Celtic collected all three points from St Mirren Park at lunchtime today but were under the cosh for most of the game. James Forrest opened the scoring in the 71st minute before Scott Brown secured the points two minutes from time to secure Celtic’s 11th consecutive SPL win.
Marc McAusland forced an early save from Fraser Forster on the goal line as a notice of intent on how the first half traffic was going to flow before Gary Hooper made Celtic’s only attempt on goal in the first half, a hooked shot from 35 yards. After 15 minutes a Mulgrew corner was headed towards his own goal by Steven Thompson, who was fortunate the ball struck his own player on the line. Five minutes alter Thompson tested Forster with a header at the other end which was saved well. Graham Carey had a good chance late in the first half but shot wide from a tight angle.
The second half started in much the same patter with St Mirren flowing forward at every opportunity and Celtic looking out of sorts. Paul McGowan setup Dougie Imrie on his St Mirren debut but Forster saved well again. The home team’s best chance of the game came when a Van Zanten shot from just outside the box was flicked towards the opposite post by McGowan but Forster somehow managed to twist his body and flick the ball safe.
Neil Lennon realised his formation wasn’t working and withdrew Samaras and Ki for Stokes and Commons, the addition of the latter proving crucial. Commons set pieces, intelligent use of his body and possession troubled St Mirren. On 59 minutes his corner was met by Rogne, whose goal-bound header struck McAusland on the raised arm, although the defender knew little about it.
On 71 minutes a Commons free kick was punched clear by Samson by Scott Brown met it at the edge of the area before rolling the ball in front of James Forrest. The Celtic wide player shot first-time from 19 yards and found the inside of the post to open the scoring.
St Mirren continued to push forward and McAusland forced yet another save by Forster. Hooper played a one-two with Stokes before shooting narrowly wide but a minute later Imrie came just as close to drawing St Mirren level.
An 88th minute short corner by Commons to Scott Brown caught St Mirren sleeping. The Celtic captain slipped a left foot shot inside the far post, a carbon copy of his Scottish Cup goal against Rangers last season.
A minute from time a Commons free kick was headed in off the post by Thomas Rogne but the assistant referee incorrectly flagged for offside despite the Celtic defender being four yards onside. The game poor advert for the SFA officials with a bizarre collection of mistakes made over which team knocked the ball out of play at corners and throw–ins.
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1,198 Comments- Pages:
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I watch Scott Brown every game, I don’t think he is the most gifted football player that has ever pulled on a Celtic top, but like Roy Aitken, he is very committed.
Every team needs a Scott Brown or his like. Those who have never played the game might not understand that.
I don’t think Scott Brown had a great game today, I don’t think any Celtic player had a great game today (though our much maligned keeper more than earned his win bonus)
The weather was not conducive to a flowing game of football and that referee is in the brotherhood.
Rogne got booked for his first challenge and his goal was good.
I was pleased to see Scott Brown’s goal, I wish he would take a wee pop a wee bit more often like he used to when he played for Hibs, but then there was no real expectation or pressure when he played for Hibs.
Scott Brown is the Captain of Celtic Football Club. He does not pick himself. He does not tell the manager he will be picked. He does not tell the manager where, or where not, he will play in the team.
He plays every game to the best of his abilities and when he is in the team as opposed to out of it our point won total goes up.
If you ever go on to the huns blogs then the player they want to see the back of more than any other… then it is Scott Brown. That tells a story.
Wasn’t a great game to watch but the three points were deserved and welcome.
Scottish football needs Celtic if it is to survive. A level playing field for all would be a novel tonic for all the teams who honestly play in Scotland.
Clash CB
Well there you go. You and I (and indeed all our CQN comrades) have got our wish today. ..a championship-winning performance, i.e. when we are not playing well, we can still grind out a result.
I am in Glasgow Sunday 29th for Argent concert in O2 Academy (original line-up.) Let’s have a bevy and catch up on last 25 years in the “local”?
Naturally I’ll be looking for a ticket for the Falkirk league cup game.
