Celtic fans must not have been very confident ahead of their trip to Livingston. On one hand, their recent form had raised a lot of questions. The last time that they had impressed was in the first half against Aberdeen. On the other hand, there record away against Livingston was a major worry as well. Thus, it would not be wrong to say that many even expected the Hoops to drop points here.

And things did not start brilliantly, as Callum McGregor failed to convert from the penalty spot. But then, Daizen Maeda rose to the occasion to put Celtic ahead.

While the Japanese star’s goal might have come as a relief, an own goal from Livingston and one from James Forrest, handed them a comfortable lead.

Livingston pulled one back quickly through Andrew Shinnie but it was not enough for the hosts to get anything out of the game.

Maeda, Ange, ghosts: 3 things we learned from Celtic vs Livingston

Here are three things we learned as Celtic were finally able to get a win against Livingston away at the Tony Macaroni Arena:

Daizen Maeda proves his worth

Daizen Maeda, Celtic. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

It is safe to say that Maeda has faced his fair share of criticism in recent weeks and most of it has probably been a bit unfair.

It was only in January that Maeda arrived and he also had to go out on international duty before he could settle into his new surroundings.

Yes, it has been a difficult start for him but he does deserve more time. At the moment, he does not look like someone who can lead the line for Celtic but that does not mean that he cannot develop into that player in the future.

The goal against Livingston must be a huge confidence booster for Maeda though and hopefully he can keep on improving from here on.

This article was originally posted here