By Alex Gordon.
A DREADFUL penalty-kick miss by Bahrudin Atajic condemned Ronny Deila to his first defeat as Celtic manager.
The Bosnian striker had the ideal opportunity to level the scores four minutes from time after substitute Paul McMullan had been downed in the box.
Unfortunately, Atajic blazed his spot-kick over the bar into the Hamburg crowd much to the annoyance of the new Hoops gaffer.
It was a largely experimental Celtic line-up with Deila taking no risks ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League qualifier against Legia Warsaw in the Polish capital.
Alas, appalling defending by Filip Twardzik gifted the Germans the winning goal before the interval.
The left-back made a mess of trying to control a long and hopeful punt into the Celtic penalty box. The ball broke clear and was immediately presented to Christopher Nothe who could hardly believe his good fortune.
Nothe struck his effort first time from eight yards and Craig Gordon had no chance as the low drive zipped past his right hand in the 39th minute.
Twardzik toiled in the opening 45 minutes and was also booked in the 33rd minute after a lunging tackle after once again giving the ball away with a slack pass.
Celtic started at whirlwind pace and had three excellent opportunities inside the opening 10 minutes.
Atajic fizzed in a low shot from just outside the box, but keeper Philipp Tschauner got down swiftly to hold the ball at his right hand post.
Five minutes later, Tony Watt, looking lively on the left wing, tried his luck from a tight angle.
His shot totally bamboozled Tschauner, but carried over the crossbar and out to safety.
Amido Balde should have got the game’s opening goal in the 10th minute when he was through on goal after some neat play outside the box.
However, the Portuguese Under-21 international lacked composure at the vital moment and allowed the keeper to block his hurried parting shot.
Gordon, making his second appearance for the Hoops, showed he was still rusty after being out for over two years with a slack goal-kick to Nir Biton.
The Israeli midfielder, captain for the day, was taken unawares and St Pauli broke forward, but made a mess of the opportunity.
Stuart Findlay, partnering Eoghan O’Connell in the middle of the inexperienced back four, was also sloppy with some wayward passes, but the Hoops escaped punishment.
The game was billed as a friendly – and the clubs have an affiliation – but the home players weren’t slow to put in some punishing challenges.
Skipper Soren Gonther was yellow-carded for a rugby tackle on McGeouch that wouldn’t have looked out of place in Celtic’s current home at Murrayfield.
Liam Henderson tried to set up Balde with a neat chip into the danger zone, but the ball carried over the giant frontman’s head.
It looked like being a stalemate at the interval until Twardzik’s lapse in concentration and control allowed St Pauli to snatch the lead.
Deila put on Lukasz Zaluska for Gordon at half-time and replaced the ineffective Balde with Paul McMullan.
Henderson brought the St Pauli keeper into action with a long-range free-kick in the 65th minute. The idea was good, but, unfortunately, the execution didn’t quite match the ambition.
Zaluska produced one memorable moment when he pushed a raging effort from Sebastian Mhyre over the crossbar 10 minutes from time.
Then came Atajic’s dreadful spot-kick blunder which was followed in the last minute by an effort from Watt which swept just wide of the target.
As an exercise, it was worthwhile and the Celtic youngsters will expect to do better when presented with the opportunity to impress the new manager.
CELTIC: Gordon (sub: Zaluska 46); Herron, Findlay, O’Connell, Twardzik; Biton, Henderson, McGeouch; Atajic, Balde (sub: McMullan 46) and Watt.
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just another tim
20:56 on 27 July, 2014
THANK YOU, MY MHAN, AND OTHERS WHO RESPONDED….HH
RT,
Don’t profess to know everything comrade, just wondered about the boycott motivation. Back to football.
Why shouldn’t we attack in Poland? Their defence is suspect and we can score. For goodness sake, we aren’t playing Porto. I suspect lG could do some damage.
neganon2
21:14 on 27 July, 2014
Calm doon, mhan……. We are going to have to be very careful with finances until we get out of this shoitie little bigoted league
KDS transfer rumours are usually not to be trusted.
Eurochamps
Charliebhoy or any others from the ML3 or there abouts area if you would like to meet up with other CQNrs for the game on wednesday at the KSC i’m willing to pick up and drop off if interested please let me or BT know , just askin like ;))
Joe Fillippi
Sorry, just back from my dinner but ,if you’re still on, my middy would be Henderson, Biton, Johansen, Commons, Matthews.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/commonwealth-games/28518219 not bad for a 13 year old
Charlie Adam is a decent player one of those types that gets lots of assists for a club at our level.
Ross McCormack is another ex hun that would enhance our team, though not at the price he’s just gone for.
Robert Tressel, the late Brian Wittaker playing for us was bad enough but Steven Whittaker.
He was rotten and spent more time kicking our players than the ball. He was sent off two or three times against us. His sending of in the alleged game of shame was more than deserved.
