately volleyed just wide from eight yards.

Hately then saw his in-swinging corner from the left turned on to the post by Boruc on the stroke of half-time as Motherwell came close to the opener.

Celtic came out from the break fired up and opened the scoring in the 49th minute.

McGeady’s first shot was blocked and as the ball returned to him at the edge of the box he sent a chipped effort sailing over the outstretched arms of the back-tracking Ruddy and into the net.

Celtic doubled their advantage in the 79th minute. McGeady turned provider when O’Dea got the deftest of touches to his cross from the right to direct a header past Ruddy.

Debutant Forrest got a third in the 87th minute. The sub, who had only replaced McGeady five minutes earlier, latched on to Marc-Antoine Fortune’s long ball and dinked a left-foot shot over Ruddy from just inside the box.

Fellow sub Keane rounded things off in injury time, lobbing home his 16th of the season.

In the Edinburgh derby Hearts came from behind to snatch a last-gasp winner as they defeated Hibernian 2-1 at Easter Road to blow the race for the final European spot wide open.

Anthony Stokes gave Hibs the lead with a 55th-minute penalty before substitute Suso Santana equalised.

David Obua then tapped in an 89th minute winner which leaves Hearts three points behind their rivals with two games remaining.

Falkirk remain bottom on goal difference from Kilmarnock after a last minute goal condemned them to a 1-1 draw with fellow strugglers St Mirren as Killie lost 2-1 to St Johnstone.

Elsewhere, Aberdeen lost 3-1 to Hamilton.