Celtic frittered away another two points at Kilmarnock this afternoon after a performance which ultimately showed depths of determination but was marked by shockingly bad organisation.
Kilmarnock’s opener in 25 minutes could not have been simpler. An 80 yard high ball was collected on the edge of the Celtic penalty area by Heffernan, who turned and picked out the onrushing Dean Sheils, who was initially being marked by Beram Kayal but the Israeli failed to match Sheils run, allowing the Killie player time to pick his spot and score.
The home team were encouraged by the opening goal and continued to press forward. Fraser Forster did well to turn over a blistering shot from Kelly which was destined for the top corner. Kilmarnock’s pressure was rewarded on 40 minutes when Kayal and James Forrest stood off a ball conceding possession. Sheils crossed for the offside Heffernan to score but the assistant referee didn’t flag so the goal stood.
Seconds before half time Charlie Mulgrew was short with a back pass and James Fowler chipped Forster to give Killie and three goal half time lead.
The first 28 minutes of the second half were miserable for Celtic as the team appeared resigned to a fate similar to the Celtic team which visited St Mirren Park in March 2010 but Anthony Stokes had other ideas. Stokes missed what was surely the worst chance of his career early in the first half when the scores were still level, and saw a good penalty claim denied on 71 minutes, but instead of hiding he stepped forward.
James Forrest, who also stood up to be counted throughout, ran at the Killie midfield and was fouled 25 yards out. Stokes struck the resultant free kick perfectly into the top left corner.
Two minutes later Stokes collected the ball from Ki 28 yards from goal in what seemed like a safe position but his swift turn and inch-perfect shot beat Jaakkola in the Kilmarnock goal.
Kilmarnock were now rattled and Celtic were level on 79 minutes. Daniel Majstorovic got on the end of a long free kick at the back post and squared for Charlie Mulgrew who headed home.
Having scored three times within seven minutes and with over 10 minutes of the game remaining the Celtic support had reason to feel confident their team could collect all the points but it was Kilmarnock would should have tied up the win in the final minutes when Heffernan found himself unmarked inside the Celtic six yard box but headed over, however, the home team will be happy to have collected their first point in four games.
Read issue 3 of CQN Magazine free online here or buy a print version at Magcloud.
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How could you not include ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’.
This is getting harder than i thought.
1 The Searchers
2 Rio Bravo
Tied 3rd
Shane, Soldier Blue and The Good the bad and the Ugly.
Parkheadcumsalford says:
15 October, 2011 at 22:10
Exactly.How many professional footballers are genuine Celtic supporters?
James McCarthy,Shay Given,Damien Duff and Aiden McGeady and the only ones good enough that i can think of.
Darren O’Dea is a Tim,there are probably another dozen playing for the other SPL teams,but they wouldn’t enhance the side.
Bellfast Celt
Pal
I wullnae Dispute that ..
MR. LAWWELLL WAS the Driving Force .. BEHIND,the Naka and the Ki Transfers..
Howevahhhh
and it is a rather..
Large..
HOWEVAHHHHHhh..
The Sitting CELTIC MANAGER.. was the ONE who made the FINAL APPROVAL
of these incoming Transferees..
It is ALWAYS the Manager….who must Make that Final Choice..
That is How the System Woiks.
It has TO!!
That is why there is a Manager, in the First Place..
For Godot’s Sake.. canny ye see..
‘If everything concerning PLAYING PERSONEL.. was being conducted Sub Rosa
by the Lawwells and the Desmonds..
Then..
Surely, ye must Agree…
Why do we have a Manager at awe?
There must be only ONE MAN in Charge of Running the Team
and..
Traditionally ,it is the Team Manager who is responsible for Picking
which Players that he wants.
Otherwise..
Who would Take a Manager’s Job..if..
There would be constant interference by the Front Office?
And.. Sure.. Interference does occur.. .Ah hiv No doot aboot that.
But, It is up to the sitting Manager to nip that in the Bud..or
Re-Sign.
When Lenny does re-sign for that Reason , which I have mentioned..
Then I will believe that Upper Management Interference within his Purview.. has and did occur
Until ,that Happens…
I must Believe that Lenny is Fully in charge of The Team’s and His Own ..