Hold Your Head Up!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-6v4H4BtWI&feature=fvsr
DBB
Crawford Allan? You’ve got yer name the wrang way roond!
clean sheet and two moments of quality win us the game. breakfast of champions
another steady performance from our most consistent player and my poty fraser forster.
.
Kit..
I Was thinking of You when Skoosh Scored..
The Broonie and Sammi Haters were in Full Voice today..
Summa
5 points clear at the top of the league…..wonderful…
C’mon Sheepsters.
Champion. Just champion
Hard fought win today, weather not conducive to flowing football, but they fought well, Lenny’s changes were spot on!!!
well done celtic, well done the celtic fans!!
love it!!
Posting from the previous thread . . .
Scott Brown ran his socks off today. He effectively won the points.
A fantastic lay-off to Forrest and a great goal himself.
Man-of-the-match, yet still he still gets slaughtered.
He does so much of the grafting in his game, to such an extent that those who don’t really know football, don’t see it.
He gets ridiculed and lambasted by supporters who don’t see what a player gives to a team, unless he is a Jinky or a Messi. You really do have to look deeper to appreciate what Scott gives to this team.
Sorry to be so brutal, but when I read some of the disgraceful comments against the Celtic captain on this and other sites, I really do despair.
Every manager he plays under knows what he gives to a team.
It is time for his Celtic-supporting critics to look at the bigger picture.
We are lucky to have him in a Celtic jersey.
Hail Hail.
kitalba says: 21 January, 2012 at 14:57
Scott Brown can be a driving force in the team, getting others to up their game when things go a little flat.
Very important player.
If you read the players q&a section in the view, they are almost unanimous, Scott Brown would be first name on the starting sheet for them. That also says a lot.
G`day,Kit.
Like you,I love guys who play for the jersey.
The Roy Aitken comparison is spot on.
Shortbread understands that
“Dame Kerry Te Kanawe is being lead out onto the park by Mr Cameroon improbably astride a white carthorse as the Drumnadroookit pipe bond strike up with an idiosyncratic rendition of Vivat Regina……….you should see this, it’s unbeleivable….”
share
Do St Mirren usually play Gypsy’s, Tramps and Thieves over the Stadium Tannoy just before kick off……hmmm ?
I said it earlier and I’ll say it again.. there was a lot of talk about why we should leave Scott Brown out before the game and how he gave the ball away. SO I purposely watched him very closely. The remarkable thing about him was that he constantly looked like he was about to give the ball away… but very seldom did. Plus whilst all our midfielders closed down and retained possession OK he also was the only midfielder really going forward and trying to link up with the wingers and forwards.
It wasn’t really working for him till Lennon changed it.. but still he was well worth the armband today.
Good summary.
Celtic were poor first half. Game changed with Commons and Stokes.
Scott Brown, 1 assist 1 goal.
Not my favourite player, but you can’t argue today.
Kit
Scott’s set-up and Finish were both sublime in the worst of conditions. Yet some on here were bad calling the manager for ‘moving the team around’ to keep Scott in it.
Great 3 points.
Let’s just see what the wind and rain does over Govan way – you just never know. You just never know.
U
Hearing that Aberdeen casuals have caused chaos at Ibrox tube station before the game
goals from today , apologies if posted earlier
http://www.kirkintillochemerald.co.uk/showthread.php?p=25974#post25974
“Celtic collected all three points from St Mirren Park at lunchtime today but were under the cosh for most of the game.”
na they weren’t.
a deserved win. We shall not be moved.
UC
TMWTL
That’ll make a change from the usual who cause chaos every other week.
Mightily relieved – and I mean mightily relieved at getting 3 points today.
You can not overstate how important those kind of 3 points are at the end of the campaign.
Games like today are where you look back on with a thousand ‘if only’s’.
Im not going to pretend im pleased with the performance; as horrific as it would have been to try and play football out there today – it was equally as horrific for St Mirren, only at times you wouldnt have thought so (mind you it looked like the swirling wind was swirling against us in both halfs!).
For those games when the pitch is bad, the weather is worse and there are just no ideal conditions for playing football, thats when you look to fall back on your familiarity of your tactics.
