2014-01-05: St Mirren 0-4 Celtic, SP

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

Trivia

• Celtic start 2014 with a cracking win. Only domestic to play for.
• Eusebio, football great from 1960s, passed away. RIP.
• Next week Celtic supposed to be in some international tournament, but Turkish side Galatasary may pull out and scupper it.
• Channel 4 reporter writes up critical article on Celtic support which is fully of hyperbole and claims that we are a violent support! Nonsense, and disappointing to see a good reporter resort to exaggeration as he has done.
• Celtic continue great spell with no goals conceded, and still unbeaten in league.
• Commons scores his 50th Celtic goal.
• 100th career goal for Stokes.
• January Transfer Window Open.
• Rumours continue about Stephen Fletcher.
• Japanese MF Hiroki Yamada has failed to sign Celtic after trial and will remain at Jubiro Iwata.
• Lots of rumours about current school of Dundee United players who are lauded by many.

Review

(Albert Ein Jock Stein of KDS forum)
Mediocre first half and excellent second half. It must be said, against such abysmal opposition, we are so superior it's ridiculous. Our recent domestic record of 10 consecutive wins – 9 in the league – 8 consecutive domestic clean sheets and 20 league games undefeated with 54/60 points is hugely encouraging.

However that shouldn't blind anyone to the fact we are an average side and need at least one major signing in the January transfer window. Hopefully while the squad enjoys a well earned break in Turkey, developments on the signing front will emerge.

As already mentioned, Commons was MOTM by a mile and continues to carry the burden of our attack on his very broad shoulders i.e 8 of our last 18 league goals were scored by him. 51 goals for the club now, 50 of those scored in 1 full season and 2 half seasons. Long may it continue

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Stats

St Mirren Celtic
Possession
58% 42%
90mins

Shots
5 17

On target
0 6

Corners
2 12

Fouls
7 10

Articles

Scottish Premiership: Celtic cruise to a 4-0 victory at St Mirren Park

Sky Sports

Charlie Mulgrew and Anthony Stokes scored in a five-minute spell to tee Celtic up for a 4-0 win at St Mirren and a ninth consecutive Scottish Premiership victory.

Kris Commons later netted two goals in as many minutes to hand St Mirren their first home defeat in nine games and stretch Celtic's unbeaten league run to 23 matches.

Adam Matthews created the first when he cut between Danny Grainger and Marc McAusland and flicked the ball inside Sean Kelly for Mulgrew (53), who held off a challenge from Paul McGowan to roll his shot in off the post from eight yards.

Stokes then scored his 100th career goal as he raced on to a threaded pass from Joe Ledley and stepped inside Darren McGregor to bend the ball high into the far corner past Marian Kello from 15 yards.

Celtic remain unbeaten in SPFL

Kello made a brilliant save at full-stretch to keep out a Scott Brown half-volley from 20 yards, and the Buddies keeper then tipped a powerful Stokes shot over the bar within three minutes.

But a moments later Kello was taken out by a superb curling Emilio Izaguirre cross and Commons arrived at the back post to send a stooping header over the line.

St Mirren were opened up again as James Forrest laid a pass off to Mulgrew on the halfway line and raced forward for the return before cutting the ball back from the goal-line for Commons (72) to rifle his shot into the roof of the net.

Celtic dominated the early stages of the match and Kello was almost caught out by a Mulgrew cross but the keeper managed to palm the ball from under the bar and was fortunate it dropped just behind the onrushing Stokes.

Kello was even more fortunate 11 minutes later when Commons drew two defenders towards him and played a reverse pass into the box to Mulgrew and his low drive came back off the post into the keeper's arms as he lay on the six-yard line.

Mulgrew then found Commons with a measured pass and the Celtic winger turned to clip the ball over Kello from 22 yards, only to be denied by the inside of the same post.

BBC
By Martin Conaghan BBC Scotland

Celtic fired in four goals during an impressive second-half performance to dismantle St Mirren and extend their lead at the top of the Premiership.

Charlie Mulgrew poked home the opener seven minutes into the second half, which was followed by Anthony Stokes' inch-perfect shot five minutes later.

Kris Commons headed in the third in the 69th minute and blasted home the fourth two minutes later from close-range.