Destiny
Kojo.
setting free the bears says:
15 October, 2011 at 21:45
HA HA HA brilliant as always
xxx
MWD
xxxx
Fortunes Favour Mibbes says:
15 October, 2011 at 22:03,
A Chara,
I’m one of those who does not agree with the ‘we always put up with it and should continue to score more’ brigade’, but today was not one of those games in my opinion.
Árd Macha
Ulster-Celt says:
15 October, 2011 at 22:14
You are probably right chief.I think they were made in the Canary Islands or something.They were works of art though,real cinema.
celtictom: 15 October, 2011 at 21:05
“I Don’t give a toss about how other teams do things, my focus is only on Celtic.”
With all due respect it’s not about whether any of us ‘give a toss about other teams’ but it is important to acknowledge what is common practice in football – otherwise some people are under the false impression that these things only apply to our club.
“To you its a rumour to me its fact, time will tell. As I said before, I’m not here to convince anyone.”
It’s not ‘fact’. You are passing on a tale – that is gossip.
“Our club is in a bad way, we’ve tried changing managers, we’ve tried changing players, there’s one consistent in the last 3 years. Who do you hold responsible?”
I hold quite a few people responsible from top to bottom.
Kojo…
These Mr. Lawell and Celtic Board Haters.. who thoroughly INFEST the Blogosphere…
Like tae Cherry Pick..
Despite your best efforts, your point is a non sequitur. I am one of the “haters”, and cannot be pigeon holed quite as conveniently as you’d like to group me. Let me explain why.
Peter Lawwell, more than Neil Lennon, more than any player, has failed. He has consistently failed to appoint an effective manager for the FOOTBALL operation (and last time I checked we were a football club, not a building society or tax relief vehicle for Dermot Desmond). He has a history of failure. To fail once might be described as unfortunate, to fail twice smacks of carelessness! First Mowbray and now Lennon. Two managers, two failures. I’m sure you’ll agree that the future of the club is founded on football success? If that is our measure, then Lawwell is a failure. Secondly, I contend that Lawwell, as the man who chooses the manager also has responsibility for the players we have signed. In fact, Peter Lawwell actually chose to highlight (as a feature of the AGM) player acquisition. He heralded these players as a sign of the direction Celtic have to head. Of course, he ignored the fact that the players he quoted have delivered us, not first place, but in fact, a dogfight for second place with that footballing powerhouse Motherwell. Now, if Peter Lawwell thinks this is a sign of healthy business sense, then he and I are further apart than we will ever be.
I don’t blame Peter Lawwell for certain players. I blame him for ALL the players. For the inadequate manager, the inadequate playing staff, for the second place, for the freefalling season ticket numbers, for the freefalling sponsorship money… in fact, given his position I hold him completely responsible for our failings. And I hold Dermot Desmond responsible for Peter Lawwell.
While we’re at it, I also hold Dermot Desmond responsible for the neglect of the elderly people in his failed (but highly profitable) homes. Homes that valued cash over humanity. And on that basis I want Desmond as far from Celtic Park as it’s possible to be. Him, his “coolmore mafia” pals, his Burma approving British American Tobacco board chumps and “Dr” John Reid. They can all take their leave as soon as it’s conveniently possible.
If the price of a successful Celtic (and let’s face it, we’re not even that) is dancing with these guttersnipes, I’d rather be in second division ducking it out with East Stirling.
/p
(a proud member of the 99%)
Paul 67,
Killie’s second goal was not offside.
Removing Kayal was the key. He was going to get sent off. The halftime replacements were ineffective, but moving Joe Ledley inside improved he team immediately.
Forrest and Stokes earned this point with their determination.
Ki was a passenger but Kayal….. Words fail. Punt him in January along with Maj , and never play Ledley anywhere else but in the middle….not left back, not left mid… the middle
BelfastCityCelt says
my favourite Sergio Leone is a Fistful of Dynamite
UC
TET
Honestly wish I knew.
I can only see what is happening on the pitch and wonder what is being done at the training ground to sort that.
Now I have coaching qualifications for 3 sports and I was invited to join the Scotland set up in my main sport but I am still an amateur compared to a bright guy like Neil who has lived with the demands of professional sport since he was 16.
