Celtic were always in control against St Johnstone in Perth this afternoon and deservedly picked up the three points although it took them almost an hour to open the scoring. Gary Hooper knocked in a loose ball on 59 minutes before Ki Sung-Yeung finished off a sweeping Celtic brea five minutes later.
St Johnstone kept things tight early on and kept Celtic from creating a chance before Georgios Samaras created space for a shot which was saved well by Enckelman. Celtic’s best move of the first half came after 31 minutes when Ki, Forrest and Brown combined to release Hooper. The striker shot low and on target but Enckelman pulled off a remarkable save.
Both teams picked up the pace after half time but it was Mackay who created the first chance of the second period, forcing a save from Fraser Forster. Cha DuRi twice crossed dangerously. Firstly for Hooper, whose hooked effort from 4 yards was turned over by the impressive Enckelman. James Forrest then turned a snatched chance over from Cha’s next effort.
Just before the hour Charlie Mulgrew dropped a corner into the six yard box which Victor Wanyama contested. The ball dropped between a sea of St Johnstone legs but Hooper was onto it in a flash and prodded over.
The game was put beyond the home team five minutes later. St Johnstone were awarded a free kick on the edge of the Celtic penalty area after Mulgrew was penalised for climbing. The Celtic was stood strong and from the subsequence block James Forrest drove forward at pace. Samaras returned a 1-2 to Forrest to drew Enckelman before squaring for the unmarked Ki. The Saints’ keeper did well but could not prevent Ki’s shot from crossing the line.
Samaras mishit a shot after the impressive Cha again crossed to effect before the Greek striker ran 40 yards and had his shot blocked.
St Johnstone’s only real chance fo the game came when Wanyama slipped to let Haber close in on Forster but the keeper was equal to the shot.
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the more you see that mob the quicker you want to play them.Mac Lean said “Samaras is the man the Celtic fans love to hate”? ffs.Ask any huns about how Whatakicker has played this season.
BBC Alba
I’m pretty sure the Samaras doubters (including the imbecile that I had to sit next to for the Europa League games) are quite contrite tonight.
On his game, no-one can tackle this boy.
so that’s at least 2 stonewall penalties and,
along with that, 1 onside goal chopped off for ICT
3 big ones, clear as day
along with definite RED card should’ve been given on 55mins in Dunfermline Aluko game v rfc centre half who barged Dunf attacker when clean thro on goal !!!
any of this on the phone-ins this week ?
naw
but you’ll hear rfc complain that Ki was offside today – even tho he wasn’t !
2nd half of St J v CFC on BBC Alba coming up
just finishing 1st half on there at the mo
mic1888
If someone paid him to wear that he should be able to retire now!!
BB
Whatakicker?
haha
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofz-EZ40_sw
Wow, two penalties as clear as you will ever see, a handball to set up their opening goal and a good goal disallowed.
Terry Butcher must have reacted badly to that then, no?
What an existance we lead in Scotland!
Just watching Sportscene
re ICT 2 pen claims
1…same reason that Hearts were given pen against us
2…exactly what the huns were given a pen for last week
the offside goal is debateable
however ICT missed two sitters
the huns looked appalling ….in particular Whittaker seems to have recovered some of his pleasing form ….get big Sammy to run at that clown all night on the 28th
another CB. takes a hit …thats Loovens/Rogne/Maj/Wilson/Mugrew…..all taken a sore one this season
Izzy could be back and put Charlie at CB
getting beyond a joke tho
is the ref from hun game yesterday Madden …another uncle tim in the Conroy, Collum mould
I remember Guidi going on about Bartley last year saying he is a class act.
He is absolute garbage, no positional sense, kick and fouls with impunity and as we saw yesterday, gets away with it.
Another product of the Rangers media spin.
dodged a bullet wi that Bothroyd guy
cack
:)
hamiltontim
the jumper had more charisma than it`s wearer
the big man`s reticent approach isnae really cut out for tv :¬))
Pity big Dan will miss the hun game,i have every faith in Rogne though.
All-out attack from the start,we shall go through that mob like a tornado.
goldstar
once described as the worst product of the Arsenal academy
Lenny on Alba now
Re huns game. Nothing new then. COME ON CELTIC GET INTAE THEM. Night then. . HH.
BelfastCityCelt says:
18 December, 2011 at 22:59
So do I, but I’m not sure Neil does. If Loovens has his tights back from the tight repair shop I reckon Neil will play him before Rogne.
Looks like big Vic will need to play in central defence. It gives Neil an easier decision in midfield. I hope he plays Ledley instead of Ki for the first hour at least, if fit.
