Vibrant Celtic bounced back from a poor run of league results to sweep aside 10-man Falkirk thanks to an Aiden McGeady hat-trick.
Falkirk had recovered from Scott McDonald's early penalty and twice saw efforts cleared off the line.
McGeady netted in the 41st minute before Falkirk's comeback hopes were dashed when Darren Barr was sent off.
McGeady scored Celtic's third after 67 minutes and completed the rout and his own hat-trick with eight minutes to go.
Celtic cut Falkirk open in the second minute but McDonald over-hit his ball across the face of goal with Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink poised to score.
But the Australian atoned for his error when he won and converted a ninth-minute penalty.
McDonald latched onto McGeady's precision pass, burst down the left flank and was needlessly felled in the box by Kenny Milne.
The former Motherwell striker stepped up to take the resulting penalty and sent Tim Krul the wrong way to notch his 16th goal of the season.
Celtic looked in the mood for more with McGeady pulling the strings in a roving role behind the two strikers.
McDonald spurned a terrific chance to double Celtic's lead when McGeady's clipped cross found him unmarked in the Falkirk box but his attempted header somehow ballooned high away from the target.
Then moments later Krul pushed away Gary Caldwell's powerful low shot as Celtic looked to press home their advantage.
But Falkirk managed to ride out the early storm only one goal behind and began to string some passes together.
And the visitors should have levelled after Mark Brown palmed Pedro Moutinho's low effort into the path of Scott Arfield, but Caldwell produced a tremendous block on the line.
Caldwell again cleared off the line after the Celtic keeper had got a slight touch on a Gerard Aafjes header following Moutinho's corner.
Falkirk appealed for a penalty after the ball struck the full-back on his upper body but referee Dougie McDonald waved play on.
The visitors continued to press and Moutinho shot just over from 25 yards.
However, McGeady grabbed Celtic's second in the 41st minute when the unmarked winger collected McDonald's cutback 15 yards out and fired a left-footed shot in off the post.
Vennegoor of Hesselink saw his header cleared off the line by Milne with the second half barely a minute old.
Barr was red-carded for a second bookable offence after tugging McGeady's jersey in the 64th minute.
Celtic went for the kill and, after Paul Hartley had struck the bar with a thunderous 20-yard strike, McGeady made it 3-0 when he jinked in from the left and curled a low shot beyond Krul.
The Republic of Ireland international rounded off the convincing victory and grabbed his own hat-trick on 82 minutes, finishing off a flowing move from close range.
It was Celtic's first win in four games as they stretched their lead at the top of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League to five points.
Celtic: Mark Brown, Caldwell, Pressley (O'Dea 77), McManus, Conroy, McGeady, Scott Brown (Sno 84), Donati, Hartley, McDonald, Vennegoor of Hesselink (Killen 80). Subs Not Used: McGovern, Zurawski, Riordan, Jarosik.
Booked: McManus, Vennegoor of Hesselink.
Goals: McDonald 9 pen, McGeady 41, 67, 82.
Falkirk: Krul, Aafjes, Barr, Milne, Holden, Thomson, Cregg (Riera 67), Arfield, Moutinho, Higdon (Latapy 74), Barrett (Scobbie 66). Subs Not Used: Olejnik, Ross, Finnigan, Moffat.
Sent Off: Barr (64).
Booked: Barr.
Att: 54,291
Ref: D McDonald (Scotland).
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