MX23RW : Sunday, December 15 01:10:09| >> :120:76148:76148:

Sinclair hits hat-trick for Celtic as Aberdeen and Hearts also ease through

Sinclair hits hat-trick for Celtic as Aberdeen and Hearts also ease through
© Reuters
Brendan Rodgers' side thumped St Johnstone 5-0.

Scott Sinclair scored a hat-trick as holders Celtic thrashed St Johnstone 5-0 at Parkhead to seal their place in the William Hill Scottish Cup quarter-finals.

The Hoops forward squeezed in the opener after three minutes before skipper Scott Brown thundered in a 30-yard drive six minutes later.

Returning winger James Forrest added a third in the 52nd minute, with Sinclair scoring twice more to seal victory in a one-sided affair.

Joining Celtic ā€“ looking to win the competition for the third successive season ā€“ in Monday night's draw for the last eight are Scottish Premiership rivals Aberdeen and Hearts, who both recorded similarly convincing wins on Sunday.

All five goals at Pittodrie came in the second half as the Dons overcame Ladbrokes Championship outfit Queen of the South 4-1.

Half-time substitute Niall McGinn was the star of the show for the hosts, including netting a 47th-minute opener before the prolificĀ Stephen Dobbie quickly levelled for Queens with a stunning strike.

Niall McGinn starred for Aberdeen
Niall McGinn starred for Aberdeen (Jeff Holmes/PA)

Winger McGinn then turned provider for Andrew Considine and Sam Cosgrove to fire Aberdeen into a 3-1 lead by the 67th minute.

Cosgrove would add a fourth from the penalty spot for Derek McInnes' 2017 runners-up, who are looking to win the Scottish Cup forĀ the first time since 1990.

Hearts, meanwhile, were 4-0 winners over Junior minnows Auchinleck Talbot at Tynecastle.

First-half goals from Christophe Berra, Demetri Mitchell and Steven MacLean ensured Auchinleck would not cause another upset, having dumped out high-flying Ladbrokes Championship side Ayr in the fourth round.

Substitute AidanĀ Keena then added a late fourth for the home side ā€“ the 19-year-old's first senior goal for the club.

ga('create', 'UA-72310761-1', 'auto', {'name': 'pacontentapi'});
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'referrer', location.origin);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension1', 'By Press Association Sport staff');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension2', '16d66f85-6eb4-48b5-83ff-52e91ccaa7e2');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension3', 'paservice:sport,paservice:sport:football,paservice:sport:uk');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension6', 'story');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension7', 'composite');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension8', null);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension9', 'sport:football');
ga('pacontentapi.send', 'pageview', { 'location': location.href, 'page': (location.pathname + location.search + location.hash), 'title': 'Sinclair hits hat-trick for Celtic as Aberdeen and Hearts also ease through'});

ID:349962: cacheID:349962:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:7347:
Written by
P A
Restore Data
Share this article now:
A general shot of a Premier League football ahead of the Premier League clash between Everton and West Ham United at Goodison Park on October 30, 2016
Read Next:
Hearts striker Uche Ikpeazu determined to make up for lost time
>
Read more about Scott Sinclair Football
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
6pm
Chiefs
@
Browns
6pm
Ravens
@
Giants
6pm
Jets
@
Jags
6pm
Cowboys
@
Panthers
6pm
Washington
@
Saints
6pm
Dolphins
@
Texans
6pm
Bengals
@
Titans
9.25pm
Colts
@
Broncos
9.25pm
Patriots
@
Cardinals
9.25pm
Buccaneers
@
Chargers
9.25pm
Steelers
@
Eagles
9.25pm
Bills
@
Lions
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Celtic1514104444043
2Aberdeen16104230181234
3RangersRangers1510232791832
4Motherwell168172226-425
5Dundee UnitedDundee Utd166642519624
6St Mirren176382228-621
7Dundee165472729-219
8Hibernian173682129-815
9Ross County173681333-2015
10St Johnstone1742112032-1214
11Kilmarnock163581734-1714
12Hearts163491825-713


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!