2010-05-01: Celtic 4-0 Motherwell, SPL

Trivia

• Sevco win 2-1 v Dundee Utd; Celtic now 6 wins in a row in league.
• Keane on bench. Zhang Zi starts for first time in long time.
• First team debut for James Forrest.
• McGeady and debutant Forrest score cracking chip goals. Keane carries on scoring also.
• Celtic youth win U-19 cup, earning captain Forrest a place on the senior side bench. He scores a cracking goal as well!

Review

Celtic played poorly in the first half with next to no real chances. A revtalised second half saw McGeady score an amazing chip goal, whilst debutant Forrest scores a goal. Keane also scores coming off the bench. A great second half to watch and we win comfortably but the attendance carries on to be woeful and disturbingly low.

Must note that the fan groups are making themselves more notable: Green Brigades, Rude Bhoys, Comrades etc….

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Official

celtic triumph in four goal thriller Laura Brannan
JAMES Forrest stole the headlines as Celtic stormed to a convincing 4-0 victory over Motherwell this afternoon.

The 18-year-old winger slammed home a spectacular volley six minutes after coming onto the pitch for his first-team debut.

The shot was Celtic’s third of the afternoon in a second half goals-fest, following a stunning Aiden McGeady chip and Darren O’Dea header before Robbie Keane sublimely rounded up all three points in stoppage time.

Neil Lennon made six changes to the side which dismissed Dundee United last weekend as he welcomed back Morten Rasmussen from a one match ban. Josh Thompson and O’Dea returned to the heart of defence following Glenn Loovens and Thomas Rogne’s injury set backs and Edson Braafheid made his first start since the end of March. Zheng Zhi and Georgios Samaras, meanwhile,kept their places in the starting XI following impressive displays against AZ Alkmaar midweek.

Thompson came close to opening the scoring on three minutes when he got his head on the end of a Braafheid corner, but the defender who scored two goals the last time Motherwell visited Celtic Park, couldn’t get the shot on target.

Celtic then missed a fantastic opportunity to score three minutes later when McGeady unleashed a powerful right-footed shot straight at the Motherwell keeper, John Ruddy, following some good solo work by Samaras in the heart of midfield.

But it was Motherwell who came closest to taking the lead in the first half, when Tom Hateley’s 18th minute effort flew inches past Artur Boruc’s left post.

Some fantastic play from Samaras in midfield almost set up Scott Brown minutes later, but the cheeky lob over the Motherwell defence to the onrushing midfielder fell just short of his feet.

Motherwell had another good chance four minutes from halftime when Jim O’Brien crossed a corner into the box. Boruc stumbled as he got his hand to it butSamaras was at the near post to clear the ball to safety.

Seconds after the re-start, Brown came close to scoring what would have been a late contender for goal of the season. He made a blistering run through the midfield and swung in a powerful shot, but it cracked off the inside of the post and was cleared to safety.

Two minutes later, McGeady made up for Brown’s unfortunate miss when he opened the scoring with a strike which was worthy of winning any match. He controlled the ball on the edge of the box and chipped the goalkeeper for a sweet opener on 48 minutes.

Samaras came close to doubling Celtic’s lead almost instantly when he struck a low curling effort from a similar position. O’Dea got his head onto the loose ball but failed to make enough contact inches away from the goal line.

The edge of the box proved to be a popular choice of shooting territory for Celtic as Marc Antoine Fortune was next to line up an effort, but his shot went high over the bar and failed to trouble Ruddy.

After a quiet spell O’Dea got onto the end of a McGeady cross into the box to double Celtic’s lead on 79 minutes, with a glancing header in front of goal.

Forrest was introduced to the field of play on 81 minutes, replacing the opening goal hero McGeady and slammed home an impressive strike six minutes later.

But Celtic weren’t finished and substitute Keane rounded off the scoring in stoppage time after coolly converting a cross into the box by Brown.

Four second half goals were too much for Craig Brown’s Motherwell to contend with as Celtic now head into Tuesday night’s Glasgow Derby high in confidence.

BBC

Celtic extended their winning streak in the league under Neil Lennon to six matches with a comfortable victory against Motherwell in Glasgow.
Aiden McGeady's delightful second-half chip gave the hosts a 48th-minute lead.
The Republic of Ireland international played a role in Celtic's second goal, crossing in for Darren O'Dea to nod in at the back post in the 78th minute.
James Forrest scored on his debut with a flick-on then Robbie Keane completed the win with a well-executed strike.
The defeat keeps the pressure on Motherwell in fifth place in the Scottish Premier League, although with sixth-placed Hibs losing out to Hearts earlier in the day, the Fir Park side retain a one-point lead in their pursuit of a Europa League qualifying slot.
Josh Thompson and Darren O'Dea returned for Celtic, while Diomansy Kamara and Robbie Keane dropped to the bench. In came Edson Braafheid, Georgios Samaras, Zheng Zhi and Morten Rasmussen.
Motherwell goalkeeper John Ruddy recovered from a thigh injury to replace Michael Fraser, while Ross Forbes and Jamie Murphy were drafted in for Giles Coke and Lukas Jutkiewicz respectively.
In the opening minutes of the match, Rasmussen fired in a close-range shot but Ruddy made the save before Scott Brown and Thompson both had headers narrowly wide of the visiting goal.
McGeady tested Ruddy from distance with a powerful shot that was deflected out for a corner.
In the 18th minute, Forbes sent in Motherwell's first chance of the match from the edge of the Celtic penalty area, but Thompson was on hand to clear the danger.
Tom Hateley flicked in from close range after good work by Steven Saunders down the right, but the final ball inched past Artur Boruc's right-hand post.
Jim O'Brien was unlucky to see a shot blocked by Celtic's Zheng Zhi, then Braafheid sent a training-ground free-kick sailing over the Motherwell bar.
Boruc had to make a crucial block when Hately flighted in a corner to the near post and the ball almost made it's way past the Celtic defence.
Ruddy dived at the feet of Marc-Antoine Fortune to deny Celtic a half-time lead.
Immediately after the restart, Brown hit the Motherwell post with a shot-***-cross from the heart of the penalty area.
The stalemate was broken when McGeady fired in the neatest of chips over the head of Ruddy from the edge of the Motherwell penalty area after his first effort was blocked.
Moments later, Samaras curled in a right-footed shot that Ruddy parried away and Rassmusen headed the rebound over.
Rasmussen delivered a left-footed shot from the edge of box that inched wide, then Steve Jennings fired over from distance at the other end.
O'Dea nodded in at the back post with a glancing header from an inch-perfect McGeady cross to extend Celtic's lead with 12 minutes remaining.
Saunders had a late strike cleared off the line by Andreas Hinkel, then debutant Forrest put the match beyond the visitors with a neat finish in the 87th minute after Fortune had set him up.
Keane found the net with the last kick of the ball, striking high into the back of the net from 12 yards out for his 16th goal since arriving at the club on-loan in January from Tottenham.