2004-09-25: Celtic 3-0 Dunfermline Ath, SPL

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Trivia

Celtic used this as a warm up for their midweek Champions League clash with AC Milan.
Celtic opted to rest frontman Chris Sutton in the hope the Englishman would be fit for the Milan clash.

Review

Celtic lined up with Momo Sylla making a rare start – playing on the wide right of a four man midfield – filling a gap in the team left by the injured Didier Agathe, with Juninho operating in the hole behind the strikers Camara and John Hartson.
The one-way traffic produced an inevitable Celtic goal on 20 minutes – albeit from an unlikely source – with defender Varga sliding in at the back post to convert a flick-on from Sylla after a Thomson corner.
Camara, who had looked threatening throughout the opening half hour, put Dunfermline 2-0 down 38 minutes in – the ex-Wolves man heading past Stillie at the second attempt following an Alan Thompson free-kick. Hartson then saw a header hit the woodwork minutes later, Sylla's deft chip finding the big Welshman at the back post.
Camara gained his second of the afternoon – and his fifth of the season – to give Celtic a 3-0 lead after 54 minutes , the Senegal striker steering home a close-range effort with the outside of his right foot.
Stillie kept the scoreline down in the 72nd minute when he diverted Thompson's ferocious free-kick away before Hartson was booked for preventing the keeper from kicking downfield. Camara should have come away with a hat-trick but he was denied by Stillie and the woodwork after Thompson had sent him into space.

Teams

Celtic:-
Marshall, Valgaeren, Balde, Varga, Sylla, Petrov (Wallace ), Lennon, Thompson, Juninho Paulista (McGeady ), Hartson (Laursen 82), Camara.
Subs not used:- Douglas, Pearson, Lambert, Cuthbert.
Goals:- Varga 20, Camara 30, 54
Booked:- Hartson

Dunfermline:-
Stillie, Shields, Scott Wilson, Skerla, Scott Thomson, Nicholson, Mason (Labonte 15), Dempsey, Darren Young (Hunt 45, Butler 72), Brewster, Mehmet.
Subs not used:- Murdoch, , Butler, Tod, McKeown, Derek Young.

Att:
Referee:- A Freeland (Scotland)

Articles

Match Report (BBC)
Manager Interview (BBC) – O'Neill salutes Camara

Pictures

Match Pictures

Articles

Celtic 3-0 Dunfermline

Stanislav Varga
Varga celebrates a rare goal which gave Celtic a 1-0 lead
The hosts prepared for their midweek Champions League clash with AC Milan in positive fashion by brushing aside Dunfermline's challenge.

Defender Varga opened the scoring after 20 minutes, sliding in at the back post to convert a flick on from Momo Sylla.

Henri Camara made it 2-0 just before the break, heading home from an Alan Thompson corner.

The ex-Wolves star sealed the win after 54 minutes with a right-footed drive from close-range.

O'Neill opted to rest frontman Chris Sutton in the hope the Englishman would be fit for the Milan clash, and Jackie MacNamara ruled out through injury.

The home side started impatiently – as if keen to get this chore out the way before the serious business of Wednesday's Champions League trip to Milan – with Petrov, Hartson and Juninho all going close in the first five minutes.

The one-way traffic produced an inevitable Celtic goal on 20 minutes – albeit from an unlikely source – with defender Varga sliding in at the back post to convert a flick-on from Sylla after a Thomson corner.

Varga returned to a more familiar role when he stepped in to break up a rare Dunfermline attack after 25 minutes, heading behind his goal with Brewster lurking in the box.

Dunfermline pushed forward again in the 31st minute when Greg Shields picked out Brewster in the area, but the veteran volleyed just past the upright from nine yards out

Camara, who had looked threatening throughout the opening half hour, put Dunfermline 2-0 down 38 minutes in – the ex-Wolves man heading past Stillie at the second attempt following an Alan Thompson free-kick.

Hartson then saw a header hit the woodwork minutes later, Sylla's deft chip finding the big Welshman at the back post.

The hosts continued to put the Pars on the rack with further pressure after the break, Thompson hammering a powerful left-foot shot past the post from Petrov's pass.

Camara gained his second of the afternoon – and his fifth of the season – to give Celtic a 3-0 lead after 54 minutes , the Senegal striker steering home a close-range effort with the outside of his right foot.

The Celtic defence went to sleep in the 62nd minute to allow Brewster a shot on goal but, fortunately for them, David Marshall was alert to the danger and blocked with his legs.

Stillie kept the scoreline down in the 72nd minute when he diverted Thompson's ferocious free-kick away before Hartson was booked for preventing the keeper from kicking downfield.

Camara should have come away with a hat-trick but he was denied by Stillie and the woodwork after Thompson had sent him into space.

In the end, it was an easy day at the office for the home side and Martin O'Neill's men can now concentrate on Wednesday's tie at the San Siro.

Celtic: Marshall, Valgaeren, Balde, Varga, Sylla, Petrov, Lennon, Thompson, Juninho Paulista, Hartson, Camara. Subs: Douglas, Pearson, Lambert, Laursen, Wallace, McGeady, Cuthbert.

Dunfermline: Stillie, Shields, Scott Wilson, Skerla, Scott Thomson, Nicholson, Mason, Dempsey, Darren Young, Brewster, Mehmet. Subs: Murdoch, Hunt, Butler, Tod, Labonte, McKeown, Derek Young.

Referee: A Freeland (Scotland)

BBC
O'Neill salutes Camara

Celtic manager Martin O'Neill
Celtic 3-0 Dunfermline
Celtic boss Martin O'Neill highlighted the efforts of goalscorer Henri Camara who bagged a brace against Dunfermline in the 3-0 win.

"Camara has now made five starts for us and scored five goals and he is going to be an important asset for us as I always knew he would," he said.

The Parkhead manager was delighted with win which paves the way for his team's midweek trip to the San Siro in Italy.

He said: "I'm pleased with the three points, it was a terrific performance."