A late John McGinn free-kick failed to produce a Buddies consolation.

The win increases Celtic's lead at the top of the Premiership to 14 points and extends their run of clean sheets to eight in domestic competitions.

St Mirren have now won only two matches in their last 10, despite an impressive unbeaten run at home, and find themselves in ninth place on 20 points, three ahead of 10th-placed Ross County.

After some good early work by Stokes and Commons, a Mulgrew shot from the edge of the St Mirren penalty area was stubbornly blocked.
Play media

Ten minutes later, Stokes was similarly denied with a strike from 18 yards that struggled to find a way through the resolute Buddies defence.

Steven Thompson struggled to rise above Virgil van Dijk to reach a Sean Kelly cross, then Efe Ambrose was forced to turn out a Jason Naismith cross for a corner as St Mirren pushed for a foothold on the game.

Mulgrew's left-footed shot in the 25th minute rebounded off the near-side post and back into the arms of St Mirren keeper Marian Kello.

Sensing Kello off his line, Commons pivoted inside the penalty to deliver a lofted shot that crashed off the same post.

As half-time approached, an Emilio Izaguirre cross was met by the head of Commons but his glancing effort drifted wide of the target, then Danny Grainger's long-range free-kick sailed over Fraser Forster's crossbar.

Seven minutes after the restart, Celtic broke the deadlock when Matthews weaved his way through the St Mirren defence for Mulgrew to poke home from close range.

Stokes followed it up five minutes later with a clinical right-footed shot after Joe Ledley had threaded a pass through the St Mirren defence.

Kello was forced into a succession of saves, tipping a thundering effort from Scott Brown over the bar, then Stokes had a similar shot denied by the Buddies keeper.

Celtic's third and fourth of the afternoon arrived in the space of two minutes when Commons headed in his 16th goal of the season from an Izaguirre cross then thrashed a close-range effort into the top of the net from a James Forrest cut-back.

The Scotland international could have easily grabbed his third with a low drive that inched past the near-side post.

With time running out, Forster was forced to make a clumsy clearance having remained completely untroubled by St Mirren for the entire 90 minutes.

In the final minute of the game, Paul McGowan blasted a long-range effort over the Celtic crossbar, then McGinn's added-time free-kick rebounded off the wall – and with it went any hope of a consolation on a miserable afternoon for the home support.

Live Text Commentary
Full time

Full Time Match ends, St Mirren 0, Celtic 4.
90:00 +2:08 Full time

Full Time Second Half ends, St Mirren 0, Celtic 4.
90:00 +1:51

Attempt blocked. John McGinn (St Mirren) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
90:00 +1:17 Booking

Booking Efe Ambrose (Celtic) is shown the yellow card.
90:00 +1:09

Foul by Efe Ambrose (Celtic).
90:00 +1:09

Anthony Brady (St Mirren) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
90:00 +0:26

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Paul McGowan.
89:21

Attempt missed. Paul McGowan (St Mirren) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.
88:23 Booking

Booking Emilio Izaguirre (Celtic) is shown the yellow card.
88:15

Foul by Emilio Izaguirre (Celtic).
88:15

Darren McGregor (St Mirren) wins a free kick on the left wing.
87:00

Corner, St Mirren. Conceded by Adam Matthews.
86:47

Attempt blocked. John McGinn (St Mirren) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.
84:55

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Marc McAusland.
83:59 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, St Mirren. Thomas Reilly replaces Adam Campbell.
83:27

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Darren McGregor.
83:09

Attempt blocked. Amido Baldé (Celtic) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
82:09

Attempt missed. Anthony Stokes (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is too high.
79:41

Attempt missed. Amido Baldé (Celtic) header from the centre of the box misses to the right.
79:29

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Darren McGregor.
79:03

Attempt blocked. Kris Commons (Celtic) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
78:17 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Celtic. Amido Baldé replaces James Forrest.
77:52 Booking

Booking Lee Mair (St Mirren) is shown the yellow card.
77:42

Derk Boerrigter (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
77:42

Foul by Lee Mair (St Mirren).
76:43 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Celtic. Nir Biton replaces Scott Brown.
76:18 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, St Mirren. Anthony Brady replaces Steven Thompson.
74:45 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Celtic. Derk Boerrigter replaces Charlie Mulgrew.
74:30 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, St Mirren. Lee Mair replaces Daniel Grainger.
71:49

