2011-09-24: Celtic 2-0 Inverness Caledonian Thistle, SPL

Match Pictures | Matches: 2011 – 2012 | 2011-2012 Pictures

Trivia

• Celtic stay 4pts behind as Rangers win 4-0.
• Kris Commons not even on bench after he contradicted manager that he was fit to play last Sunday when manager said he wasn't! He stopped his twitter straight after. Shame as it was quite good.
• Lots of injuries; Kevin Wilson out for est 8-10 weeks.
• Green Brigade steal the show with their banner of "Scottish Govt & Police guilty of the criminalisation of the Celtic Support".

Review

(Stevie from Belfast of KDS forum)
Last season a big factor in us not winning the league was that we needed to play well to win. I only heard it on Radio Shortbread today but it sounds as if we are very poor today – but we still won. And thats good. Had we done that the last time Inverness came to CP we would have won the league.

Thats enough of the positives but before getting tore into the negatives i suppose its right to have the excuses first. I would suggest our best back line if all fit and well is probably M Wilson K Wilson Mulgrew and Izzy – we didn't have one of those players in defence today.

What we had was very much our 'B' defence – and it sounded awful. In fairness Matthews seemed to do well and El K not too bad. The first half hour on Shortbread they were constantly on about how awful Glenda and Dan were. I din't need to see that to believe it. I reckon Loovens has been our most expensive signing ever in that he has cost us titles and trophies. Probably the only Dutch player in the world who is afraid of the ball. As for Dan last year at his best he was decent and at his worse he spread panic through-out the team. This year he is even worse because it is quite clear his legs have gone – and they ain't coming back. His challenge on Wilson the other night while Wilson was trying to header the ball away sums him up. Personally I'd have Mulgrew and Rogne in front of these two anytime.

And by the way for all the "we haven't spent money on our defence/blame the board" brigade here is a few figures they want to think on –
Loovens £3 million, Hooveld £2 Million. Izzy £600K. Josh Thompson £500K Rogne £400K. Add to that Loovens £15K a week, Big Dans 250K signing on fee and £12K a week, Wilsons £10K a week and I'd say both Wilson and Matthews got decent signing on fees. I doubt that there is a more expensive defence in Scotland.

Maybe the next they shut about more 'investment' they want to think about how much should be needed to defend against ICT at CP.

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Celtic 2-0 Inverness CT
The Scotsman
Published Date: 24 September 2011
Joe Ledley set Celtic on their way to a victory which keeps them four points behind Rangers at the top of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League.

First-half goals from Ledley and James Forrest eased the anxiousness which had gripped the home side for much of the opening period.

Striker Anthony Stokes missed a great chance after the break and as the enthusiasm of Inverness was doused, Celtic cruised through the second half to stay on the tails of their Old Firm rivals.

Neil Lennon's men can look forward to Thursday's Europa League clash with Udinese at Celtic Park with confidence, but the Hoops manager will be aware the Italians present an altogether different challenge to the SPL's bottom side.

Manager Lennon was forced to make two changes to the side which beat Ross County in the Scottish Communities League Cup in midweek.

Glenn Loovens replaced the injured Kelvin Wilson in defence and midfielder Ki Sung-yueng came in for the suspended Charlie Mulgrew.

Richie Foran passed a fitness test for the injury-hit Highlanders but manager Terry Butcher also made two changes, Aiden Chippendale and David Proctor coming in for Andrew Shinnie and Roman Golobart.

Inverness had deprived Celtic of five points last season, albeit with a vastly different squad, thus doing as much any side to prevent the Hoops wresting the title back from Rangers.

And there was no mistaking the nervousness inside the stadium in the early stages.

In the sixth minute Fraser Forster slipped as he came out to meet Gregory Tade who had raced on to a long ball from Greg Tansey but the Hoops goalkeeper blocked the shot from the striker and the ball ricocheted out for a goal kick.

Moments later, as Caley broke with purpose down the right, midfielder Nick Ross just failed to get on to the end of Foran's cross and the ball sped wide.

