Dundee made it two cinch Premiership wins in a row as they swept St Mirren aside 4-0 at Dens Park.
The victory came thanks to an Amadou Bakayoko double with Zak Rudden netting from the penalty spot and substitute Zach Robinson scoring a fourth late on.
The win moved Dundee up to fifth in the Premiership table, just two points behind the Buddies in third.
Dens manager Tony Docherty made just one change from the side that beat Livingston last Sunday with Malachi Boateng coming in for Mo Sylla, who dropped to the bench.
Buddies boss Stephen Robinson also made one change to the team that drew with Hibs in midweek with Keanu Baccus replacing ill skipper Mark O’Hara.
The hosts wasted a gilt-edged opportunity to open the scoring in the second minute when Rudden robbed St Mirren defender Richard Taylor but with just keeper Zach Hemming to beat, the striker smacked his shot off the post.
However, the Dark Blues had another chance in the 16th minute – and this time they took it.
Owen Beck swung a corner in from the left with the ball only being cleared as far as Bakayoko, who clinically drilled a low shot past Hemming and into the back of the net.
The Buddies looked to respond with Conor McMenamin making room for a shot but he dragged his effort wide of home keeper Trevor Carson’s left-hand post.
As the half-hour mark approached, both sides were struggling to carve out further clear-cut chances with too many attacks breaking down before they had fully developed.
However, the Dark Blues doubled their advantage in first-half stoppage time.
Another Beck corner was headed on by Antonio Portales with the ball hitting Marcus Fraser’s arm and referee Matthew MacDermid had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.
Rudden stepped up to take responsibility and hit an empathic penalty into the back of the net, sending Hemming the wrong way.
Buddies boss Robinson rang the changes at the break, bringing on four subs, but the Dark Blues scored their third of the afternoon in the 57th minute.
Rudden broke down the right and hit a fierce shot that was saved by the diving Hemming but Bakayoko was on hand to gleefully slot home the rebound.
Dundee did net their fourth in the 85th minute to complete a miserable day for St Mirren, with Luke McCowan breaking forward before laying off a pass to Robinson, who shot past Hemming for his first Premiership goal of the season.
Dundee 1-2 Celtic: Forrest brace restores Hoops' three-point lead at SPL summit
James Forrest scored twice as Celtic regained their three-point cushion at the Scottish Premiership summit with a narrow 2-1 victory over Dundee.
Rangers had applied the pressure earlier in the day with a 2-1 win at St Mirren, moving Philippe Clement's side level on points with the Hoops.
Although, Celtic did not twitch with Forrest volleying them ahead on the half-hour mark, before doubling their lead in the 67th minute.
Antonio Portales pulled a goal back for Dundee seven minutes later with his first league strike of the season, but the visitors held on to pull clear at the top once more with five games remaining.
Data debrief
Returning to the starting line-up today, Forrest's double separated the sides as he found the net more than once in a game for the first time since scoring a hat-trick against Hibernian in October 2022.
Celtic have now won their last 10 league matches against Dundee and are unbeaten in 43 meetings overall since a 2-0 defeat in May 2001, only enjoying a longer such streak against Dumbarton (50).
Dundee 1-2 Celtic: Forrest braces restores Hoops' three-point lead at SPL summit
James Forrest scored twice as Celtic regained their three-point cushion at the Scottish Premiership summit with a narrow 2-1 victory over Dundee.
Rangers had applied the pressure earlier in the day with a 2-1 win at St Mirren, moving Philippe Clement's side level on points with the Hoops.
Although, Celtic did not twitch with Forrest volleying them ahead on the half-hour mark, before doubling their lead in the 67th minute.
Antonio Portales pulled a goal back for Dundee seven minutes later with his first league strike of the season, but the visitors held on to pull clear at the top once more with five games remaining.
Data debrief
Returning to the starting line-up today, Forrest's double separated the sides as he found the net more than once in a game for the first time since scoring a hat-trick against Hibernian in October 2022.
Celtic have now won their last 10 league matches against Dundee and are unbeaten in 43 meetings overall since a 2-0 defeat in May 2001, only enjoying a longer such streak against Dumbarton (50).
St. Mirren 1-2 Rangers: Dessers nets winner as Gers keep touch on Celtic
Rangers boosted their Scottish Premiership title hopes as Cyriel Dessers' strike earned a narrow 2-1 win over St. Mirren at the SMISA Stadium on Sunday.
Rangers were ahead with 32 minutes played as Zach Hemming failed to deal with a cross before James Bolton inadvertently put through his own net under pressure from Dessers.
But St. Mirren hit back just five minutes later as Mikael Mandron nodded goalwards, with the ball flying just past the fingertips of Jack Butland before going in off the post to send the teams into the break level.
Rangers needed a response in the second half, and they got exactly that with 18 minutes left to play as Dessers was left with far too much space in the middle to head James Tavernier's cross into the back of the net.
The hosts huffed and puffed for another equaliser but ultimately could not find one as Rangers held on for three much-needed points that move them level with leaders Celtic but with an inferior goal difference, leaving them second ahead of Celtic's visit to Dundee later on Sunday.
St. Mirren, meanwhile, remain fifth in the Scottish Premiership table.
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