2013-10-27: Partick Thistle 1-2 Celtic, SP

Match Pictures | Matches: 2013 – 2014 | 2013-14 Pictures

Trivia

  • Celtic clear top of the league by 6pts with game in hand.
  • Ledely back starting today.
  • Injuries to Izzy & Sammy cause worries.
  • Rumours increasing with Lennon indicating that Ledley will leave on a Bosman at end of contract, not re-signed yet.
  • A push to collect food raised (link) for Maryhill foodbanks. Sad that after over 125y from the formation of Celtic we are being asked to help like this again that it is happening in Glasgow.

Review

(celticelvis of KDS)[Untitled]
Had to work today so I just finished watching the match now, wasn't great but given the conditions could we have expected anything else? I don't understand the general air of negativity on here the team dug out a result after a mid week CL match that we would have at best drawn last year.

The good points as far as I saw them were Joe Ledley returning to fitness, we are crying out for a creative midfielder and he at least tries to imitate one when fit.

We also saw that Izzy continues his return to form, looking very solid. We scored from a corner and Sammy is netting on average every second game in the league. Balde took his goal with aplomb and maybe next week is the right time to reward him with a start. Pukki is a worry but he at least got into positions to score but the only real negative is the lack of creativity in midfield.

All in all a ggod day but on a sour note I watched the sky broadcast with my av amp turned on as I had the house to myself and the chanting from the so called thistle support was disgusting. I thought these were supposed to be Glasgow's morally superior answer to their bigotted neighbours.

From what I heard I hope we pump them to an inch of their lives when they come to CP.

Teams

Partick Thistle

  • 01 Fox
  • 02 O'Donnell
  • 03 Taylor-Sinclair
  • 04 Welsh
  • 05 Muirhead
  • 06 Balatoni
  • 23 Higginbotham
  • 19 Osbourne Booked
  • 09 Doolan
  • 08 Bannigan (Elliott – 59' )
  • 07 Craigen (Forbes – 79' )

Substitutes

  • 10 Forbes
  • 11 Lawless
  • 12 Gallacher
  • 13 Gabriel
  • 14 Elliott
  • 17 Baird
  • 20 Kerr

Goals

  • Doolan 67′

Celtic

  • 01 Forster
  • 23 Lustig
  • 03 Izaguirre (Biton – 78' )
  • 08 Brown
  • 04 Ambrose Booked
  • 05 van Dijk
  • 20 Pukki (McGeouch – 72' )
  • 33 Kayal Booked (Baldé – 67' )
  • 10 Stokes
  • 09 Samaras
  • 16 Ledley

Substitutes

  • 06 Biton
  • 17 Baldé
  • 18 Rogic
  • 24 Zaluska
  • 37 Atajic
  • 41 Fisher
  • 46 McGeouch

Goals

  • Samaras 34′ Baldé 75′

Ref: William Collum
Att: 7,978

Articles

  • Match Report (see end of page below)
  • Audio Report: Paradise Report

Pictures

Forum

MOTM

Stats

Partick Thistle Celtic
Possession
54% 46%
90mins

Shots
11 12

On target
6 6

Corners
3 6

Fouls
12 8

Articles

Partick Thistle 1-2 Celtic: Balde bags derby win

The Scotsman

Updated on the 27 October
2013
15:03
Published 27/10/2013 14:42

Substitute Amido Balde cemented Celtic’s place at the top of the Scottish Premiership by grabbing the winner in a 2-1 victory over Partick Thistle at Firhill.

Scorers: Partick Thistle – Doolan 67; Celtic – Samaras 34, Baldé 75,

Georgios Samaras opened the scoring in the 32nd minute with a header from an Emilio Izaguirre corner but Jags striker Kris Doolan levelled in the 65th minute from close range.

However, 10 minutes later Balde, on for Beram Kayal in the 66th minute, finished off a solo run by sliding the ball past Jags keeper Scott Fox to take the three points back to Glasgow and leave the Hoops unbeaten in the league this season.

Thistle showed commendable spirit all afternoon but are still looking for their first home league win of the season although their fans gave them a round of applause at the end in appreciation of their efforts in what was a decent game.

Celtic skipper Scott Brown returned from suspension to take over from Charlie Mulgrew, out with a heel injury, while Joe Ledley came in for James Forrest who was ruled out with an ankle complaint.

Thistle boss Alan Archibald kept the same starting X1 who beat Inverness 2-1 last week with Doolan, who scored both goals, leading the line.

As the cascading rain and strong wind showed little sign of abating, it was the visitors who had the first effort on goal in the fifth minute when Ledley fired over the bar from 20 yards after being set up by Anthony Stokes.

In the 13th minute Jags midfielder Isaac Osbourne was booked by referee Willie Collum for a foul on Brown as the Hoops midfielder drove towards the box but Stokes curled the free-kick wide of the target.

Thistle were not short on enthusiasm and 10 minutes later defender Aaron Taylor-Sinclair went past Hoops right-back Mikael Lustig with ease but his angled shot from 12 yards was easily dealt with by Celtic keeper Fraser Forster.

On the half-hour mark, with the game going nowhere in particular, Kayal put in Stokes with a clever pass but his left-footed was blocked to safety by Fox.

The league leaders started to drive forward with more purpose and determination but Thistle were left pointing at each other when the unmarked Samaras walked on to Izaguirre’s in-swinging corner, which had been too easily conceded, to power a header over the line.

Twice in two minutes Teemu Pukki had chances to double the champions’ lead but both times Fox saved at the expense of a corner, the second from which defender Virgil van Dijk headed wide.

In between, Partick forward Kallum Higginbotham fired wide of the target from the edge of the box.

