text: For Celtic, a slow-burning season has seen Ronny Deila’s side raise their game after a stuttering start and eventually rout their nearest rivals. Their steady emergence under the Norwegian has seen them swat aside second-placed Aberdeen 8-2 on aggregate over three matches and eradicate fourth-placed Dundee United 17-3 over the course of six games. Yet although the Parkhead side have in recent times looked like an increasingly irresistible force in the race for the treble, it has been left to third-placed Inverness Caley Thistle to enhance their credentials as the team most likely to represent a potential stumbling block on Ronny Deila’s march towards history. Leigh Griffiths (left) fired Celtic into an early lead in their encounter against Inverness . Griffiths runs over to celebrate his opening strike with the travelling Celtic supporters . Griffiths (right) celebrates his third minute goal with his Celtic team-mates, but the lead did not last long . In three games this season, there has been nothing between these two teams. In August, Celtic lost 1-0 at Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, before gaining revenge with a 1-0 win at Parkhead in November. On Saturday, Deila’s side were held to a draw by Caley Thistle. Yet while Celtic were surprisingly poor, the evidence from the weekend also suggests that Inverness possess a potent blend of passion and physicality which, more so than any other side in the country, seems to knock Deila’s men out of their stride. For goalkeeper Craig Gordon, Saturday’s 1-1 draw - which included a quick-fire goal from Leigh Griffiths and one in immediate response Edward Ofere - served as a warning shot against complacency in the quest for a rare domestic clean sweep. The Scotland goalkeeper believes his side will need to fight with every sinew when the two tribes renew hostilities in Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi final at Hampden if Celtic’s dream of winning a fourth treble is not to be shattered. ‘It’s a good little reminder that we are in for a big fight next week,’ said the Scotland international. ‘Inverness are a good team. They are big and physical - but they can also pass the ball. ‘They were up for it and they put us under a bit of pressure today. They’ve got a little bit of everything about them and, on any given day, they are more than capable of winning a game. ‘They pressed us high and they will try to do that again at Hampden. Hopefully we will learn from this and play better. But the one thing we know for sure is that we will be in for a battle next weekend.’ Edward Ofere (left) equalised for Inverness from close range a minute after Griffiths scoring . Ofere (left) wheels away in celebration after swiftly levelling the score for Inverness against Celtic . Celtic found it tough to play on a bumpy surface at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium. But Gordon reckons the recently re-laid turf at Hampden will benefit Inverness just as much as the treble-chasers. ‘It will be a different venue on a different pitch but that won’t have any bearing,’ he said. ‘The pitch at Hampden will help us but it will be good for Inverness as well because they like to pass the ball about. ‘Both sides were aggressive today in trying to press, there was nothing nasty about it. Everyone was just trying to get one over their direct opponent ahead of the semi final and neither team wanted to lose ahead of next weekend. ‘We all know next weekend is a big one but we’ve also got a midweek league match (against Kilmarnock) at home on Wednesday night sandwiched right in the middle of these two Inverness games. ‘We need to keep picking up points. If we can win against Kilmarnock we can go into the semi-final high on confidence and looking to beat Inverness.’ If Celtic felt ill at ease on a poor pitch and blowing wind, it did not show as the elements played a part in the opening goal after just 135 seconds. The wind held up Scott Brown’s long ball and Griffiths set himself up before blasting past Dean Brill from 25 yards for a terrific goal. Inverness goalkeeper Dean Brill was substituted off injured after 20 minutes against Celtic . Stuart Armstrong of Celtic tackles Ryan Christie of Inverness in Saturday's early Scottish Premiership match . Inverness were level almost straight away, however, when David Raven’s shanked shot was directed goalwards by Ryan Christie. Belgian defender Jason Denayer cleared the ball off the line but only as far as Nigeria forward Ofere, who was there to ram home his second goal for Caley Thistle since joining the club in January. It had been a breathtaking opening five minutes but the next incident of note was a horror show for Brill as the enthusiastic Gary Mackay-Steven chased down a loose ball and accidentally caught the Caley Thistle keeper, who collapsed to the deck in agony. As the keeper was treated by medics on the park, Mackay-Steven kept checking on the welfare of his stricken opponent. Jeered for his role in the incident, Mackay-Steven seemed spooked afterwards and fell out of the game, before being substituted by Kris Commons just after the hour mark. There was precious little else to talk about in the remainder of the match, apart from some decent saves by Brill’s replacement Ryan Esson from Efe Ambrose and Denayer - while Celtic captain Scott Brown was booked for ‘simulation’ after colliding with Raven in the box. Afterwards, Deila backed his man, saying Brown was ‘the last man in the world anyone can accuse of diving.’ Deila added: ‘He is a tough guy. It’s not a big issue.’ Keeper Gordon, meanwhile, tried to remain philosophical over two lost points in a title race which has been going Celtic’s way for quite some time. ‘I think a point was probably fair today. It’s always tough here and you always get a battle,’ he said. ‘That’s pretty much what it was like as the game never really settled down or had any real pattern to it. ‘We couldn’t impose ourselves and do what we wanted to do. The conditions were difficult, but it was the same for them. Both teams created a few opportunities but not too many and a draw was fair. We will need to be better next Sunday if we are to get a result.’
target: Leigh Griffiths gave Celtic a third minute lead which lasted only 60 seconds .
  Edward Ofere levelled for Inverness with a close-range finish .
  Celtic failed to unlock the Inverness defence again and had to take a point .