Foul by Virgil van Dijk (Celtic).
71:49

Paul McGowan (St Mirren) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
71:14 Goal scored

Goal! Goal! St Mirren 0, Celtic 4. Kris Commons (Celtic) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by James Forrest with a cross.
70:15

Foul by Anthony Stokes (Celtic).
70:15

John McGinn (St Mirren) wins a free kick on the left wing.
69:19 Goal scored

Goal! Goal! St Mirren 0, Celtic 3. Kris Commons (Celtic) header from the right side of the six yard box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Emilio Izaguirre with a cross.
68:39

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Marián Kello.
68:16

Attempt saved. Anthony Stokes (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner.
68:04

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Marián Kello.
67:35

Attempt saved. Scott Brown (Celtic) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner.
67:07

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Daniel Grainger.
64:00

Virgil van Dijk (Celtic) wins a free kick on the right wing.
64:00

Foul by Steven Thompson (St Mirren).
57:44 Goal scored

Goal! Goal! St Mirren 0, Celtic 2. Anthony Stokes (Celtic) right footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Joe Ledley.
56:04

Scott Brown (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
56:04

Foul by Steven Thompson (St Mirren).
54:10

Attempt missed. Kris Commons (Celtic) right footed shot from the right side of the box is high and wide to the right.
52:23 Goal scored

Goal! Goal! St Mirren 0, Celtic 1. Charlie Mulgrew (Celtic) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Adam Matthews.
45:00

Second Half begins St Mirren 0, Celtic 0.
45:00 +0:05 Half time

Half Time First Half ends, St Mirren 0, Celtic 0.
43:19

Attempt missed. Daniel Grainger (St Mirren) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high from a direct free kick.
42:38

Foul by Virgil van Dijk (Celtic).
42:38

Steven Thompson (St Mirren) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
40:35

Foul by Scott Brown (Celtic).
40:35

John McGinn (St Mirren) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
40:09

Attempt missed. Kris Commons (Celtic) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right.
36:45

Attempt missed. John McGinn (St Mirren) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left.
35:07

Foul by Anthony Stokes (Celtic).
35:07

Paul McGowan (St Mirren) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
32:19 Booking

Booking Scott Brown (Celtic) is shown the yellow card.
32:08

Foul by Scott Brown (Celtic).
32:08

Marc McAusland (St Mirren) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
31:50

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Marc McAusland.
31:05

Kris Commons (Celtic) hits the right post with a left footed shot from outside the box.
30:36

Attempt blocked. Kris Commons (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
29:57

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Darren McGregor.
29:00

Virgil van Dijk (Celtic) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
28:56

Foul by Adam Campbell (St Mirren).
25:45

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Jason Naismith.
24:19

Charlie Mulgrew (Celtic) hits the right post with a left footed shot from the left side of the box.
23:15

Corner, St Mirren. Conceded by Efe Ambrose.
22:27

Foul by John McGinn (St Mirren).
22:27

Joe Ledley (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
17:29

Attempt blocked. Anthony Stokes (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
17:00

Paul McGowan (St Mirren) wins a free kick on the left wing.
16:59

Foul by Kris Commons (Celtic).
14:39

Foul by Daniel Grainger (St Mirren).
14:39

Scott Brown (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
10:34

Foul by Darren McGregor (St Mirren).
10:34

Anthony Stokes (Celtic) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
7:08

Attempt blocked. Charlie Mulgrew (Celtic) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
4:56

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Jason Naismith.
4:24

Corner, Celtic. Conceded by Jason Naismith.
2:00

Paul McGowan (St Mirren) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
2:00

Foul by Efe Ambrose (Celtic).
0:00

First Half begins.
0:00

Lineups are announced and players are warming up.

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Celtic – Scotland’s modern Millwall?

Alex Thompson Channel 4
http://blogs.channel4.com/alex-thomsons-view/scotlands-modern-millwall-celtics-toxic-public-image/6921

You can only hope that things will change if enough people point out the bleedin’ obvious: shiny new Glasgow, city of the Commonwealth Games, needs to take a long hard look at itself and try to come into the 21st century.

