Celtic too good for Raith Rovers

Gary Hooper scored four as Celtic hammered Raith at Celtic Park to book their place in the quarter-finals of the Scottish Communities League Cup.

The prolific striker opened the scoring on 12 minutes but Raith were level just before the half hour courtesy of skipper Alan Walker’s deflected shot.

Hooper restored Celtic’s lead with a neat finish before the break and then put the result beyond doubt with two goals in two minutes around the hour mark. He grabbed his hat-trick on 58 minutes when he finished off a flowing move involving Dylan McGeouch and Adam Matthews with a low shot from a tight angle beyond Raith goalkeeper McGurn. Two minutes later he made it 4-1 when he finished off Kayal’s effort from point blank range.

The Irn-Bru First Division side fought hard all evening but never looked likely to trouble Neil Lennon’s men who will have been glad to see Joe Ledley and Beram Kayal get some much-needed game time as they return from injury.