Two early goals by Gary Hooper and Victor Wanyama were enough to overcome Dundee United at Celtic Park today but a cracking strike by John Rankin early in the second half ensured the table toppers had to fight all the way.
Anthony Stokes had an early opportunity to test Pernis in the United goal with a free kick, as is often the case with Anthony’s free kicks, he struck the defensive wall. United had the best chance of the opening exchanges after 7 minutes but Fraser Forster denied Garry Kenneth at his near post after a goalmouth scramble. The visitors kept the pressure on for the next few minutes but were to concede soon thereafter.
Thomas Rogne cleared his lines with a defensive header which Stokes won with an aerial challenge and reacted first to prod the ball forward to an alert Gary Hooper. Hooper made the most of the space available, opened his body and placed an immaculately measured shot inside the right post to put Celtic ahead.
Five minutes later Georgios Samaras earned hearty applause throughout the stadium for a robust challenge on Willo Flood before forcing Pernis to turn a shot behind. The resulting corner was played short to Izaguirre who through a deep and high cross into the box. Victor Wanyama was first to react and seemed to have jumped early but he somehow managed to hover a millisecond long enough to be level with the ball when he met it before propelling it high into the top left corner of the goal.
Shortly before half time Stokes had another opportunity from a free kick. John Rankin broke early from the wall, raised his arm and blocked inside the penalty box. Referee, Winter, penalised the player for breaking the wall and ordered a retake, not a penalty. Stokes had two opportunities to make the points safe within a minute of the break. He met a Mulgrew corner on the six yards line with a glancing header that went narrowly passed the far post. Pernis then denied an excellent Stokes strike with a fine save.
The Celtic defence had not lost a goal in eight domestic games before today and could do little about the goal that put United back in the contest. John Rankin struck from 26 yards, the ball clipped the inside of Fraser Forster’s right hand post and bounced in. Shortly before the hour mark John Daly had Dundee United’s best chance of the game but Forster was equal to his header.
Georgios Samaras had Celtic’s best two chances of the second half. The first a diving header from a Matthews cross which was saved by Pernis. The second a cross from Matthews which Samaras pulled down with his chest before shooting over.
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Lustig at CP today.
The lad looks more rock star than football player.
I hope appearances are deceptive.
Can we sell Peter Lawwell :>)
Hamiltontim. 2m for a striker is cheap Can spin around that one
Every Buddy Knows.. who knows how Ah feel aboot Charley..
Charley is Ma Darling.. and He should be the Captain..
Yep.. He is a Fully Fledged Member o’ Kojo’s Fair Haired
Bhoys Club.
Noo..
Ah Declare that Master Rogne’s Name should Be Considered fur
Membership..tae that August Fine Boady of Men.
Yep..if Master Rogne.. remains Free fae Injury…and if the Crick..
don’t rise..
Ah Predict that Thomas The Fair.. wull cement his Place as
Darling Charley’s Permanent Partner ,in oor Central Defense.
Kojo
Forster
Matthews Rogne Mulgrew Izziguerre
Forrest Kayal Wanyama Ledley Commons
Hooper
Bench: Samaras,Stokes,Ki,McCourt,Cha,Wilson
Sell Brown. Loads of effort and sometimes inspirational but passing and tackling woeful at times.
Bobby Murdoch’s
The bit that makes me wary about Hooper is the change of agent.
The agent will get accused of stirring it , but , it seems a bit strange to change your agent when you still have 2.5 years on your current deal.
Canamalar
Agreed, after Rennes, I would never have played Cha again. Unfortunately we did, and he cost us in Udinese.
PF Ayr,
I don’t think Lustig was at the Game vs. Rankers.
Personally, I am a big fan of Matthews, and the fact that the manager has played him in important games when he is not fit, suggests he also rates him. However, the bottom line is that by his standards he was poor today, and Lustig is after his jersey.
SydneyTim says:
14 January, 2012 at 21:48
Do you never get tired of living in the past???
Sydney Tim @ aw the time:
You aren’t a glass half full type a guy are ye?
We haven’t won the league the last three season because of the concerted cheating by the MIB’s.
Anyone who can’t see that is in serious need of medication.
BMCUW
If that’s the case I’ll sit outside with a can of Vimto and a packet of salt and vinegar!!!
I’m being a bit of a devil here and playing devil’s advocate :-)
up_over_goal says:
14 January, 2012 at 21:47
********************
The Vanessa appeal was on the big screen at CP today innaw.
I’ll donate tomorrow ……… we need to get this young ghirl well.
keep posting the link up CQN’ers.
Vinny
clashcitybhoy
Lustig stated today while doing the halftime draw that he enjoyed his att at the hun game
Pf facts are huns won 3 in a row because we did not sign a center half and striker
Bobby of course 88 98 and add 2006
Lost me on funds given to tony m, Did you forget the January fire sale that raised approx 5m?
Sold our top striker and never replaced him
Bhoys we need to sign a striker. P@ss poor Huns are only 2 points behind
Do we ever learn from mistakes
ST
ST
£2m in Scotland in 2012 isn’t cheap by any stretch of the imagination.
SydneyTim
You mentioned St Ninian’s, left with honour’s ( aye right ) 3yr Techy Course 1961, a guess a wee bit before your time.