I refer to Glasgow’s bizarre blindness to racism, bigotry and all manner of criminal activity which would scarcely be tolerated in any other British city outside N Ireland.

Yet, in and around Glasgow it’s scarcely noticed.

But like I say, if enough people call it out things can change.

Nobody around the West Coast seemed to think David Limond’s foul online racist bigotry and intimidation of a woman was odd, or wrong, or unusual. Still less, racist.

05 celtic g w Celtic Scotlands modern Millwall?

In fact it was clearly criminal and eventually Police Scotland were able to act when Channel 4 News gave them evidence they couldn’t refuse. And now one at least of the Ibrox Underclass is awaiting sentence for racially and religiously aggravated online intimidation. Yes – racially.

The victim here is not black, she’s of Irish descent. But racism is racism in fact, in reality, in law – however blind important sections of Glasgow remain to this reality.

So the racial element makes it obviously a landmark, groundbreaking prosecution.

So groundbreaking in fact that it was all but ignored by the Glasgow-dominated Scottish media. You really do have to wonder why? They’ll have another chance this week when Limond is sentenced in Ayr. Will they take it?

So quite rightly Police Scotland are on a roll here. They’ve successfully taken the law to online criminality. It’s a significant step. But there’s more to be done. A lot more. Right now, for instance, the police should be very interested in Celtic’s underclass doing much the same thing as Limond. I know for certain at least one key detective involved in the Limond case already has evidence.
Huddleboard & Celtic’s increasingly toxic image

Take, for example, the site known as the Huddleboard.

This purports to be a fans’ forum where people come and sound off from behind their keyboards in relative anonymity, brave men that they are – and they are mostly men it seems. Fair enough, passion and free speech and all that.

Except that those running this site either don’t seem to know or care that comment is one thing, crime is another.

Hot on the success of prosecuting Limond the excellent detectives of Police Scotland may well now be taking a close interest in Huddleboard and those who run it.

In reality Huddleboard is just another facet of the increasingly toxic public image of Celtic. The Seville days are ancient history. Like a bully with no natural competitors (though Rangers are on their way back), the Celtic of today is rightly gaining a reputation for the most consistently violent fans in the UK who attack stadiums as if we’re living in 1974.

They are Scotland’s modern Millwall: an underclass of extreme politics and mindless violence – the same old toxic brew.

That’s the Celtic Underclass on tour. The same cancer is reflected online. On Huddleboard for instance in recent days.
Open threats

Here so-called Celtic “supporters” openly threaten precisely the same journalist as Limond did. They threaten her with blatant physical and sexual assault for doing her job. It’s disgusting and laughably stupid – and yes guys – deleting any of it now is far far too late.

Even in the unlikely case of it being Rangers ‘fans’ on the stir, it is apparently being tolerated by the people moderating and running the site who bear responsibility in law. The details of the criminals engaged in this vile, inadequate idiocy will be known to those running the site. Their details are logged. And no, you can’t delete them either. Should they wish not to give such information to Police Scotland they will place themselves in an interesting position legally.

I have good reason to suppose the police may well soon require such information and rightly so.

Hiding behind having a server in the US is unlikely to hold up before a determined and professional police force. Hiding and huddling – not exactly heroic. I would advise the Huddleboard moderators to start moderating, publicly apologise for the criminality that has been published by fans and wipe this stuff from their output forever in future – though it may well be too late for that, legally speaking.
Calling time on Glasgow’s culture

Yet again, alongside Limond the obvious criminality on this site is startlingly clear to an outsider yet around Glasgow of course few even appear to notice.

But this is now. New Year. 21st Century. Post-Limond. Police aware. If Glasgow culture’s still stuck in early twentieth century tolerance of this filth, there are many outwith Clydeside who are not, and are calling time on you, here and now.

There are many well-moderated Scottish football sites run by grown-ups who can distinguish between a comment and a crime – The Scottish Football Monitor is one. Huddleboard is not one.

And just as Rangers should have publicly condemned Limond’s criminality what of you Celtic?

What do you say about a website tolerating comments threatening physical and sexual assault against a woman journalist who simply pointed the finger at your violent, hate-filled underclass?