Anthony Stokes fired Celtic to a 1-0 win over ten-man Motherwell at Fir Park on Saturday to extend their winning streak to seven successive matches in the Scottish Premiership.

The score doesn't reflect Celtic's dominance of the match with the Glasgow giants squandering a host of chances to add to Stokes sixth minute opener.

Motherwell defender Simon Ramsden was at fault for the goal and his miserable afternoon was compounded in the 66th minute when he saw red for a reckless challenge on James Forrest.

Dan Twardzik made a series of saves to deny Celtic before the Hoops were nearly made to rue their lost chances when substitute Lee Erwin missed a great chance to equalise late on.

The win moved the Hoops four points clear at the top but manager Ronny Deila felt his side could do better.

"I think the first 20 minutes was brilliant," Deila said. "They created chances and they pressed well when they didn't have the ball.

"If they can do that for 90 then we are talking about a team playing at the top level."

Motherwell caretaker manager Kenny Black admitted his side didn't deserve anything from the match.

"I think for the first half hour we were second best and I think we showed them a little bit too much respect," Black said.

"Celtic have created a number of chances and through good defending and good goalkeeping we have kept ourselves in the game."

Celtic should have found themselves ahead after just two minutes when John Guidetti raced clear to collect a Scott Brown through ball but he slide the ball narrowly wide with only 'keeper Twardzik to beat.

However, the Hoops made no mistake in the sixth minute when a Motherwell mistake handed them an opener.

Fraser Kerr played a back pass to Ramsden, who let the ball run behind him allowing Stefan Johansen to nip in. The Norwegian rounded the keeper before squaring the ball to Stokes, who drilled the ball past two defenders on the line.

The Hoops had the ball in the net again just before the half hour mark when Guidetti acrobatically finished a pass from Brown but his effort was controversially chopped off for offside when the Swedish striker looked to have timed his run perfectly.

The Celtic players were outraged again moments later when referee Calum Murray ignored the pleas for a penalty when Zaine Francis-Angol stuck out a hand in the box to divert an Adam Matthews cross out for a corner.

Celtic almost came to rue all their missed opportunities just before the break when Keith Lasley set up Iain Vigurs on the edge of the box but the midfielder sent his tame effort straight to Craig Gordon.

Motherwell started the second half brightly but their cause was not helped when Ramsden saw red for a reckless challenge on Forrest in the 66th minute.

The Celtic winger was too quick for the Motherwell defender and poked the ball past him before he was wiped out by Ramsden's clumsy challenge on the edge of the box.

Celtic tried to make the most of their extra man advantage but Twardzik stood firm to first deny Guidetti before making a superb double save from Emilio Izaguirre and a point blank from Forrest.

Motherwell squandered a huge chance to level matter in the 83rd minute. Lionel Ainsworth swung the ball into the box where the unmarked Erwin somehow sent his header from six yards wide.