AUCHINLECK TALBOT 0 CELTIC 2
CELTIC bodyswerved a Scottish Cup banana skin against part-time Auchinleck Talbot at Rugby Park this evening.
Goals from Johnny Kenny and Sebastian Tounekti settled a tie that was uncomfortable and frustrating for Martin O’Neill and his players.
This was not an easy-on-the-eye performance from the champions against a sixth-tier outfit and the one thing it certainly highlighted was the team’s urgent requirement for more firepower.
A 33rd-minute goal from Kenny was all Celtic had to show for almost total domination of the first-half against opponents who were obviously up for the fight.
The well-drilled Junior club were content to pack their defence and rely on counter-attacks and the Hoops were left to try to utilise their imagination in breaking them down.
Unfortunately, they struggled – and none more so than Michel-Ange Balikwisha who was given the opportunity to impress Martin O’Neill. The £4.5million recruit from Royal Antwerp failed to deliver and was practically anonymous.
He had the chance to get his name in lights in the 25th minute with the game still locked in a scoreless stalemate.
IRISH EYES ARE SMILING…Johnny Kenny clips the breakthrough goal past Talbot keeper Willie Muir.
Anthony Ralston whipped over a perfect ball from the right, but, astoundingly, Balikwisha scooped the ball over the bar from 12 yards when it looked an impossible task not to hit the target, at least.
Kenny, though, had better fortune eight minutes later when Luke McCowan, a real livewire on the right, raced clear to send in an inviting near-post cross. It took a nick off a Talbot defender on its way to the Republic of Ireland striker and he reacted swiftly to nudge the ball past the helpless Willie Muir.
In fact, the frontman could have scored earlier when he had a marvellous opportunity in the sixth minute after comeback Bhoy Stephen Welsh had picked out McCowan on the right with a taking crossfield pass.
He knocked it inside for Kenny, but he hit his effort off the keeper from close range. His blushes were spared when it was noted he had strayed offside in the build-up.
HOOP HOOP HOORAY…Johnny Kenny celebrates with the Celtic fans at Rugby Park.
It was mainly the champions on the offensive, but there was a scare in the 31st minute – just before Kenny’s breakthrough strike – when stand-in keeper Viljami Sinisalo, making a rare appearance in place of Kasper Schmeichel, flapped at a high cross and the ball was smuggled wide of the left-hand post for a corner-kick.
Shortly after the turnaround, Kenny was presented with another opportunity following a free-kick delivery from McCowan on the right, but the forward clipped the crossbar with a six-yard header.
In the 61st minute, Tounekti replaced Forrest and two minutes later
Kenny had the ball in the net following a neat clipped finish, but he was adjudged just offside in the build-up.
Four minutes after that, Liam Scales and Benjamin Nygren entered the fray to take over from Welsh and a hugely disappointing Balikwisha.
Anthony Ralston missed with a header from six yards following a cross from Scales that he should have put in the net as tension mounted around the stadium.
Thankfully Tounekti settled the nerves – and the outcome- with a superb strike in the 85th minute.
SEB’S SPACTACULAR…Celtic’s killer second goal is on its way via Sebastian Tounekti’s right foot as the ball hurtles towards the Talbot net.
After a multi-passing build-up, the ball was switched to the Tunisian on the left and he cut in onto his right foot to curl an unstoppable angled shot from the edge of the box into the roof of the net.
In the 87th minute, Callum McGregor and Kenny came off with Reo Hatate and Shin Yamada taking their place.
At the end of the day it was mission accomplished in reaching the next stage of the competition, but O’Neill won’t need anyone to tell him this is nowhere near good enough.
There is much work to be done in the remaining two weeks of the transfer window.
TEAM: Sinisalo; Ralston, Murray, Welsh (sub: Scales 67), Donovan; McCowan, McGregor (sub: Hatate 87), Bernardo; Forrest (sub: Tounekti 61) Kenny (sub: Yamada 87), Balikwisha (sub: Nygren 67).
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