Mikey Johnston on the double in Celtic victory over Dundee

Ireland winger Mikey Johnston came off the bench to score a brace in a 3-0 cinch Premiership win for Celtic at Dundee.

Brendan Rodgers' side were already 1-0 up through Paulo Bernardo's 52nd-minute opener when Johnston was introduced with just over ten minutes left to play at Dens Park.

It was Celtic's seventh consecutive away game in the fixture immediately after Christmas Day and it produced a seventh win to ensure Celtic will go into the Old Firm derby against Rangers top of the league.

The champions lead by five points but Rangers have two games in hand including Wednesday’s Ibrox clash with Ross County.

Rodgers named the same team that started in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Livingston, while Dundee had Cammy Kerr in for the absent Ricki Lamie and Zak Rudden returned as one of two strikers.

Celtic quickly took control without carving Dundee open. Kyogo Furuhashi headed safely into Trevor Carson’s hands and Luis Palma fired over from a decent chance but Dundee also had their moments going forward.

Lyall Cameron fired a ball across the face of goal after great footwork and Rudden’s looping header was saved by Joe Hart.

Celtic began to create better chances after the first quarter. Liam Scales headed just wide from Palma’s corner and Matt O’Riley created a chance for himself but shot straight at Carson.

For all Celtic’s possession, it was a loose ball from a Dundee throw-in that led to the visitors’ best chance of the half. O’Riley played the ball forward and Furuhashi was clean through. The Japan striker dinked the ball over Carson with his right foot but the ball drifted just wide.

O’Riley and Bernardo were then off target from half-chances and Callum McGregor saw a shot blocked before setting up Palma for a free header that the