Mooy opens Celtic account with brilliant brace
Australia's Aaron Mooy scored his first goal for Celtic and sealed his second from the spot as the Hoops dispatched Hibernian to round out 2022 with an emphatic 4-0 win in the Scottish Premiership.
The victory put a full-stop on an impressive calendar year for Ange Postecoglou's side,which has played 37 Premiership games in 2022 and won 33 of them, registering three draw and a solitary defeat.
Travelling to a Hibs side fresh from a 4-0 win of its own over Livingston last time out, it wasn't predicted to be a walkover for Celtic. Indeed if it wasn't for an early offside, the home side could have taken an early through Chris Cadden’s third-minute, but he scored from an illegal position.
It was just the scare Celtic needed, and on 28 minutes, Mooy got the party started with a powerful half-volley that rippled the back of net and gave him his first goal for his new side. Daizen Maeda had provided a superb ball into the box which Hibs failed to clear, and Mooy was on hand to blast home.
Maeda had a chance of his own minutes later, but somehow put a free header against the bar when putting it into the goal looked by far the easier option. But he more than made up for the error with a goal of the season contenter moments later.
Picking up possession near the halfway line, the Japan international dribbled his way to the edge of the box, cutting in from the left before unleashing an unstoppable drive into the top right corner nine minutes before the break.
Celtic remained in firm control after the break, and Mooy was given the chance to double his tally when the Hoops won a penalty just before the hour mark. Greg Taylor's sumptuous throughball found Maeda, who preferred to cut the ball back than shoot inside the box, and the ball found a way to strike Lewis Stevenson’s hand.
A video assistant referee check saw the spot kick confirmed, and Mooy made no mistake to make it 3-0.
Kyogo Furuhashi added gloss to the scoreline with a fourth goal on 64 minutes, showing wonderful composure in the process, and Celtic finished an easy winner ahead of the New Year Old Firm clash with Rangers scheduled for Monday (AEDT).
