Alistair Johnston: Pittodrie win showed our personality

All eyes were on Pittodrie on Wednesday night as the Celts travelled to the north-east to take on Aberdeen in horrendous weather conditions. With just over 10 minutes left to play, Reo Hatate produced a calm and classy finish to give Celtic the lead and ultimately claim all three points for the champions. That victory continues the Hoops’ unbeaten start to the domestic campaign and it also means that, going in to this weekend’s match against Hibernian, Brendan Rodgers’ men have a seven-point lead at the top of the league table. And speaking to the media ahead of tomorrow’s match at Paradise, Alistair Johnston praised his side’s personality and the will to win that they have shown since the start of the season. “Not every win is going to be perfect,” he said. “It won’t always be like the first half against Ross County when the goals seem to be flying in. “We understand that and it’s something that every single team that has won titles understands, it’s not always going to be perfect. ‘Finding a way to get the results is the most important thing.’ “Especially when you’re up against a team in second place, and you go up there and get three points. “It’s a good sign, not just of the quality of the team but of the personality and ruggedness that we have, which I think is going to be really important for our title defence.”Gale-force winds and driving, torrential rain made Wednesday night’s match an even tougher task than it was already going to be. Despite those conditions, though, the Celts stuck to their game-plan and to the style that has brought success so far this season. And for Johnston, he said that Wednesday’s victory proves that the champions can adapt to any circumstances while still remaining focused on their own system and approach. He said: “It was a great feeling (to win) and a great performance again. “We all realised when we were warming up that it was going to be a different type of match and a different challenge as well. “I think it shows that we can go out there and win in any conditions and that’s important up here in Scotland. “It goes to show that we can still play our kind of football even if it is 60mph wind! It was a horrible night but it was a good night for our fans and for our team.” Hibernian will travel to Glasgow’s East End tomorrow afternoon for a 3pm kick off, and although the David Gray’s side have had a poor start to the season, positive results in their last two fixtures have brought a hint of confidence back to the Easter Road side. The Celts have defeated Hibs twice already this season, but the Hoops’ right-back says that he and his team-mates still expect a tough test at Paradise tomorrow afternoon. Johnston added: “Hibs are a good team. That’s something we’ve always understood with Hibs, they always provide a good test. “They come out here at Celtic Park especially and they always like to try and play their football. “I was speaking to Junior Hoilett during the international break and he agreed that they have a good team but it just wasn’t clicking. “But they knew that the pressure was on so I think that that’s the sign of a good team as well, that when the pressure is starting to heat up, they’ve now started to dig in and find results. “It’s going to be a good challenge and test for us, but one that we’re excited for.” More on the match Brendan Rodgers’ MOTM award –