Celtic moved to within goal difference of securing the Scottish Premier League title by opening up an 18 point lead with six games remaining after a two goal victory over St Johnstone at Celtic Park today. Second half goals from Georgios Samaras and an own goal by Chris Millar settled the game which looked even for long spells.
Samaras has been like a player reborn in recent weeks and continued in the same manner today. From the opening minutes of the game he thundered down the left wing using pace and skill at close quarters to strain the St Johnstone defence.
Gary Hooper could have done better when Anthony Stokes fed him early on but his chip was collected by St Johnstone keeper Allan Mannus. Once play stopped referee Salmond booked Maybury for his foul on Stokes as the Celtic striker played the ball forward for Hooper but despite therefore acknowledging the offence, the ref failed to pull play back after Hooper failed to gain any advantage.
Kris Commons is still looking for his first goal of the season and twice came close today. In the first half Stokes held the ball inside the box until Commons arrives to shoot from 8 yards but he knocked the effort narrowly wide. In the second half a swerving shot was on target for the top right corner of the net before Mannus got a touch.
Liam Craig was St Johnstone’s principle threat and he brought a good save out of Fraser Forster from a free kick midway through the first half. Celtic struggled to create much in the opening period but Michael Lustig crossed from the right wing but found no takers despite running along the six yard line.
Celtic should have taken the lead a minute from the break. Commons sent in a free kick, Samaras missed a header and Mannus blocked but Charlie Mulgrew was on hand the head the rebound, only to see his effort cleared off the line.
Cillian Sheridan and Francisco Sandaza both had good headed efforts to open the scoring early in the second half but neither found the target.
Celtic stepped up the pace just after the hour after Ki and Matthews replaced Stokes and Lustig. Scott Brown saw a shot from inside the D saved.
The opening goal arrived on 66 minutes after Georgios Samaras was involved in a couple of scuffles. The Greek international was grounded inside the box and was then shoved off the ball within seconds of getting back to his feet, again inside the box but the referee didn’t see it. Samaras clearly took exception to this treatment and a moment later shielded the ball using his body until he was dragged to the ground.
It looked like a feisty play by Samaras who was clearly animated. When Kris Commons swung in the resultant free kick Samaras rose and headed back across goal and into the net.
St Johnstone pressed forward looking for an equaliser and might have got one had Adam Matthews not made a last ditch interception to turn the ball behind for a corner. With St Johnstone forward for the set piece Celtic broke quickly. Commons carried the ball forward, and with everyone one else on the field running at full pace, he took a second before sending a 60 yard pass across field to Ki. Ki moved inside before playing the ball out to Samaras on the right. Samaras crossed for Hooper but the ball was turned into the net by Millar.
To read CQN Magazine go to the dedicated site the graphic below is just an overview.
Thanks to everyone who has bought a hard copy of issue 7. Order your copy for delivery by clicking on the link below for news and views from Celtic supporters.
Pay by card or Paypal.
553 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- »
A possible 600 million, surely that would get us a new south stand ;-)
BT
Yeah looked like a pre season friendly from my seat in the office.
3 points though, 90 mins for Commons which was needed & another clean sheet for FF.
not complaining serge..
mini still enjoyed the songs… o))
I gave my spare ticket away to a kid on Kerrydale St
7 years today JP2 died… god rest him…
special hello to my Poiish friends..
SERGE
That’s a bit naughty,posting it a day late!
Thanks,btw,because I’d heard about it,but not seen the article.
Penfold, the old yins where still going strong when I left..
BT
….in her Fallon top, Good man that’s the way to do it i’m sure it would have been much appreciated.
I read your comment to someone yesterday about going to the Main Stand entrance early, My favourite memories as a kid are from there. Still cherish the photos i have. HH
BMCW
Do what i did today mate mail it to every hun you know it will have them tears. If only it was true, Maybe it is ;-) HH
BBC highlights from yesterdays game as Celtic move closer to being champions…
Celtic 2-0 St Johnstone
serge..
we turned into Kerrydale St with the team bus behind us…o))
Anyone who attended the game might be wondering why one of the highlights of the first half, Sammi’s run from halfway till being upended by a St. Johnstone player who WASN’T booked, isn’t included?
