Motherwell fought tenaciously for most of the game at Celtic Park this afternoon but a momentary lapse was all that Georgios Samaras and Gary Hooper needed to settle the contest. Celtic moved an astonishing 23 points clear at the top of the table and are odds on favourite to become champions before the next return to Celtic Park.
Samaras was first to show after 9 minutes when he latched onto a Matthews flick but Darren Randolph was quick off his line to block. Player of the Year elect, Charlie Mulgrew, then jinked past a defender before slipping the ball to Samaras. The Greek’s shot was block and Mulgrew blasted the rebound wide. Randolph then saved well after Samaras shot from inside the D.
While Celtic always looked dangerous, Motherwell were in no mood to concede, so the goal was surprising in its simplicity. Adam Matthews fired a throw-in to Samaras, who chested the ball into the path of unmarked Gary Hooper. Hooper put his laces through the ball from a narrow angle to give Randolph no chance.
Samaras, Hooper and Forrest all had chances to finish the game off but the second goal never arrived.
Good defences are a lot harder to quantify than poor defences. Today Celtic strolled through the game at the back. No one was stretched and Fraser Forster didn’t have a save to make until the 77th minute.
Issue six of CQN Magazine, the Fit and Proper edition, is set to become a landmark collectors item. You can browse the magazine online here but you can buy your own hard copy by clicking on the link below. Read with 20-20 vision…..
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Majestic Hartson says:
25 February, 2012 at 19:53
Over £800 pounds raised today by CQN’ers for the Vanessa appeal. Absolutely amazing Bhoys and Ghirls.
Let’s try and get over the £1000 mark tonight.
If you’re going to phone for a takeaway could you spare £10 to help a girl need?
http://www.justgiving.com/vanessa-appeal
Carry on the Celtic tradition and dig deep. If 3100 people give a tenner she’s hit her target.
I’m working and I’m struggling to keep reminding people tonight so if anyone fancies re-posting this later that would be greatly appreciated.
YNWA
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Well done MH
Vanessa is now very close to target but being very close and actually being there are two very different things.
I collected over £600 from the Admiral Bar in Waterloo Street during the week which has to be added to the total, but as we approach the end of the month and pay day, can I ask everyone who can to donate something— anything— they can spare to get her over her target.
Let’s not forget that as much as it feels good to be part of the Celtic family doing something good for someone, this wee girl has a real fight for her life on her hands, and every single day she sees out is a victory against very heavy odds.
The £500k will not cure her… only getting to Philadelphia and receiving the treatment that she cannot receive here can save her… and that is provided that she gets that treatment ON TIME!!!
So with that in mind please do what you can. I know that so many of you have done so much already.. and I am loathe to ask folk to dig deep again but…………………………….
Beyond that, enjoy the rest of your weekend, the sucess of our team and keep your loved ones close… especially if they have the remote control!!!
HH
Not the most memorable of games.
3 points hard worked for today.
But we’re still having a party !
On here we have a tendency to call the press/pundits stupid.
Trust me they are anything but, they are all bigots with a simple goal.
Big up anything positive for them and hold our positive news under the breathing line.
Bigots aye, stupid no.
The thing is, they are now painted into a corner with no escape.
Their blind loyalty has delivered them up a cul-de-sac with no face saving turning point.
Evening Celts just in from the game, magic day it was innaw, I thought the jelly and ice cream cones the GB passed out amongst the crowd was a nice touch TAL.
I noticed our Celtic players were kicked all over the park yet again, someones Gonnae get seriously hurt if the referees don’t up their game.
V
Off topic I know , but
From this weeks Irish Post – Irish parade attacked.
Cairde na hEireann parade in Liverpool attacked by British Nationalist and Loyalist groups shouting anti Irish slogans and telling the marchers to go home , sounds just like up here .
Again only 1 arrest , released later – great britain my erse
Good result today, exactly as required, these Bhoys just keep giving,
Performance? Seen better, seen worse, but some very good individual performances.