Celtic's first effort came in the 15th minute when striker Gary Hooper fired wide from long distance, moments before Loovens missed Ki's corner from the right when it looked like he might have got a header on goal.

Proctor picked up a head injury in trying to defend the corner and was replaced by Golobart and the disruption appeared to affect the visitors as soon afterwards, in the 28th minute, Celtic were ahead.

Ledley had plenty of space when he took a pass from stand-in skipper Beram Kayal and set himself before drilling a shot from 25 yards low past Inverness goalkeeper Ryan Esson and into his bottom right-hand corner.

Five minutes later the home side doubled their lead when Forrest raced through the middle on to a Ki pass to knock the ball past Esson from the edge of the box.

Caley stabilised themselves and three minutes from the break Tansey went close with a drive after working some space for himself inside the Celtic box, before a couple of Inverness corners flashed across the Hoops six-yard box.

Celtic should have started the second half in more composed fashion but still an anxiousness pervaded, especially when the Hoops defence was called into action.

In the 51st minute, though, the home side should have had another goal.

Forrest slipped the ball to Hooper inside the box and his cut-back was perfect for Anthony Stokes, but the Irishman blasted high over from eight yards.

A minute later Hooper was replaced by Mohamed Bangura and he appeared to quickly bring added energy to the Hoops attack as the Parkhead men took a grip of the game, although the powerful and strong-running Tade continued to be a thorn in the side of the Celtic defence.

There appeared little chance of an Inverness comeback although there was enough slack play in the Hoops defence at times to give them encouragement.

In the 75th minute Lennon replaced Ki with Georgios Samaras and Stokes with Paddy McCourt in an attempt to find some more goals, but five minutes later Foster made a great save from Foran's close-range diving header.

McCourt missed a good chance by heading wide from a Bangura cross but the game petered out on the pitch as the home fans eventually found their voices off it.

Page last updated at 16:06 GMT, Saturday, 24 September 2011 17:06 UK

Ledley opened the scoring in the 28th minute Celtic overcame a determined Inverness Caledonian Thistle side to remain four points behind Scottish Premier League leaders Rangers.

Gregory Tade had an effort saved by Celtic goalkeeper Fraser Forster before Joe Ledley fired the hosts ahead.

James Forrest added a second on 33 minutes, finishing off a clinical counter attack.

Anthony Stokes should have registered a third and Richie Foran's diving header required a smart save by Forster.

The result means Inverness become detached at the bottom of the division, a point behind Aberdeen and Hibernian.

With Rangers having won at Dunfermline earlier in the day, Celtic knew they had to win to bring the gap back to four.

But it was Inverness who were livelier early on and the Highlanders twice caused problems on Celtic's left-hand side.

First, Gregory Tade ghosted in behind the Celtic defence to latch on to a long ball, but his shot was saved by Forster, who had raced off his line.

Forrest (left) claimed his fourth goal of the season

Moments later, Foran's low centre was deflected just out of the reach of Nick Ross.

The Celtic defence of Daniel Majstorovic and Glenn Loovens looked uncomfortable when Inverness came forward at pace and it took the hosts a while to find their rhythm.

But Ledley lifted the home crowd when he took an excellent first touch off Beram Kayal's pass, pushed forward and drilled a low shot inside Ryan Esson's right-hand post.

Celtic were soon two ahead after a terrific counter attack. An Inverness corner was cleared and Ki Sung-Yueng's incisive pass from halfway put Forrest through on goal, the winger finishing well past Esson.

Greg Tansey had two attempts for the visitors before half-time, but neither troubled Forster.

The pace of the game dropped after the break, Celtic comfortable in possession for long spells.

Forrest and Gary Hooper combined to set up Anthony Stokes in the six-yard box.

But, with only the keeper to beat, the striker lifted his effort high over the bar.

Mohamed Bangura took the place of Hooper and the physicality of the Sierra Leone striker created some nervous moments for the Inverness backline.

The visitors carved out an excellent chance when Graeme Shinne crossed for the diving Foran and Forster reacted well to claw the ball over.

With that, the Highlanders' chances of salvaging something from the game ended as Celtic saw out their win.