Hopefully Glenda will be back for the hun game,him and Rogne to start,Wanyama to return to bolster the midfield.Scott Brown must also start.
Der hun will be like the proverbial lambs to the slaughter.
Samaras and wee Forrest shall run them ragged on the flanks and cutting inside.
Wee buns.
….PFayr-
That doesn’t surprise me one bit.
That penalty was as stupid as it was blatant, but in Scotland he gets away with it.
Pfayr
Maybe grandmama should get the big fella some charm school lessons…he could take Rob the knob with him :-
WWC 21-47
got a signed framed picture of it in the same room as i am sitting ,,,,,brilliant
goldstar10
Guidi knows as much about a good football player as you and me (and that’s being generous). He’s got the get-out clause of having been a professional footballer (albeit for a short time – as in a few games that you can count on one hand). What exactly are the rest of this guy’s credentials?
The huns will try and play for the draw,believe you me.They will pack the midfield and try to stop our flair players,by any means necessary.They will kick and cheat,McCoulloch and that lowlife Bartley will start for them.
They know that if they try to attack us,they will be destroyed.
Our supporters must be patient.
BelfastCityCelt says:
18 December, 2011 at 23:03
I have no idea what formation you want to play on 28th, but if we can sneak 12 players onto the park that should help even things up a wee bit.
I would play Wanyama, Kayal and Ledley in midfield – but that means Brown or Forrest needs to miss out, and Samaras always plays against them and should on current form. Perhaps one up front only? Or similar to today’s formation?
I reckon big cool Vic will play at the back.
seen the highlights of their game v ICT
the disallowed goal, 1 replay and the commentator say “very close call” – wtf???
the bartley one was the worst of the lot, the guy goes around him just about to pull the trigger and gets hauled back, everybody looks at the referee (including mcgregor and bartley) the refs stares for a minute and then prances off!!!
today decent performance in the first half, went up a few gears in the 2nd half and won easily
what happened to this passing saints team? awful
lomas contested every decision on the sideline, bouncing up and down – “a passionate manager”
lenny done this last year and was hounded by the media – both northern irish – spot the difference
by the way lomas is a bitter wee fud – his comment about the dan challenge being 70-30 in dans favour made no sense at all.
i have unfortunatley met lomas and tommy wright a couple of times…see the 2 jimmys and then some
How many teeth did mc hun draw??
Killie up next on 24th
Saturday 1330
rfc away at St Murn
1245 KO
games in close proximity
hope no hassle
we gotta focus on Killie,
only Killie
Watched the ICT game……we are up against it again….it is pathetically obvious that we are being shafted AGAIN …..surely ICT will do something about that nonsense……..?……surely…..it was so blatant.
Anyway, TICK TOCK…!!
BelfastCityCelt
Took the words right out of my mouthneed someone to stumble in front of Samaras – McCulloch will be the first name on that team sheet.
They need someone to fall in front of Samaras as soon as he’s crossing the half-way line.
Always watched in amazement as Elbows crunches into everyone but goes to ground as soon as he knows Samaras has his arse on toast.
Sabre67 says:
18 December, 2011 at 23:09
This my team sir:
—————————————-FF———————————-
——Cha/Matthews———–Rogne———-Glenda———-Chuck/Ledley————
——————————————-67———————————————-
——–Jamesy———-Ki———-Kayal————–Samaras————-
—————————————–88————————————
Simple as that.
antrimkev
i can see StJ shortly becoming a team i`ll be happy to see get a doing off all they play ….all because of their manager ..he has irritated me already
after your confirmation thro your post of my inclination ……i don`t like him any better
gives the impression of a wee loud mouth
BCC
utter madness to play the huns without Brown
brucecassavetes- On Guidi, he was also banging on a few weeks ago about a top flight ref being outed for his role in Cravengate, boasting he had a big story up his sleeve.
All went very quiet on that one. (Maybe for legal reasons).
Bartley- as BCC says, he is a cert to start on 28th to inflict as much physical damage as possible. Broony- over to you.
sabre67
if we sneak 12 players on the pitch it will only serve to even the numbers ….they always paly with a twelfth man
Celtic fans call me “anti coist” Naw we dont ya wee dog turd!!
pfayr
Did you go to the Paly in Ayr??
Big article in Scotland on Sunday today with Lomas.
The basic premise is that he and Lenny are huge mates and roomed together on international duty for years after initially forming a friendship as trainees at Man City. Stupid somments about Big Dan today thought, he will be a loss. Vic and Charlie for me now, solves the midfield conundrum.
TJ