Jellylegs of the afflicted possibly, he was a no bad goal scorer but i can’t think of any of the defunct club’s players in the last ten years who were an improvement on what we had.
captain beefheart
21:18 on 27 July, 2014
I think Ronnie will attack, and we will win….. They will leave gaps, and we will exploit them
Found this on facebook and perhaps 1 for CQNers around the world to adopt in memory of Wee Oscar. The cost of a postcard for a little boy’s delight. I’m in! Remember to say from CQN
*************Postcards for Josh***********
On the 6th of March this year my lovely son Joshua was diagnosed with Pre B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. It was a huge shock to our whole family and turned our lives upside down. Since March Josh has been treated with seven different types of chemotherapy and has spent time in hospital on four different occasions with suspected infections. He has had a central line inserted into his chest and now has an ng tube in his nose which is used to feed him as his weight dropped drastically. The chemotherapy has affected his legs so he is unable to walk very far and has a wheelchair. It has also affected his hands and so he is also unable to write. Josh is only 7 years old and hasn’t been able to attend school since he was diagnosed in March. At the end of the school term Josh was sent homework for the holidays which included writing a diary of what he did in the holidays and to send a postcard from his holiday. Unfortunately he is currently going through a particularly intensive block of treatment and so we are unable to take him away on holiday. He did get a day out to the safari park last week but his latest blood test has shown that he is now neutropenic and has no immune system. This means we now have to keep him away from any possible infections (quite hard to do in most day trip locations). Chances are we will now spend the rest of the summer holidays at home. For this reason we have decided to make his summer homework a little bit different. We have bought a large World map and we are asking everyone to send a postcard to Josh from wherever you are if you have the chance. We will then mark the areas he receives postcards from on the map and send this map into school with the postcards in September So if you’re going away on holiday or even if you fancy sending a postcard from home please send to Joshua Johns at 2 Swansmoor Drive, Hixon, Staffordshire ST18 0FP. Thanks in advance from a very grateful little boy and his family xxx
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Postcards-For-Josh/765224290167751?fref=nf
***************************
In memory of Wee Oscar
HH
CRC
NegAnon2
What do you know about any of the matters, that you continually attack Celtic with ?
gordybhoy64
20:50 on 27 July, 2014
A credit to Scotland, and an example to us all
I’d like to see Griffiths as striker with Commons playing behind him. I’d also bring back Matthews wide right of midfield and keep McGregor on the left. Keeper, back 4 and central 2 in midfield pick themselves at the moment.
kojo, collie, maggie and philis are the same person
21:21 on 27 July, 2014,
Your having a laugh, we’re wanting our forward movement speeded up not to go sideways?
kojo, collie, maggie and philis are the same person
21:21 on 27 July, 2014
Do you know what they can do way charli adam
Milan 0 Man City 4 after less than 30 mins. SS1 just now.
Kojo, Collie, Maggie and Philis are the same person
Just a wee thing but the lad McCormack may have played for them but he ain’t a Hun.
Robert Tressel,
What age is Big Ugly Betty these days ?
Don`t think there`s anything in the Charlie Adam rumour. Hope not, he`s too slow.
We need faster players in midfield and up front, we really lack pace and speed of thought in these areas leading to us often trying to walk the ball into the net.
Pace is vital especially in European competition where so many goals come from counter attacks.
Sounds good Gary.
Would like Matthews instead of McGregor though. Biton instead of Mulgrew in midfield, Charlie could be moved else where.
67 Heaven,
I hope you are right. There is no reason to not attack.
A good silver in the swimming relay. Amazing stuff.
BCW
Yep by all accounts Mc Cormack a Celtic supporter.
Mr and Mrs Jobo have a great holiday but palpitations at the thought of no weather forecast. Get it sorted Jobo.
Is mo na cumann e
Marspapa
don’t forget our g72 bhoys too….8)
We’ll score most of our goals in Europe from free kicks and corners so a Charlie Adam would be a benefit to us. Though zero chances of us being able to afford his wages. He’s as good a player as Snodgrass which some on here were crying out for, cos you know he was going to sign for us ;o)
Yeah I know McCormack doesn’t support the huns but he is an ex hun and that was the question.
Ol Adam and his sister might also be tims heard different stories there. Not that it matters to me.
Marspapa,
Thank you very much for the offer.
Unfortunately I am in the Royal for a wee procedure on Wednesday and am unable to take up your very kind offer. Would have loved to as I’ve never made it to BT’s venue yet, KSC, not even for the big debates.
However, the following week, as I am on the ticketing scheme, I will have a ticket for the return leg, which I will be unable to use, as I am taking my lovely wee Ma back to Dublin to visit the folks for the week.
Therefore my ticket is yours, if either you or BT, know of a suitable recipient.
HH
EC67
We may yet feel the effects of letting go Samaras. He would have tormented them, moreover he gave us experience. I worry about the lack of experience.
Ps
Charlie Adam is much too ugly to play for us. Pace is the least of his problems.
Where the hell is G72 ?!! Sounds dodgy ;))
Never realised Scotland was so good at swimming and judo,fantastic performances at the games
Eurochamps
thanks for the offer, not sure if ill make return leg myself tbh…8(
Just seen inside Ibrox
Their signage says
” Rangers FC ” was that always the case , no mention of the year ?
Neganon2
So why do you constantly attack Celtic ?
Big cup winners I clearly know more than you!
67 heaven. We will not be allowed to leave the bigoted league we are in. We had a massive opportunity to expos that bigotry and deal with it but it seems though who run the club decided to keep quiet.
I wonder why!
If Kayal is fit I would have him in my midfield on Wednesday, H,H,
For the reasons I put in my post. We can be better than we are but we are being held back. Celtic have been trying to cowe the support and to milk us of money and many of you are buying the spin and lies and accepting less than mediocrity. If I can change that in any way I will.
NegAnon2
Well if you know more than me (hahaha just having a wee chuckle at your childish jibe earlier on ) answer the question…….
Why do you constantly attack the Celtic ?