Wasn’t the same player booked later?
Paranoid CSC.
On the bbc highlights, obviously.
We were not great yesterday but a win is what counts in the end.
Unfortunately too many of our young players are off the boil and it will be difficult for them to get form back this season.
That’s a shame because I really want us to win the cup. Not for the double, but to give us the chance next season of winning it 3 times in a row, a feat we have never achieved.
Other thoughts. Not impressed with Lustig. He offered nothing going forward but neither did he look like a rock solid defender. We improved when Matthews replaced him.
We are still weak at centre back (how bad is Kelvin Wilson when the lamentable Loovens can walk traitor back in to the team. St Johnstone could easily have scored from an aerial threat before Sammi opened our account.
We must buy a striker better than Anthony Stokes to partner Hooper. By all means keep him as an option but not as a starter. His goals tally looks not bad but only 11 are in the league.
I take it Stve Lomas will be called to account for his derogatory remarks concerning yesterdays Referee.
St Johnstone boss Steve Lomas says “three key decisions” cost his side the chance of a result against Celtic.
Two second-half goals gave Celtic all three points against the Perth side but after the game Lomas took issue with referee’s George Salmond.
The Northern Irishman called the free-kick which lead to Celtic’s first goal ‘soft’ before claiming Liam Craig was fouled in the build up to the hosts’ second goal.
Lomas also believes the official should have given his team a penalty when Francisco Sandaza was challenged by Glenn Loovens in the box.
“My boys were brilliant yet again,” he said.
“Probably the only criticism I can aim at them is that when you have your chances you have to take them and we didn’t do that.
“I felt a lot went against us. I felt we didn’t get the rub of the green.
“Celtic Park is a hard enough place to come to get something, they are a fantastic team, they thoroughly deserve the championship when it comes but we feel mightily aggrieved today.
“I don’t want to criticise referees but in our opinion, Francisco Sandaza has a blatant penalty, the second goal is a free-kick on Liam (Craig) and even the first goal came from a very soft free-kick.
“At 1-0 you are still in it. There was a short corner and Liam is going to swing it in and the boy clatters him.
“I just do not understand how you cannot see that as a free-kick and Celtic break up the other end and seal the game.
“For the penalty, the ball is bouncing around, Fran nicks it across him, the defender doesn’t get it and crashes into him.
“At the end of the day I am not here to witch hunt referees. They say they (decisions) even themselves up but we ain’t seeing that at the minute.
Damn iPad !! Meant to say
We are still weak at centre back (how bad is Kelvin Wilson when the lamentable Loovens can walk straight back in to the team). St Johnstone could easily have scored from an aerial threat before Sammi opened our account.
share
SERGE
I think I’ll be a complete bar steward by texting them the one about their club winning the tax case.
With a follow-up apologising for being a day late……..
Aldersyde
While agree we must by a better Striker to replace Stokes, we also need a better Striker to replace Hooper as well.
A quality CB, playmaker & 2 CFs urgently required!
Just listened to Terry on clyde re- A Thomson. Sir you are 100% correct, sporting integrity must rule over financial(short term) Advantages. I have stated this before but if newco gers get straight into the spl the game of football is dead to me in this country.
They would be in the league debt free. Shameful.
Mtt
Vale Bhoy,
Yes,
Shameless is now on BBC2 at !0pm on Sundays. :-)
Considering we are a team out of form against a team playing above themselves the 3 points yesterday were very welcome indeed.
I believe that our Bhoys will turn it on against Killie, hopefully Izzy will get the nod,we really miss his pace down the left.
Micke Lustig is nowhere near what he can do, i’ve watched him many times and has a bit left to go.
I hope our coaching staff adopt a new tactic next season as this 442 is driving me nuts, sidepass and longball arghhh!
KTF
Anyone got an idea of the dat the Huns are liquidated.
mickthetic on 2 April, 2012 at 09:04 said:
What day was Terry on Clyde so I can listen via iTunes please.
The april fools joke that I did not appreciate was all the pubs around Celtic park being closed before the game yesterday!! 50,000 fans and no beer!!
While in other countries they even sell it inside the stadiums.