Just watched ManC v Blackburn and had my opinion reinforced.
The “major fault” with our players is that they play in the SPL and how it is perceived.
Apart from the really top teams in the EPL( with,admittedly some seriously great players) the greatest attribute most of the other teams and players have is that they play in the EPL.
Certain all, or at least most, on here watch many matches from England.
The vast majority of the players we watch are beyond our reach in terms of transfer fees and wages, just because they play in the EPL, BUT – how many of them could fit into and improve our team? As Paul Daniels used to say – not a lot!
Think about it when the next transfer window opens. The “better” players we need are already in place. No-one in our team is even close to his peak, they all have years ahead of them to learn their trade. Another year older and SPL champions is a better boost for them than any drug.
If we can keep this squad together for a while, young as they are, and then sell one or two for good money, we could have bought enough time to make room for the best of the development team to match up to their potential – then we are on a winner, both on and off the field.
If spending big is still your thing, please explain to me how Kolarov is worth several million pounds more than Charlie (even when Chaz is played out of his best position)
SPL v EPL – someday reality shall strike back, just look at RFC in Administration.
Cheers
Alex
aldersyde avenue says:
25 February, 2012 at 19:53
Is this the call, he was very good.
Tony’s Call
Top Corner
Those guys are fantastic. Wonderful people.
TopCorner says:
25 February, 2012 at 19:11
show is live now
give Graham a call via Skype (beyondthewaves)
its our show
http://www.spreaker.com/page#!/show/hail_hail_media
share
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very good tonight.
Phil McG saying, and i dont know if its been mentioned anywhere …………………. THE HUNS ARE GOING BUST.
then our very own SNAKE PILSSEN was on.
its a good listening while making my big hoose their dinners.
Back page of Irish Post
James McClean (Sunderland) receives sectarian abuse on twitter because he’s from Derry and has just been called up to Republic squad.
What a backwater.
Not being too critical
but hardly a shot on goal in first 45.
Midfield players did not get into the box enough.
Sammi was our only option.
Hoops took his goal well and came onto a game.
Young rogne to play for full Norway side during the week. Well done some, stay clear from injury and he’ll be a cracker
BRT&H
Brilliant work.. I ve only reached the interval just now… A contender for a TONY..
Gordon64
I am with on todays performance,however Job done, but I though we were very ordinary at times,however Pts in the bag,maybe the Long Run, is having a psychological effect on the Players,well lets hope so, the old story is when you dont play well and WIN CHAMPIONONEEEEESSSSS
Gordon64 says:
25 February, 2012 at 20:23
Not being too critical
but hardly a shot on goal in first 45.
Midfield players did not get into the box enough.
Sammi was our only option.
Hoops took his goal well and came onto a game.
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I still say we played much better last season, a lot better. The football last season was brilliant, this season its been effective. The wins are clocking up so I guess I can’t complain :O)
If somebody is interested in watching Jarosław Fojut, he and Śląsk Wrocław will play the game against my Legia Warsaw tomorrow. Kick off at your 1:30 pm.
I wanted to have a word with some Motherwell fans who parked behind me but they were offski too quick.
They must be sick of the commitment against us in comparison to the Orc’s
Starry Plough
Cheers. A few cqners ask me about the moniker, since it’s not very Timmish sounding.
In his own way of course, old RWE was very Much a Tim at heart.
Dinner guests tonight so I better start on the list that Mrs RWE has prepared for me.
Wee tower of haggis beeps and tatties to start with and the dessert is Glenlivet 12 year old fortified cranachans.
HH
RWE CSC
The huddle
This was a game we might have lost last season.
Not complaining with 3 points.
Can someone please tell me what NL sees in Cha.
He is hopeless when he gets the ball.
