2009-12-26: Celtic 2-0 Hamilton, SPL

Match Pictures | Matches: 2009 – 2010 | 2009-2010 Pictures

Trivia

• Celtic go 1pt behind Rangers who play Hibs next day; Celtic v Rangers next week.
• Freezing cold second half for those who turned up (been snowing most of the week). Low turnout due to the weather.
• Caldwell suspended for match.

Review

A low turnout due to the freezing weather, but regardless a fair game but we continually find it difficult to convert our chances. Loovens scored our first whilst McGinn grabbed the headlines with a very great goal that deserves a pat on the back. Some of our players weren't putting enough of a shift in which was a disappointment. Little threat from Hamilton but they had a goal chopped off due to handball. Nevertheless, we should have won by more. Good stuff to get the 3pts at least.

Teams

Articles

• Match Report

Pictures

• Match Pictures

KStreet

• Pre-match
• Match
• Post Match

MOTM

• Voting Thread
• Result Thread
• Winner – Landry N'Guemo
• 2009-10 Winners

Stats

Articles

Celtic 2-0 Hamilton
BBC
By Colin Moffat

Celtic needed a fantastic last-minute strike from Niall McGinn to make sure of victory over Hamilton.

Glenn Loovens opened the scoring on 14 minutes, volleying in a Barry Robson corner, and the home side went on to dominate for long spells.

Accies keeper Tomas Cerny made a string of saves, while the visitors were denied a late equaliser when Marco Paixao made a mess of a simple chance.

And McGinn's 18-yard sizzler on 90 minutes finally killed off the Accies.

The win takes Celtic to within a point of Scottish Premier League leaders Rangers, who visit Hibernian on Sunday.

It took Celtic eight minutes to warm up in the bitter cold when in-form midfielder Aiden McGeady latched on to a long pass from Landry N'Guemo and jinked past an opponent to curl in a shot that Accies keeper Tomas Cerny did well to turn round his post.

Soon after, more trickery from McGeady led to Robson earning a corner from which the home side took the lead.

Robson's delivery from the left found the unattended Loovens 10 yards out and the defender crashed a sweet volley into the back of the net.

With Celtic in complete control, right back Andreas Hinkel failed to find a team-mate after an enterprising run into the penalty area, while McGeady slammed a shot high into the side-netting after a neat passing exchange between Marc Crosas and Georgios Samaras.

Despite their dominance, Celtic failed to trouble Cerny further in the first half, the Czech keeper easily gathering a long-range strike from Scott McDonald.

Hamilton's first effort on target arrived five minutes from the break and it came when Marco Paixao tried an ambitious shot from his own half but Celtic keeper Artur Boruc earned a round of applause by nonchalantly bringing the ball down on his chest.

After Robson had ballooned a good shooting opportunity wide, Loovens was again given time and space from a corner early in the second half but Mikael Antoine-Curier was on hand to clear from the goal-line.

Cerny had to make a smart save to prevent substitute Marc-Antoine Fortune making an immediate impact after a strong, direct run and shot.

The visitors then raced straight up the park and Boruc had to awkwardly palm away a dipping volley from Flavio Paixao.

With Hamilton enjoying more possession, the home fans were growing restless and there was further frustration when Fortune slammed a shot against the post and Samaras chipped an effort beyond the advancing Cerny but inches wide of the target.

The lively Fortune manufactured room for another stinging strike from just inside the penalty area but again Cerny was right behind it, palming the ball to safety.

There was a huge let-off for Celtic on 80 minutes when Antoine-Curier headed across goal to set Marco Paixao up for the easiest of tap-ins.

However, the Portuguese forward miscued horribly right in front of an unguarded net and the ball spun up to hit his elbow before his twin Flavio slammed the ball into the net.

The celebrations were cut short once referee Stevie O'Reilly blew up for the inadvertent handball.

Cerny turned over a powerful shot from Zheng Zhi, a late replacement for Celtic, before another substitute, McGinn, settled the game with a wonderful strike.

The Northern Irishman held off a clutch of defenders on the edge of the penalty box before steering a delicious effort into the top corner.

At the death, Fortune was guilty of dithering when clean through and Cerny was able to block at the striker's feet and keep the score down.

Celtic manager Tony Mowbray: "I'm happy to take the points although at times we made hard work of it.

"We missed opportunities, although I think we controlled the game for the vast majority and got the result we deserved.

"Boruc never had much to do but 1-0 is never a comfortable result.

"They made life difficult for us, and at times counter-attacked well."

Hamilton manager Billy Reid: "Celtic dominated in the first period, but we changed our formation and we kept ourselves in the game in the second half.

"We could probably have passed the ball around a little quicker, but I've no complaints about the disallowed goal.

"We've come a long way since the start of the season and it's the best we've played at Celtic Park.

"But unfortunately we go home with nothing."

Story from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/8423493.stm

Published: 2009/12/26 16:56:24 GMT

© BBC 2011

Celtic manager Tony Mowbray:
"I'm happy to take the points although at times we made hard work of it.

"We missed opportunities, although I think we controlled the game for the vast majority and got the result we deserved.
"Boruc never had much to do but 1-0 is never a comfortable result.
"They made life difficult for us, and at times counter-attacked well."
Hamilton manager Billy Reid:
"Celtic dominated in the first period, but we changed our formation and we kept ourselves in the game in the second half.

"We could probably have passed the ball around a little quicker, but I've no complaints about the disallowed goal.
"We've come a long way since the start of the season and it's the best we've played at Celtic Park.
"But unfortunately we go home with nothing."