TWO wins and a draw from three games, one of which was against the European champions, amounts to a profitable six days' work for Celtic, particularly given the circumstances. The injury crisis which has now robbed them of Shunsuke Nakamura, for what is hoped will only be a fortnight, has also left the champions reliant on a teenage forward, whose talent, if prodigious, is also unrefined.

Since Cillian Sheridan made his first appearance of the season at Motherwell in September, the young Irish striker has finished on the losing side only once in eight games. The lanky understudy to experienced colleagues Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Georgios Samaras has been asked to provide the physical presence during the pair's recent absence, and has distinguished himself to the extent that there is talk of a call-up to the Republic of Ireland squad for the friendly against Poland later this month.

It might be a step too far at this stage, especially given the extent of his exertions of late. Scott McDonald, the striker who has borne the brunt of Celtic's difficulties in attack, again partnered Sheridan on Saturday. The 25-year-old continued to cope impressively with the twin burden of maintaining the upward curve in his own performance while also aiding the development of his callow team-mate. McDonald, below, would not be the striker he is without a streak of selfishness, and his first concern must be for his own welfare. After talk of his faltering form in the early weeks of the season, which invariably led to questions about his physical condition and lifestyle, he is very much back in the swing.

Saturday's strike in the 2-0 win over Motherwell was his third goal in his last four outings. It also continued his habit of spearing his former club. His strike on Saturday was his fourth in consecutive games against Motherwell. It is his seventh goal in total against the Fir Park side since leaving the club two summers ago. "I don't know what it is," he said. "It's not as if I try any harder against them – it's just a knack. I feel confident playing against anyone just now, not just Motherwell."

It was not difficult to detect some peevishness in his observation that he will let reporters decide whether he is back to his best or not – after all, he pointed out, "You tell me when I am not". But his generosity of spirit was also to the fore as he contemplated Sheridan's arrival on the scene.

"Three games in a week is a big call for the young lad, on top of the long haul back from injury he has had," said McDonald. "He has not played a lot of football but has done tremendously well. He has a big and bright future and I have enjoyed playing with him. Being older you have to take responsibility and try and help him. Hopefully I have done a good job. I am always shouting at someone – you know me. But I try and be careful with the big guy. He is still young and still learning, as we all are."

One of McDonald's strengths is his single-mindedness. As he noted himself, he can often be seen berating others for such perceived injustices as not passing to him. Massimo Donati was the recipient of a withering blast in the second half after the substitute had elected to use Sheridan rather than the Australian. Later, after McDonald had got in the way of the Italian's bid to shoot, he simply trotted away unconcerned. It is this self-belief, bordering on arrogance, which Sheridan will need to bring to his game. He has most other attributes.

"He came back for pre-season and blew everyone away," recalled McDonald. "He is one of the fittest guys I know. And he has pace to burn. When you have that, and when he tidies up other things in his game, he will have everything. He is a manager's dream. He is tall, can run, has skill and can finish. If you have all that then nine times out of ten a manager will be attracted to you rather than the small, stumpy wee guy."

The self-styled small, stumpy wee guy wrapped up the points for Celtic with a second goal after 70 minutes, following Motherwell striker David Clarkson's unfortunate dismissal just prior to the hour mark. The hard-working Paul Hartley had opened the scoring a minute before the interval with a raking shot from distance. Mark McGhee, the Motherwell manager, later reflected that his team had not shown enough to suggest they could take something from the trip to Parkhead even before the sending-off, but the sense of deflation after Clarkson's departure was marked. Both sets of players seemed alert to the fact it was wildly out of character. Clarkson received support from both McGhee and Gordon Strachan, the Celtic manager, while McDonald admitted the arm which connected loudly with Paul Caddis' face, to the horror of most in the main stand, had not looked deliberate.

"I have played with him long enough to know that's not Clarky," he said.

Its most drastic impact was on formation, with Motherwell having opened with a 4-3-3 set-up which had initially threatened to overwhelm a lethargic-looking Celtic side. A John Sutton effort was cleared off the line, although there was some suggestion the ball might have crossed it, while Chris Porter should have done better when presented with a clear chance. McGhee later said he had left Parkhead feeling more satisfied after last season's corresponding fixture, which ended in a 3-0 loss for Motherwell. Then, he said, his team had offered, and deserved, more. They have a chance to redeem themselves against Rangers on Wednesday, when the impact of Clarkson's red card – he receives an automatic ban – will be more heavily felt by Motherwell.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Paul Hartley (Celtic)

The midfielder does not score so many goals these days, but set Celtic on their way with an accurate shot from the edge of the box. Otherwise he carried out his usual patrolling duties in front of the defence to great effect.

Mizuno hailed by Strachan

CELTIC manager Gordon Strachan enjoyed the truncated debut of his Japanese midfielder Koki Mizuno.

For the visit of Motherwell, Strachan was missing a full team of injured players. Consequently, Mizuno, 23, was handed a place on the bench.

While the other players appeared happy to see the game out in the final minutes, Mizuno replaced Scott McDonald and buzzed all over the pitch, firing in a shot just over the bar in injury time. Strachan beamed when asked about Mizuno's contribution, minimal as it had been.

"He did well when he came on and he really enjoyed it," said the Celtic manager. "He got the crowd going with his energy and movement so we were pleased with him. He worked hard. That's what we've seen from him in the last couple of weeks in the reserves and again against Motherwell so it was a good bonus for us."

Mizuno may get another taste of the action against Kilmarnock on Wednesday as Strachan tries to find enough players to field eleven players and a full bench.