Snake
terrific to hear you again
spoke well
good fun
:)
TC
Thank you pal
Was getting paranoid there.
wow that was poor in the Milan Juve game, only a few yards over the line
Gordon64 says:
25 February, 2012 at 20:35
I disagree with you, I think Cha is hopeless with or without the ball :)
Perfectly happy with three points today against a difficult Motherwell.
Thought Rognes was superb by and large against players who would have ragtop led him if they could. He’s strong but with enough pace to recover if he has to.
I think we missed Broonys drive today.
Interesting wee vignette on Off the Ball today which had Kilmarnocks Pasquale on. Asked who was the physically toughest player he has to face in the Spl he replied ” Scott Brown” immediately.
Crazy thing if we’d started with Cha he’d had created a hell of lot more than Matthews, we had no wing play today despite the huge gaps.
Ragtop led = rag dolled
Shocking decision in the Milan juve game.
A massive well done to the Celtic support
Over 10Million pledged after 3 days on the save rangers website according to FF.
FourGreenFields says:
25 February, 2012 at 20:22
Back page of Irish Post
James McClean (Sunderland) receives sectarian abuse on twitter because he’s from Derry and has just been called up to Republic squad.
What a backwater.
share
This story also made the front page of the sun..the same day it ran 3 pages on rangers troubles..think they are bringing out à New paper Tomorrow to Finish the Story..
Vmhan did you Meet the Derry Crew Today?
Anthony R. Hamilton
Five wins out of five for Neil Lennon in SPL in February. Zero goals conceded and 13 scored. Pat Fenlon a shoe-in for Manager of the Month?
Van Bommel a horrible player, how he’s played for some of the great teams is shocking.
Hi folks
I know we want to read everything about TFOD in tomorrows papers, but please spare a thought and support the liverpool fans and their justice for the 96. Get all the info you need from Paul, Phil and RTC.
Don’t buy the Sunday Sun.
Dont buy the Sunday sun
YNWA
The_huddle
True, never liked him much.
All Milan here. Always had a soft spot for juve since the mid 90’s when they pumped the orcs a few times.
‘The big hoose must stay open
that’s the bottom line’
Got to be the funniest line ever.
I’m still laughing every time i hear it.
Starting to think this ref in the Milan juve game is scottish
Gordon64
I’ll give it a go.
Neil Lennon signed Cha Du Ri as his attempt at signing a Didier Agathe type.
Agathe was a cheap signing, a converted centre forward who became a winger and then a wing back. He was a great outlet for attacks and he was criticised too, by our support, for the quality of his crossing originally. His speed in tracking back, when our slower centre backs were exposed, was also valuable as he turned out to have a great clean tackle on him.
Now, though I am comparing Cha to Agathe, I am not equating them. Cha was cheap and was a converted right winger. The quality of Cha’s crossing compared with Didier’s attempts,early in his Celtic career, are of a higher standard. Cha put a great cross in today that Tony Stokes just failed to reach. He also made two penalty box tackles on Wednesday Night which I had attributed to Kelvin Wilson, when watching live at the match from the opposite end of the ground. Cha has tremendous speed, is a great athlete and can whip in a dangerous cross every now and then. He can time his arrival well for attacks and his speed has provided valuable cover in defence. He also links well with Ki who can make him look good. All that is in his credit side.
On the debit side, he has weak ball control and often loses the ball before he can get his cross in. He does not possess a natural sense of defensive positioning which leaves him regularly exposed. He is weak in the air and is not great in a contested tackle.
For a Bosman, he has done well to keep Adam Matthews on his toes. If Lewis Toshney comes on as we hope, we may not need Cha for long. But, like Paul Telfer before him, his good points often get overlooked and his faults can be exaggerated, though they are there. If he did not have those faults, he would not be at Celtic.
perhaps the best thing for Scottish football would be the demise of Rangers, maybe our esteemed press pundits could take a serious look at that scenario
The linesman is surreal, both sets of players stopped as the ball crossed the line (by quite a bit) yet still they had to play on. Same nutter missed the obvious goal. Juve been up to their old ticks :O)