Awerabest PJ
TET
So true and I am constantly surprised at how often people on here forget that and go on about The Board`s failure to strengthen,ICT defeat and Sammi`s missed penalty as the main reasons for their three in a row.
JJ
ST
I share your pain when we lose (maybe more so)
but we will never win every game or every league and cup.
Being a Celtic supporter should be enough to make you happy.
HH
SydneyTim says:
14 January, 2012 at 21:48
no
Sydney Tim
re Lustig
i read somewhere, IIRC it was Tony Hamilton on Twitter, that Lustig will not be seen for a wee while due to the Norwegian league playing through the summer,he is in effect ,having his close season just now
3 pts. but desperately too close for comfort.
ST
your entitled to your opinion
however
your certainty about what cost us the league the last three seasons is really little more than conjecture
i`m sorry to say, but if CFC brought me as much misery as it appears to bring you i`d give it up
Gordon64
Well said that Man.
Awerabest PJ
Swally says McGregor out due to a ‘kicking muscle injury’
LOL
PF Ayr,
Due to the high quality acoustics, and sound system at CP, I have no idea what Lustig said today, but , I will take your word for it.
Maybe he should post on CQN or twitter
Also if he was at the Rankers game, he will have realised he joined the right club.
I just wonder what the authorities,media,pundits and rival fans would say if Celtic stated their intent to resign from the league unless Rangers ar treated the same way as previous newco phoenix clubs?
would the same fear and calls for action in our favour be forthcoming?
SydneyTim
Hiya,Pally?
Ye are mair that deid right aboot that…
Ye know?
We need another Striker.. like .. Yesterday!
Howevahhhhh..
We ..Maist.. Certainly.
Need ,Anither.. Center Back.. like We need a Hole in Oor Pants.. when we are
going tae Meet oot Future…In-Laws!!
The Splendid Center Backing Skills o’ Ma Bhoy.. Thomas..is Right there.. in Front of Ye..
He is a Brammer.
Na… We don’t need No Ither Stinkin’ C.B.
We goat..a .. Couple of Them ,already..oan oor Books..Already!
And wan o’ Them Is.. Wilson.
Kojo
T
Clashcitybhoy
he certainly gave the impression of someone who thinks they`ve come to the right place
btw i read an interview of him …..
your correct the mic at CP today was poor
SydneyTim says:
14 January, 2012 at 21:57
Pf facts are huns won 3 in a row because we did not sign a center half and striker
SydneyTim
That is not a fact, that is your opinion.
I find it very difficult to accept you are a Celtic fan. On all my time on here, you have posted nothing but negative comments about some of our players and our board at all times. While I can accept and respect any Celtic fan’s opinion and right to criticise players, management and board, I do not accept that is all we should do as supporters and paret of the Celtic family.
You add nothing but negativity to this blog, and stating your opinion as fact is the high of arrogance, and arrogance I have witnessed from you in continually posting your negative crap.
hh
bjmac
Let’s rewind to 4 years
Sydneytim. I know we are 7 points in front of huns, but we need to strengthen , Scott McDonald is dead on his feet, if we dont , it could cost our club over 20m in lost income over next few years
Rouge leader. And the gang
Don’t be silly Sydneytim we will win league. Huns are finished, 4 in a row here we come
Ok. Are we going to Learn our lessons bhoys ??
Or we going to same?
Gordon64 says:
14 January, 2012 at 22:00
Your posts about Celtic always remind me of Jesus talking about the simplicity of a child’s faith.
That’s a compliment, your summation of what it is to be a Tim hits the nail on the head every time for me mate.
HAMILTON TIM
The problem is with different cadres of Celtic supporters,the same way that there are,for instance,different core beliefs with Labour voters.
Some people want success at al costs,some people just want to beat Rangers,some people want to go back to the days when they ran about with an unknown band stencilled on their schoolbag. Who they dumped when they hit the big-time.
We all want Celtic to win the league every year,and we have all seen various spanners thrown into the works by those who would do us down.
Sydney Tim is just fed up with our own doing their dirty work,and I agree with him on that.
You,on the other hand,just want to support Celtic.
I agree with that too!
Dougie Bhoy says: 14 January, 2012 at 21:49
That’s what I was told today…I wonder how many other SFA employees Whytee has on speed dial.
Final words from me tonight.
a) The crowd might have been nervous today (after Utd goal) but the team were not and were still much more likely to score than were our opponents. The first half was almost too easy and made the second half look more troublesome than analysis will show was the case.
b) Can all mention of Huns/Newco be banned from here until whatever is supposed to happen actually happens?
JJ
Kojo
Since you are the 2nd smartest poster on CQN…I have a wee question for you..
When 150 yrs of Celtic FC is written in 2038 (25 years time)…who will be considered to have done more for the Club…Fergus McCann or Craig Wyte?
The performances of Brown,Ledley and Ki in the second half were nowhere near what is required to win a league.
Dundee Utd’s midfielders walked all over them.
La Real take the lead.
Griezmann, great player.
0-1.
SydneyTim says:
14 January, 2012 at 22:06
As I just asked you do you never get tired of living in the past, I can’t remember one time you ever posted about how we played today or who scored the goals.
What’s the point of you being a Celtic supporter apart from your need from attention!!
SP