I love Neil’s brutal honesty and suspect that he is a hard critic of himself. A coach learns quickly that it is impossible to make x number of players bend to your will and always play the ball the way you picture it being played. You learn to not concern yourself as much with the tabloid staples of coaching (half-time bawl outs, motivational mind games etc;) because most seasoned pros have heard them a million times. You learn to drill and coach the basics and then set up your team to allow players to exercise judgement and give them permission to take a man on (in the final third) if they see the benefits.
The missing parts of the story for me are:-
Do the players have off days because they are nervous and fearful of losing?
Or are they undermining the manager?
i don’t get too concerned about players angling for an EPL move provided they do their “shop window” talk on the field. It benefits us if Kayal, Ki, Izzy or Hooper want to get a move to a big club. Their best chance of getting the move they want is to play well for us so it’s win:win.
Sure I’d prefer them to stay with Celtic if they are good and help us win things but I accept where we are in the football hierarchy just now and we’re trapped in a poor league, economically poor and skills poor too. The rules are bent to keep us there and, until the big clubs from the poor leagues (Celtic, Benfica, Anderlecht, Legia, Ferencvaros etc;) get their act together and demand new arrangements to reflect their fan base and history, we will not get our desired change and level playing field.
And sacking PL, however justified, will not change that.
Gordon 64
I don’t like Westerns as a genre, but Unforgiven I can watch over and over again.
The best line ever in a Western spoken by Clint Eastwood as William Munny while brandishing a shotgun in the middle of the bar: “Anyone who doesn’t want to die better leave now.”
Ulster-Celt says:
15 October, 2011 at 22:21
BelfastCityCelt says
my favourite Sergio Leone is a Fistful of Dynamite
UC
………………………..
western that is, of course once a time in America is out of this world
UC
notthebus says:
15 October, 2011 at 21:44
Agreed:-)
Kojo says:
15 October, 2011 at 22:18
I suppose so.Don’t really have a clue myself about what goes on behind the scenes at CP.It seems logical as you say,that the manager has the final say.
That Lawwell is a strange character though.
Larssonse7en
Gay coven heaven. :o)
MWD
UC
Was down there wan day, had the gear on, it was pure dead good, the guys who work there are as fit as anything I have ever seen.
A super show they put on.
As for the game today, deliberatly made a point of not watching, had a bad feeling, first time I have felt that for years.
The young fella phoned when we lost the first goal, I switched the phone off then.
Will have a wee squint later.
Hurting like a stuck pig
Gordon67, high noon. Yippie Kay yay , “unforgiven” , “northwest passage” still thinking.
Is Kayal away yet?
I said some time ago that I thought Hooper lacked heart and commitment and was shot down by other posters.
Joe Ledley is one of our best players, makes up for lacking a little pace by having a good footballing brain, a bit like Neil himself, should be made captain and should always play in his best position.
I think Bangura has some very special touches and although things are not coming off for him yet, he has a good work rate and should not be written off yet.
Compare Wanyama’syellow card for a simple first foul for a pull back, with Purshouse who put Hooper out of the game, fouled Mathews and Ledley several times and never went near the ball when stopping Stokes breaking clear of the Killie defence. I believe Wanyama has the right attitude, build and skills and if fit should be an ever present.
Kayal is a disgrace and should never play for the Hoops again, this should be a marker for other players who want to take from our club.
pogmathonyahun says:
15 October, 2011 at 22:01
This league has got a long way to go. What experience would you rather have had today – being 3 goals down and your team fighting back to gain a point or being 1 goal up with one minute to play and dropping 2 points after losing a last minute equaliser?
————————————————————————
Brilliant point – well said man
Right no more reading back for me – some shut eye required while the princess and the future captain of Celtic catch some ZZZZZZZZZZ’s
HAIL HAIL
Ulster-Celt says:
15 October, 2011 at 22:24
Good call UC.
I would recommend a great film,Western style but made in Australia – The Proposition it is called.Ray Winstone and John Hurt are in it.Powerful show it is.
Finbar
I’m putting The Unforgiven in just for that line
However there were better lines in Blazing Saddles.
Finbar
I’m putting The Unforgiven in just for that line
However there were better lines in Blazing Saddles.
Hiro Nakamura
I didn’t see the game. Was Ledley brought inside? If so, who played LM?