No wonder the atmosphere was muted.
The first spots of rain are falling from a cloudy sky here in North Ayrshire this morning.
Thank goodness for yesterday’s 3 points!
Wee girl in the office, who rides-out for a few local trainers, is saying that Hawthorne Bay 4.30 Kelso is expected to run a big race, great each way shout. It’s sitting at 16’s right now.
BAMBOO
That’s shocking! Thank goodness my Dad is over in Spain at the moment,he’d have been inconsolable,and probably headed back to town for a few,missing the kick-off.
Or even the first-half if it was on in the pub….
Ticket office queue has already past the school on London road.
Glasgow Celtic Champions CSC
Greenjedi – I’m assuming we could afford 1 new striker. This time we need to try and spend a little more. No more quantity we now need quality.
Excuse me for using the Jelavic word but it’s someone of his quality we need.
Morning All
I believe we will have three home games: Huns 29th, Hearts and a.n. other. Sorry , hazy pub- cant remember third team but defo those two
bournesouprecipe on 2 April, 2012 at 09:26 said:
Ticket office queue has already past the school on London road.
Glasgow Celtic Champions CSC
………….
Do we even have the tickets yet to sell?
bournesouprecipe 09:26
My sister just texted me that. Says she’s gonny greet if she disnae get two!
My fault apparently for being 400 miles away. Could have got the tickets no problem back in the day.
I’ll have to live with the guilt………
Am I the only one who thought the ref got it 100% correct re the Sandaza penalty? He basically ran into Loovens, who was too strong for him.
Driving home, I didn’t even know what incident Mcleod, Young etc . were on about.
Funny how when the ref gives Celtic some “breaks” he is roundly condemned by the media as having a ‘mare.
Don’t get me wrong he was not great, his co-ordination with his assistants was very poor, but he got no huge decisions wrong, IMO.
Seen worse, a lot worse, at CP this season.
Good morning fellow Celts,far & wide. I think it’s quiet on here this morning because the slow motion train wreck we’ve been watching for quite some time has lost its immediacy,and we’re all just waiting for it to hit the buffers and disintegrate. Then we can get back to the real deal…our team,and its performance.
And,as always,to any hun lurkers mooching about here : girfuy ya bams!
That sould have read, “near and far”…….still waking up!
Just a quick visit to congratulate Burney and Lennon ‘n …..on giving the answer to TTSTTTS.
Lennon’s answer was actually a master class. Brilliant stuff.
Meanwhile, a major event occurred this morning at the optometrists and coupled with the earthshifting quakes in my romantic life yesterday intermingled with the political confrontation in Anne’s Fry, I need to sit down and rationalise the various doors that are opening and closing in my quest for happiness and contment.
I will report back later once this crazy world starts to make sense again.
This is likely to be after Sharkeys opens and Judge Judy has finished. If I had the choice of a woman in a black cloak to smash my gavel on a bench….apart from Mrs O’Donnel at School…..she would be the one.
I may watch Inspector Montalbano as well so don’t tell me who dunnit. I love these subtitle programmes, but you can’t watch and eat spaghetti bolognese at the same time without getting mince in yer ear.
But first I need to get rid of this strange womanly odour around my flat which seems to have emanated from the strange woman who was lying on my couch this morning.
Hail Hail
Estadio
adi_dasler on 2 April, 2012 at 09:29 said:
Morning All
I believe we will have three home games: Huns 29th, Hearts and a.n. other. Sorry , hazy pub- cant remember third team but defo those two
I’ve not checked but the word is we’ve played the other three teams twice at home so a coin will have to be tossed.
What is Steve Lomas talking about I hate Marmite but love Neil Lennon.
He actuallly seems a very decent guy. Hope Vinny the Lunnie is looking in as I maybe in breach of Article 666 for that outragous statement.
Anyway with Lomas, Shields, Fenton & McCoist the SPL is benfitting for a fresh new outlook. Only Dunfermline and Aberdeen have went down the road of hiring the Old Home Guard and look what is happening to them.
Cathal on 2 April, 2012 at 09:20 said:
Cheers Cathal, I just backed it with William Hill at 22/1.