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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Eurochamps hope all goes well , when your better maybe get a game of golf , thanks for the offer of ticket but i’ll have to pass aswell , btw anytime you get a chance for the KSC just let me or BT know , same offer applies ;))
I can’t understand why there is such fear of Legia Warsaw. We are seeded to beat them in this tie.
We coped easily with the Icelandic side and I feel we have a better team and a better style of play than at this time last year.
I don’t advocate a gung ho approach but we should be able to cause Legia some problems home and away. We should be quietly confident in our ability. Remember, we are not playing Bayern Munich or Real Madrid.
marspapa
sounds like a plan !! get my addy from our bobby
I see that’s a new world record at ibrox ,over 140k for a two day sevens event………magnificent sevens……oh my feckin sides!!
neganon2
21:40 on 27 July, 2014
They rightly decided to concentrate on Celtic, in the knowledge that, once the spivs maximise the return on their investment, liquidation 2 will follow
BT
Googled G72 , i can do that distance for the guys , i just got 4 new tyres from Paddybhoy so the guys will need to be ready dont want to stationary to long lol ;))
Silly me… have never been aware till now that ‘live’ TV isn’t !!!
NegAnon2
Milk us of money ? After reducing the prices……… ?
We can do better ? How, let’s deal in facts though.
Who is lying ? Is that at the club on CQN ?
Mediocrity………FFS we have been in the CL how many times ? Last 16 how many times ? For the first 35 years of my life, Celtic doing so well in Europe was a dream…….give me more of thIs mediocrity please.
Try and say something positive about Celtic, go on give it a try………
blantyretim is praying for the knox family
21:33 on 27 July, 2014
ML5
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Big cup winners I have answered your question…….
67 heaven. No they didn’t want to kill off rangers and attack the SFA because they want the cosy cabal that is the old firm to continue – that this means constant cheating and sectarianism against their support means nothing to them…..
Lennybhoy
If you can get a lift over i’ll drop you off , if that helps ?
NegAnon2
All you did was repeat the same wearisome mantra.
Lets keep things simple though, agreed ?
Square your accusation of milking the Celtic support with the price reduction ?
Was offline for a couple of hours there so many thanks for all the Menorca advice.
Anyone care to make a joke out of – sevens – Ibrox – rugby tackles – ;-)
Lennybhoy
train from coatbridge to tyre..
Smokey you about ?
marspapa
4 new tyres you say. Will that improve your performance at CQN 5s? :-)
HH
CRC
If Adam had any kind of pace and we were in a position to sign him, I would be happy with that. Imo, he hasn’t and we badly need it. So, I wouldn’t be in favour. Bring back Sammi.
By the bye, the wee lassie from Shetland was what the Commonwealth Games are all about. Hope she goes from strength to strength. She must have outstanding potential.
Just loved the South African boy blessing himself after scoring a try….a benchmark for the future against mark 2.
I asked this the other day.
Can we still sign before the game against Legia?
See Paddy Power have us just favourites for Wednesday’s game :
Legia Warsaw v Celtic : 7/4 H ; 23/10 D ; 6/4 A
Ger57 it’s called getting your excuse in early.
BCW they reduced prices cos they had to. The product is overpriced and getting worse. And in any case they love the Hun so,much they worried about what their absence would do.
The club is lying to us continually. Remember lawwell saying we would reinvest all player sales into the squad. Well he lied. Remember he said we will continue to improve every transfer window…well he lied. I won’t even go on about lies about stadium safety, giving our details to the police etc….
I can say something positive about celtic. The supporters are the best there is. It was us who built the stadium, us who bankroll the club.
It’s just a pity the club treat us so badly…..
Sure Legia are no Bayern or Real Madrid & neither are we. Ourselves & Legia play in comparable leagues and I have no doubt their fans will think they can win this tie. I am quietly confident we have enough quality to see them off but picking our moments to attack them over but I am not disrespecting them and thinking them a pushover.
Gordon64 texted me …That’s me back from ‘Wickermhan’..never again.
Have had the same text fae the big eejit for the last 5 years.
We could do worse than sign a couple of these South Africans, particularly their number 10.
PF Ayr *from ages ago*
Sorry yes, I should have put spend in parenthesis.
With misfiring attackers en board and the modern equivalent of Celtic ‘spend’ then it’s a racing certainty we won’t spend again, until RD gets his shot at picking.
Much wheeling and dealing after the CL qualifiers, which come along outwith the Celtic business plan, for success.
The Spanish Champions have sold the family jewels, and they play in a proper league.
by picking our moments to attack them over there* (stupid phone)
marspapa
21:55 on 27 July, 2014
Text you later in week.
blantyretim is praying for the knox family
21:56 on 27 July, 2014
Cheers.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Might Derk also be utilised on Wednesday? He should be motivated, his pace and crossing could damage the Poles.
An unlikely hero may emerge.
sipsini –
Aye, but the polis will be knocking his door down at 05:00!
Yuclr
NegAnon2
How did they have to reduce the prices. Would you have stopped buying a SB ?
Captain Beefheart
20:32 on
27 July, 2014
Can’t believe the negativity about keeping a tie alive. We should score in Poland and attack.
I agree.All this talk of Legia.They have won 1 out of 3 in Poland against crap opposition.Struggled at home against an Irish pub team.Did not look too great in Ireland until the pub team collapsed.
“The champions of Poland”All the good Polish players dont play there.
We are ,man for man,a far better team than them.I fully expect us to prove it.
Of course anything can happen,but if we play as we can,I dont see us losing.
No I wouldn’t have but perhaps many more would have. It was a sensible move but it wasn’t al altruistic one BCW
Team in green winning at ibrox. Again. Easy. Too easy.
Charlie Adam.
Jesus wept.
Captain Beefheart. Im sorry fella I have seen nothing to suggest Derk is anything but a dud I hope he is not even in the squad on Wednesday. H.H.
Kevjungle
Can you tell me what the debt level at Celtic was in the accounts published before MON ‘s arrival and the equivalent level in the accounts in 2004?
I’d like to see the figures to back up your point.
There is sustainable debt and unsustainable debt and it was the latter staring the club in the face that caused a change in spending policy.
Or did you make it all up?
blantyretim is praying for the knox family
21:56 on 27 July, 2014
Two Trains, first to ML1 and second to G72.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Turkeybhoy
Your probably right. My main fear is borne from the fact Celtic are still adapting to Ronny’s methods. change can work either way in any organisation.
Now they’re having a huddle. Blasphemous.