Football: THIS BHOY BAND ARE TOP IDOLS; PARTICK THISTLE 1 CELTIC 4 Celts smash league record.

Byline: TIM GORDON

RECORDS are there to be broken - but Celtic are in the process of setting one that may never be bettered.

Martin O'Neill's champions in waiting smashed a 40-year-old world record as they notched their 24th league win in succession.

Morton's claim to fame disappeared as Celtic cruised to a 4-1 triumph at Firhill to maintain their 13-point advantage at the summit of the SPL.

But with the record now gone, you have to wonder if Celtic will not set a target which no side will be able to match.

As the prospect of them going through the entire league campaign without experiencing a defeat grows, so too does the prospect of them not dropping any points in their remaining games.

No side can live with the Hoops right now as they close in on their third league championship crown in four years. The two points they squandered on the opening day of the season may be all they surrender.

Another win for the Hoops was secured through a double each from Chris Sutton and Stanislav Varga with Gerry Britton grabbing a consolation for the Jags.

Partick Thsitle co-manager Derek Whyte insists the Celts will take some stopping.

Whyte said: "There is no disgrace in losing to this Celtic team as better teams than us have been beaten by them and some of the top sides in Europe can't stop them.

"It's going to take some performance from anyone to beat them this season."

When Celtic did finally take the lead after 35 minutes Thistle only had themselves to blame. Stilian Petrov won a free-kick as he burst past Kenny Milne and had his ankles scythed from under him.

Alan Thompson's free was flicked by John Kennedy. The ball appeared to be drifting out of play until the ever alert Larsson nodded it back across goal and with the Jags defence all ball watching Sutton stole in to head over the line.

Three minutes later Celtic had doubled their advantage. Stanislav Varga to arrive unchallenged at the far post and head in off the post past Arthur.

Six minutes after the interval Celtic appeared to be home and dry as John Kennedy tumbled inside the penalty area under a challenge from Milne, who had already been booked for his foul on Petrov, and referee Kenny Clark pointed to the spot.

From 12 yards out Sutton, as he did the previous weekend against Dundee United, made no mistake.

Thistle, however, are never prepared to go down without a fight and within two minutes they had cut into Celtic's lead, courtesy of Britton.

Jorge Cadete's wishes were fulfilled when he entered the arena after an hour for John-Paul McBride but if he was expecting a heroes welcome from the fans who once used to worship him he was sadly mistaken as he was greeted by a chorus of jeers from Celtic's travelling support.

But he said the reception did not bother him: "Some Celtic fans booed me but that is normal because their team will always come first."

CAPTION(S):

SO VAR SO GOOD: Stanislav Varga celebrates his second goal which made it 4-1 for the Hoops; TACK THAT: Mitchell is stopped by Lennon