El Kaddouri and Ledley have started twice this season at LB/LM, with Ledley notching up 2 goals and an assist in those games. I also think he looked great at LM in front of Izzy last season.
sftb
there is alwys going to be debate about exactly what is causing the current lack of performance/results at Celtic – some of it is hunch, some of it is speculation, some of it is pure guess…
One thing that there is very little debate over is that SOMETHING has to change..most probably at a strategic level as we have tried player and management changes within the current strategy and it isn’t working.
The CEO leads strategy and policy on behalf of the Board.
Personally believe cronyism is hindering fresh ideas as there is total same thought process within existing Board – who are all linked by previous employment and school – the thought process is not delivering?
Paul67 – yes it is and i stand corrected. My eyesight is failing me in these iphones. But my general point stands. Please open debate on main thought of contention. Will this coaching team get us there quick enough?
What is difficult for me in this last few weeks is trying to remember the victories in amongst draw and defeats. My brain as well as my eyes feel like we are getting gubbed regularly. Not so long ago it was difficult to recall last defeat now it is difficult recalling last victory.
Definetly good night from a humbled and still dark Dubai. :-/
Apologies to you all for repeating myself.
I’m an eejit with this computer.
Moonbeams WD. \o/ Supporting Neil Lennon 100%. C’mon the hoops. says:
15 October, 2011 at 21:39
Well done on your tenacity. Any neutral examination is bound to at least recognise the questionning is valid and the responses given questionable.
BelfastCityCelt
I agree with Paul67, they smiley things have no place on a sane Celtic internet site..call it Smileism, but he is absolutely right to tell you they are just wrong. A foolish idea of which you should be ashamed.
irony smiley :)
I know this is boring but can anyone tell me how to re post from a previous thread. Thanks in advance if anyone can be bothered on a sat night.
lbb
SOAL,
Kayal had a Viduka today not at HT but on the park. Hunt him, he should not wear the geansai again.
PS. I absolutely loved the bones of this guy last season.
Árd Macha
Going to bed, but before I do I would say we got out of jail today with the huns dropping points as well. The most disturbing thing today was how some of the Celtic support on-line during the game turned on Neil and the team. Some of the stuff spouted I found sickening.
I am Neil Lennon!
Not anymore it seems…
Hail! Hail!
leebozbhoy
Copy it from there and paste it to here?
Árd Macha @ 22:19
i know :(
North West Passage with Spencer Tracy scared the life out of me as a young lad.
Napsackcsc.
Árd Macha
Steinreignedsupreme says:
15 October, 2011 at 22:20
To you gossip to me fact.
Hey we kin go roon and roon wi’ this kinda back and forth
Mental Tennis..
Trying tae Prove who is Right and Whio isnae!
And it wull jist mak us ..Dizzy.
Ah tak nae pleesure in enjoining in Mental Combat.
Ah am a Simple Guy..
Honest..
Look
Ah saw a Celtic Team, make a Resoundingly Excellent Response.. tae a
Bad Haun that they hid bin dealt .. by FATE..
Yes..
Fate.. which I happen tae Believe in.. but don’t tell Father Murphy, Ah
said that.. Ah hiv enuff trouble wi him.. fur letting it oot.. once, when Ah wiz in Ma Cups. that Ah believed in Re-Incarnation!
Anyway..
Like Ah said Ah am A Simple Guy..
and Ah saw a Come Back tae End awe Comebacks, by Celtic , the Day.. so Ah did..
And..
As Ah happen tae know some stuff about Backng the Ponies..
Let me tell ye, this..
When a Horse that is Running..in Last PLace..
until the Stretch is Approached..
Suddenly, comes Alive.. and Passes awe the Ither Horses.. but.. only manages tae come in SECOND…
then.. let me gie you guys a tip..
That Tells the verteran Horse Player..
That That Nag.. .wull WIN .. it’s Next Race.. GUARANTEED.
And.. today. Ah Saw a similar REACTIVE Performance By
MA CELTIC.. mebbe, no YOUR CELTIC..
But,
}
MA CELTIC..
that
Celtic, is oan the Upswing… and look oot world
HERE COME THE CELTIC!
Don’t Believe Me?
Heck that’s Up tae you.
Kojo