There was a Celtic penalty claim just after the break when Brown, attempting to reach an Izaguirre cross, went to ground inside the box after a challenge by Jags defender Conrad Balatoni but the flag was up for offside.

The Maryhill men were then gifted an opportunity when Celtic defender Efe Ambrose passed the ball straight to Stuart Bannigan 30 yards from goal but the Scotland Under-21 midfielder curled a weak shot straight to Forster.

Doolan’s equaliser came seconds after he had hit the bar with a flick from close range, after Balatoni had headed on Higginbotham’s corner.

When the ball found its way back out to Higginbotham, he crossed it back into the middle where Doolan controlled it before poking it past Forster from a few yards out.

The home side harboured hopes of a famous win but they were to be outdone again.

Balde replaced Kayal and Dylan McGeouch came on for Pukki but in between the two substitutions, Izaguirre should have had Celtic ahead again when he worked his way into the box but the left-back fired over the bar from 12 yards.

At the other end, Forster parried Higginbotham’s angled-drive and then Celtic raced up the other end with Balde showing strength and composure as he held off Jags stopper Aaron Muirhead to slip the ball past Fox.

Izaguirre was then carried off on a stretcher to be replaced by Nir Biton and when Samaras limped off with five minutes remaining the Hoops were down to 10 men.

However, Celtic saw out the five minutes of added time to take the points.

BBC

By Martin Conaghan BBC Scotland

Leaders Celtic continued their unbeaten league run with a lively derby victory over Partick Thistle at Firhill.

Georgios Samaras was left unmarked in the heavy rain to nod home a 34th-minute corner from Emilio Izaguirre.

Scott Fox made two good saves to deny Celtic before the interval and Kris Doolan levelled from close-range after the striker had hit the crossbar.

But Celtic rallied again and substitute Amido Balde coolly fired past Fox for the winner with 15 minutes remaining.

The victory extends Celtic's lead over Aberdeen at the top of the Premiership to six points, while seventh-placed Thistle remain without a league win at home this season.

Anthony Stokes curled a right-footed free-kick wide of the mark in the 14th minute after Celtic skipper Brown had been brought down by Isaac Osbourne on the edge of the Thistle penalty area.

A well-worked move down the right ended with Thistle's Aaron Taylor-Sinclair firing a shot straight into the arms of Celtic keeper Fraser Forster, then a reflex save from Fox kept out a close-range effort from Stokes on the half-hour.
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Thistle's resistance was broken in the 33rd minute when Izaguirre curled in a corner and Samaras was left all alone to score from six yards.

Moments later, Fox turned a Teemu Pukki 18-yard shot around the post and then repeated the feat immediately after Kallum Higginbotham had missed the target at the other end.

Thistle burst out of the blocks after the interval and Stuart Bannigan was denied by Forster with a shot from the edge of the penalty area.

Brown attempted to latch on to another excellent Izaguirre cross inside the Thistle box and the hosts were fortunate that an offside flag meant Conrad Balatoni went unpunished for a tug on the Scotland captain.

A defensive blunder by Efe Ambrose on the hour mark was pounced on by Christie Elliott but the Thistle substitute's shot was charged down and Higginbotham made a mess of the loose ball.

Thistle continued to press and were level after good work from Doolan, who scored both goals in last weekend's win at Inverness CT.
Play media

The striker hit the Celtic crossbar with a hooked effort as the ball broke his way from a corner but he was given a second chance as Higginbotham worked the ball back into a busy penalty box.

Doolan took a touch and calmly steered the ball past Forster from six yards out.

Izaguirre, who suffered a head knock in a brave defensive block, threatened to re-establish Celtic's lead with fine a solo run into the Thistle penalty area, but sent his shot over the crossbar, then Higginbotham was again kept out by Forster.

With 75 minutes gone, Balde, on for Beram Kayal, demonstrated great pace and composure to break free from the halfway line following some slack Thistle passing to fire past Fox and restore the visitors' lead.

Having used all of their substitutes, Celtic were reduced to 10 men in the closing minutes when Samaras suffered a gash on his knee

Thistle continued to press but Neil Lennon's depleted side did a good job of protecting Forster to seal maximum points.

Live Text Commentary
Full time

Full Time Match ends, Partick Thistle 1, Celtic 2.
90:00 +5:02 Full time

Full Time Second Half ends, Partick Thistle 1, Celtic 2.
90:00 +0:41

Scott Brown (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
90:00 +0:41

Foul by Kallum Higginbotham (Partick Thistle).
85:48

Attempt saved. Ross Forbes (Partick Thistle) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
83:09

Attempt saved. Sean Welsh (Partick Thistle) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
82:46

Foul by Dylan McGeouch (Celtic).
82:46

Ross Forbes (Partick Thistle) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
78:33 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Partick Thistle. Ross Forbes replaces James Craigen.
78:13

Attempt missed. Conrad Balatoni (Partick Thistle) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high.
77:03 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Celtic. Nir Biton replaces Emilio Izaguirre because of an injury.
76:42

Foul by Scott Brown (Celtic).
76:42

James Craigen (Partick Thistle) wins a free kick on the left wing.
74:23 Goal scored

Goal! Goal! Partick Thistle 1, Celtic 2. Amido Baldé (Celtic) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner.
73:51

Mikael Lustig (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
73:51

Foul by Christie Elliott (Partick Thistle).
73:33

Attempt saved. Kallum Higginbotham (Partick Thistle) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal.
72:29

Mikael Lustig (Celtic) wins a free kick on the left wing.
72:29

Foul by Christie Elliott (Partick Thistle).
72:09

Attempt saved. Anthony Stokes (Celtic) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.

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