Rangers moved top of the Scottish Premier League on goal difference after a 3-0 away win over Motherwell as Celtic slumped to a shock 1-0 defeat to St Johnstone.

Anthony Stokes won a penalty for Celtic after just two minutes in Glasgow’s East End when he was brought down by Peter Enckelman, but the ‘keeper redeemed himself by saving Kris Commons’s spot-kick.

The Hoops missed countless chances to open the scoring and it was St Johnstone who took the lead on the hour mark when Dave Mackay’s volley was deflected past Fraser Forster for the Perth side’s first goal of the season.

Celtic laid siege to the Saints goal in search of the equaliser but their stubborn defence held firm and St Johnstone came away with a first win at Parkhead since 1999.

Old Firm rivals Rangers went top of the SPL on goal difference, and a point clear of Celtic, after dispatching of previous leaders Motherwell thanks to goals from Steven Naismith, Kyle Lafferty and Gregg Wylde.

At Parkhead, Celtic made three changes to the side which faced Sion on Thursday with a debut for Victor Wanyama and starts for Adam Matthews and Shaun Maloney.

St Johnstone keeper Enckelman was a busy man from the off, saving Commons’s penalty and then stopping a diving header from Charlie Mulgrew on the line.

Ki Sung-Yeung’s powerful shot was deflected just wide of the post before Commons sent a free-kick crashing off the upright.

St Johnstone had failed to score in their previous three matches and it took a deflection to give them a shock lead on the hour mark.

Moments after Forster punched away a Jody Morris pile-driver, Mackay got on the end of Liam Craig’s cross to send an angled volley off Joe Ledley and past the keeper from the right-hand side of the box.

In the day’s other game, Kilmarnock and Hearts played out a goalless draw at Rugby Park.

Premier League results
Celtic vs St Johstone - 0-1
Kilmarnock vs Hearts - 0-0
Motherwell vs Rangers - 0-3

Standings


P W D L F A Pts
Rangers 4 3 1 0 8 1 10
Motherwell 5 3 1 1 5 3 10
Celtic 4 3 0 1 8 2 9
Dunfermline 4 2 2 0 5 3 8
St Mirren 5 2 2 1 4 3 8
Kilmarnock 4 1 3 0 5 2 6
Hearts 5 1 2 2 4 3 5
Dundee Utd 5 1 2 2 4 8 5
St Johnstone 4 1 1 2 1 3 4
Aberdeen 5 1 1 3 2 6 4
Hibernian 4 1 0 3 3 8 3
Inverness CT 5 0 1 4 4 11 1

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