| Match Pictures | Matches:2007 – 2008 | 2007-2008 Pictures |
Trivia
- Scott MacDonald's second hat-trick of the season.
- Celtic go 3 clear again after Rangers slip up the next day!
- Riordan played after being snubbed in mid-week for the AC Milan game.
- Protest outside Celtic Park after John Reid named as new Celtic chairman.
Review
After two successive gubbings by Rangers and then AC Milan, it was a relief to turn it around emphatically. Scott MacDonald continues to prove to be a great buy scoring a hat-trick, his 2nd of the season so far!
Teams
Celtic team:-
Boruc, Caldwell, Kennedy, McManus, Naylor, Nakamura (Donati 86), Scott Brown, Hartley, McGeady, McDonald, Killen.
Subs Not Used:- Mark Brown, Jarosik, O'Brien, Riordan, Sno, O'Dea.
Booked:- McDonald, Scott Brown.
Goals:- McDonald 42, 59, 88 pen.
Motherwell team:-
Graeme Smith, Quinn (Mensing 68), Reynolds, Craigan, Paterson (Fitzpatrick 53), McGarry, Lasley, Hughes (O'Donnell 10), Porter, McCormack, Clarkson.
Subs Not Used:- Meldrum, Grabban, Kinniburgh, Archdeacon.
Booked:- Clarkson.
Att: 57,633
Ref: S Dougal
Articles
- Match Report (see end of page below)
- Match Report
Pictures
KStreet
- Pre-match
- Match
- MoTM – McDonald (Link to MOTM Winners)
- Post-match
Stats
| Celtic
McDonald 42 |
3-0 (1-0) |
Motherwell | R |
| Bookings: McDonald 39  Brown 63 |
Bookings: Clarkson 54 |
Possession
| 57% | 43% |
Shots on target
| 10 | 5 |
Shots off target
| 4 | 4 |
Corners
| 10 | 7 |
Fouls
| 6 | 14 |
Articles
Celtic 3-0 Motherwell
By Clive Lindsay
BBC
Scott McDonald returned to haunt his former club as he scored a hat-trick to keep Celtic top of the Scottish Premier League with victory over Motherwell.
Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc was forced into two fine saves as in-form Motherwell threatened through Ross McCormack and Steve McGarry.
But, after a couple of Graeme Smith saves at the other end, McDonald stole in to head home after 41 minutes.
He slipped in the second after the break and the third from the spot.
The striker had been controversially rested for the midweek Champions League defeat by Benfica.
But he and Shunsuke Nakamura returned to the Celtic line-up at the expense of Jiri Jarosik and Massimo Donati.
Well manager Mark McGhee kept the same team for the fifth game in a row, retaining a three-pronged attack, and it was the visitors who dominated the early possession.
Chris Porter headed over from six yards then Boruc awkwardly turned wide a 25-yard McCormack effort that appeared to swerve in the air.
But Well suffered a blow when they lost playmaker Stephen Hughes to injury after a clash with Scott Brown that also left the Celtic player hobbling.
Hughes was replaced with veteran former Celtic midfielder Phil O'Donnell and that signalled the home side's first effort on goal.
Chris Killen's drive from 16 yards was blocked by Well goalkeeper Smith.
McCormack continued to torment the Celtic defence and, after leaving John Kennedy trailing, sent a low cross into the six-yard box that was hacked clear by Gary Caldwell.
But Celtic had been woken from their European hangover slumbers and Smith made a magnificent point-blank save from a Killen header and then did well to block a Paul Hartley effort.
When a Boruc throw failed to reach Lee Naylor, the goalkeeper did well to recover and prevent a Steve McGarry chip going over his head and into the far corner as Well remained dangerous.
McDonald was booked in the 40th minute by referee Stuart Dougal for diving in the Motherwell penalty area but responded by breaking the deadlock two minutes later.
Nakamura's corner from the left came into a packed six-yard box and the Australian international headed into the corner from close range.
Stephen Craigan cracked the ball against his own goalpost as Well went close to conceding a second just before the break.
Celtic continued to threaten at the start of the first half and a clever, 18-yard curling effort from Aiden McGeady struck the crossbar.
Boruc did well to smother a low Porter drive.
But Celtic broke up to the other end and McDonald picked up a Naylor pass behind the Well defence before slipping the ball under the advancing Smith to make it 2-0.
McDonald's third came from the penalty spot after a foul by Craigan and he came close to a fourth when Smith turned wide a close-range effort.
Celtic: Boruc, Caldwell, Kennedy, McManus, Naylor, Nakamura (Donati 86), Scott Brown, Hartley, McGeady, McDonald, Killen.
Subs Not Used: Mark Brown, Jarosik, O'Brien, Riordan, Sno, O'Dea.
Booked: McDonald, Scott Brown.
Goals: McDonald 42, 59, 88 pen.
Motherwell: Graeme Smith, Quinn (Mensing 68), Reynolds, Craigan, Paterson (Fitzpatrick 53), McGarry, Lasley, Hughes (O'Donnell 10), Porter, McCormack, Clarkson.
Subs Not Used: Meldrum, Grabban, Kinniburgh, Archdeacon.
Booked: Clarkson.
Att: 57,633
Ref: S Dougal