It is what we have played for all season.” Paul Lambert, the captain, who is now 34, agreed with his manager. “The four years under Martin O’Neill have been phenomenal,” said the former Borussia Dortmund player. “There is a great spirit and we are all winners at the club, which is important. I’ve played in two European finals, and won the Champions’ League with Dortmund, but this is a special team.”Even Jim Jefferies, the Kilmarnock manager, joined in with the tributes “Celtic are a great side, with some great players,” he said “However, we made them work today. I did not want them to turn up and just walk all over us.”Indeed, had Kris Boyd not been harshly denied a goal after 15 minutes, then Celtic could have been chasing this contest. Now they are pursuing the record of the Rangers side of 1898 who completed the season unbeaten – though that was just 18 games, not 38.”It is something to go for,” O’Neill said. “However, we have used much the same group of players all season long and I think you could see that tiredness has crept in over the last few weeks.”When we won the title in my first two seasons in charge, the feeling was great.

If it is better to journey than to arrive, Celtic would have had little problem celebrating their third title in four years under Martin O’Neill with a clean conscience last night.
The Celtic manager watched his drained team just about limp over the finishing line at Rugby Park with a fine goal from Stilian Petrov, but that line has been drawn more indelibly by O’Neill’s players than any other team in Scottish football history.There are still six games left but Celtic were not interested in using any of them. They cast aside the physical and mental strain of their exit from the Uefa Cup in midweek to the Spanish side Villarreal to seal their impressive campaign on the very ground that they suffered the torment last season of losing the championship on the final day to Rangers by a goal difference of one.Given the amount of energy expended all season – in Europe as well as in their unbeaten Scottish Premier League campaign – it would have been understandable if Celtic had faltered. Substitutes not used: Petterson (gk), Andrews.Referee: M Pike (Cumbria).Bookings: Walsall: Bazeley, Osborn.Man of the match: Huckerby.Attendance: 23,558.. “You’ll not see any celebrations from me because there’s still a job to be done,” he said “When we’ve won promotion then we can look at the title. I’d love the players to get a medal because they deserve it.”As Merson continues to grapple with his gambling problems, he is well placed to put Walsall’s predicament into perspective. “This is nothing compared with some of the other challenges in my life They have been life-threatening troubles where you can die. I’ve been through a lot worse – this is a great job, it’s a pleasure.”Goals: Francis (2) 1-0; McKenzie (45) 2-0; Svensson (51) 3-0, Huckerby (73) 4-0; Svensson (86) 5-0 .Norwich City (4-3-3): Green; Edworthy, Mackay, Fleming, Drury; Cooper (Mulryne, 65), Holt, Francis; McKenzie (McVeigh, 79), Huckerby, Svensson (Roberts, 88).

With four minutes left, Svensson to completed the rout with another header.”Bring on Arsenal!” sang the home supporters, but manager Nigel Worthington was simply relieved that another vital step towards promotion had been taken. Substitutes not used: Crichton (gk), Brennan.Walsall (4-4-2): Walker; Bazeley, Ritchie, Carbon, Aranalde; Leitao (Kris Taylor, 61), Burley, Osborn (Fryatt, 52), Emblen; McSporran, Bradbury (Merson, 52). Walsall tried their best to fulfil Merson’s request with Lee Bradbury forcing a fine, sprawling save from Robert Green in the 10th minute.But when McKenzie headed in Huckerby’s left-wing cross in first-half stoppage-time, the game was effectively over. Six minutes after the break, a towering cross from the right was met by Matt Svensson – prompting Merson’s arrival from the bench – before Huckerby rounded off a superb individual performance by sweeping home an astute pass from substitute Phil Mulryne 17 minutes from time. “I didn’t want them making a lorry-load of excuses about the manager’s sacking or Norwich being the best team in the division. All I asked was for them to give me 100 per cent and make some chances – which they did. I’m confident we can stay up because I believe we’ll win our two home games – I just want to see entertaining football.”Norwich were more than happy to oblige, with Leon McKenzie and Darren Huckerby combining to set up a goal at close-range for Damien Francis in the second minute.

Crisis? What crisis? A five-goal thrashing by the First Division champions-elect might appear to confirm troubled Walsall’s headlong rush towards the second, but Paul Merson is having none of it.
As Norwich City prepare to clinch promotion to the top flight, the Saddlers have just three games to save themselves after being swept aside in front of a celebratory Carrow Road crowd.The bizarre sacking of Colin Lee just 24 hours earlier had hardly helped Walsall’s plight and a dismal run of three wins in 19 matches leaves them one point above the relegation zone. But Merson, joint caretaker-manager with Simon Osborn, remains remarkably upbeat.”I’m very proud of the lads,” Merson said. With Chester struggling near the foot of the Conference, the former England international, Mark Wright, was appointed manager and as fortunes changed on the field, Vaughan and his management team started to turn things around behind the scenes.. Stamp, appearing against his former club, hit the opening goal after 19 minutes after good work from the side’s leading scorer this season, Daryl Clare.The Blues striker crossed and Stamp hit his 19th goal of the season with a left-footed strike from inside the area.Scarborough went close through Wayne Gill and kept the pressure on, but were unable to force an equaliser which would have put Chester’s promotion celebrations on hold.The club’s revival dates to October 2001, when the American Terry Smith sold the club to the Liverpool businessman Stephen Vaughan. Substitutes not used: Postma (gk), Delaney.Newcastle United: (4-4-2) Given 6, Hughes 6, O’Brien 3, Woodgate 9, Bernard 6, Dyer 5, Jenas 4 (Viana 32 4), Speed 8, Robert 3 (Bowyer 32 5), Bellamy 6 (Bridges 52 6), Shearer 6.