SHELBOURNE 1 CELTIC 1
SHIN YAMADA was Celtic’s stoppage-time saviour when he swept in a penalty-kick in an entertaining friendly against Shelbourne at Tolka Park this evening.
The Japanese striker, who didn’t score a competitive goal for the champions after his arrival last summer, made no mistake in the 91st minute to save the Hoops from defeat.
The hosts had taken the lead from another spot-kick in the 88th minute when local hero Harry Wood drilled an effort low past Viljami Sinisalo.
Martin O’Neill will no doubt be satisfied with a good work-out in a match where he gave 22 players a chance to get the summer rust out of their limbs.
James Forrest, on his 35th birthday, took the eye in the opening half as he looked eager to get the ball rolling as the Hoops prepared for the new season.
HERE WE GO AGAIN…the Celtic players performer the huddle at Tolka Park.
The most-decorated player in the club’s history played on the left with Michel-Ange Balikwisha on the opposite wing against a determined Irish side whose league is already well underway.
Callum McGregor, too, was heavily involved in the first 45 minutes as went through his usual routine of stitching play together.
The skipper presented Callum Osmand with the chance to get the opening goal in the ninth minute, but the youngster took a heavy first touch and the opportunity was gone.
Paulo Bernardo also had two quickfire chances around the 26th-minute mark, but the Portuguese midfielder was well out with both his finishes.
Michel-Ange Balikwisha, in a rare start, also appeared keen to make up for lost time after last season’s backfire and showed some nice touches.
However, the nearest to a goal came in the 16th minute when Colby Donovan switched off for a moment and the ball fell to James Roache who left Ross Doohan stranded with a rasping low drive from just outside the box that smacked off the outside of the keeper’s right-hand post.
Liam Scales, Maik Nawrocki, Arne Engels and Luke McCowan were among the replacements at the interval as Martin O’Neill changed an entire team.
Shin Yamada swept a curling effort wide of the right-hand post as the Japanese striker, who spent last season out on loan, attempted to claim the breakthrough goal.
In the 70th minute, McCowan also came close after he had won the ball in a 50-50 challenge to move to the edge of the box, but his low left-foot drive was just off target as the keeper scrambled across his goal.
Shelbourne were presented with the ideal opportunity to score the opening goal in the 88th minute after Adam Montgomery sent James Bailley tumbling in the box.
The referee had no hesitation in pointing to the box and Wood tucked it away with some aplomb.
However, three minutes later, it was the Hoops’ turn to show their expertise from the spot after the match official spotted a shove as an Engels free-kick from the left and Yamada slotted it in at the keeper’s left as he took off in the opposite direction.
Celtic now continue their pre-season preparations as they head for their training camp in Portugal.
FIRST-HALF TEAM: Doohan; Donovan, Carter-Vickers, Murray, Haney; Bernardo, McGregor, McArdle; Forrest, Osmand and Balikwisha.
SECOND-HALF TEAM: Sinisalo; Kennedy, Nawrocki, Scales, Montgomery; McCowan, Engels, Ure; Turley, Yamada, Hatton.
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