We dont have any. We have players who play positions – and its as 2 dimensional as that.
We have mano on mano, go out there boys and win the game. Its more or less up to who turns up on the day.
Il end on a positive note – I was one of the ones who failed to see the potential in big FF and was really really disappointed when we re-signed him. However the big guy is on to one hell of a game at the moment, one hell of a game.
He is even starting to come off his line.
For a guy who only started taking soccer seriously over rugby at the age of 18, and factoring in the number of years he has been properly coached in comparison to other goalkeepers – the guy is all about potential.
sometimes you cant teach a new trick to an old dog – big FF is anything but.
Well done Fraser – whilst im not 110% convinced – you have succeeded in doing what few do, changed my mind about something I was adamant about a few short months ago.
Headline in tomorrow’s Daily retard/hun.
Aberdeen casuals led by the demonic Neil Lennon……….
C’mon the Aberdeen Casuals.
001:
I prefer to watch the game away from CQN, I take no pleasure in the written abuse. For me it is calculated and mean unlike a spur of the moment comment by a supporter who actually goes to the game.
Still everybody is entitled to their opinion but some of them are making me dizzy with the number of ‘u’ turns they do.
Had a wee bit of a day today, got attacked by a swarm of wasps, got stung quite a few times too, but I survived and next weekend I’m going to get the little buggers with some really toxic pesticide. Are the judges allowed to use pesticide on the huns because it they are I know a really cheap wholesaler.
Bigjie….
You don’t need to apologise for posting Celtic goals!
Thanks again!
bigjie says:
21 January, 2012 at 15:04
In the wee sma` hours in Sydney,who can we rely on?
Bigjie.
Stoater.
Folks
Good horse with good name just about to win next at Ascot. Finian’s Rainbow will collect at better than 2/1.
Please gamble responsibly (but get yer hoose on it)
Paul,
probably the most incompetent display from officials so far this season. All the way from Rogne’s booking to the disallowed goal.
I thought that we got outstanding performances today from Forster, Brown and Hooper. Great to see Commons back. He makes a difference.
Finally, can someone explain to me if Motherwell’s venture into administration would be any different from that of rangers? While I’d be happy to have a rangers-free world, I seem to recall Motherwell just firing a few people, then getting on with life. If anyone can clarify, I’d be grateful.
And finally, finally……I am glad to see wee Vanessa’s case being promoted on CQN.
And finally, final, finally, Happy New Year to all on CQN…and especially to you Paul, and your Dad.
Cheers,
Ronnie
bsr
Indeed
They sure don’t like the Huns, those Aberdeen boys
15,14,13,12,11,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1,0,1,2,3,4,5….
Paul67
I hope that agreement we have with Newcastle for big Fraser is watertight, he kept us in the game until we got the goals.
He has been superb last couple of months.
HH
KJamBhoy says:
21 January, 2012 at 14:51
Funny I was thinking exactly the same. Foster had a great save from McGowan (I think) who was just, but definitely offside. No flag.
Rogne is onside when Commons played in the free kick, three Celts were but would only have been off (as I understand the rule) had they touched the ball. They did not so was the goal correctly ruled of or did the linseman get it wrong? If the Collum/Hamilton version of what is offside applies then the goal should have stood.
However as you say we were good enough to overcome a good footballing side, atrocious conditions and insidious refereeing, a very good sign.
ulster celt
that`s a ridiculous statement …..where did you get that from ?
“Commons set pieces, intelligent use of his body and possession”
A very pertinent sentence Paul.
He really does have a fantastic awareness of everything around him and generally when the ball is with him you sit there with an ease about you because you know he is going to find the best option available to him (although some times he is a wee bit of a stokesy and shoots too much!)
ulster celt
forgot the :¬))
Paul67
Sorry Paul didn’t see Celtic under the cosh, and don’t think the stats will reflect that either.
Always a late show in this game as St Mirren tire, and Celtic eventually break them down, you don’t have Stokes Commons or
Matthews on the bench and not expect to see them at some point.
Great credit to Neil Lennon and his men for a superb away win.
any link to the goals today