2016-12-24: Hamilton Academicals 0-3 Celtic, SP

Trivia

• Celtic on 52pts, 14pts ahead of the Huns, plus Celtic have game in hand. Next week is match v Huns.
  
• Tom Rogic missed the match against Partick with an ankle knock he picked up against Dundee
• Scottish FA fined £15k by FIFA over poppies display at Sco v Eng game.
• Xmas next day, game v Sevco in a weeks’ time (ridiculous scheduling).
• Really bad weather, wind & rain.
• Main talking point was poor coverage by Sky Sports TV, have they given up on Scottish Football? (1) Poor weather but camera lens weren't wiped, and picture was poor (2) Commentary & Sound lost for around 15mins during game (3) Score card in corner disappeared in top LHS corner (4) no post-match analysis.
• Celtic fans could get the green light from Uefa to fly the flags that have cost them almost £200,000 in fines in the past. After a legal challenge by Barcelona, European football’s governing body is considering altering its rules on the ban on political statements. Celtic have been fined at different times after fans displayed Palestinian flags and banners with Bobby Sands and William Wallace. If true then it will be relief but very grey areas.
• Reports:
• Robert Snodgrass has given up on his attempts of playing for Celtic.
• Celtic sent scouts to Portugal over the weekend as they look to do business in the January transfer window.
• Ex-Celt Van Dijk to move to Man City for reported £50m! Celtic to get possible £5m windfall.
• Celtic are edging closer to a £3 million deal for the Portland Timbers midfielder Darlington Nagbe. The US international was a guest of Celtic at their recent Champions League game against Barcelona.
• Sevoc have issued a “hands off” warning after manager Mark Warburton was linked with the vacant England U21 job. The rest of us laughed.
• Hearts claim 2nd is not realistic this season. Great, what ambition they have?

Review

(columbo of KDS)
Team seem to be able to win with style or win ugly and now missing a man for 45 mins.

BR has us so well prepared – the contrast between the tight unit we were today when down to 10 men and the shambles we were in the same circumstances in the previous 2 seasons was dramatic.

Was behind the goals and Armstrong's strike looked a belter from there – just watched it on tv and it is sheer class.

Hope Hamilton go down.
Crap support , pitch and stadium.

(O & O of KDS)
great day

terrific performance despite the conditions and referee

both strikers on the scoresheet

a wonder strike from Armstrong

Collum once again being shown up as completely incompetent

Not having to listen to Walker for a good period in the 2nd half

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• Winner –

Stats

Hamilton
Celtic

Possession
Home49%
Away51%

Shots
Home5
Away12

Shots on Target
Home3
Away6

Corners
Home2
Away5

Fouls
Home7
Away8

Articles

Hamilton 0 – 3 Celtic: Ten-man Celtic ease to victory
http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/teams/celtic/hamilton-0-3-celtic-ten-man-celtic-ease-to-victory-1-4325406

Celtic’s march to the Ladbrokes Premiership title continued apace with a 3-0 win over Hamilton despite playing most of the second half with 10 men.

Manager Brendan Rodgers had said he had never witnessed a good game on an artificial surface, which awaited his side at the SuperSeal Stadium on a wet, windy and generally miserable day in Lanarkshire.

But Rodgers was happy to see returning striker Leigh Griffiths open the scoring four minutes from the break with his 13th goal of the season.

Midfielder Callum McGregor was sent packing by referee Willie Collum in the 47th minute for picking up the second of two bookings for a foul on Scott McMann before Stuart Armstrong drove in a glorious second from distance and Moussa Dembele, on for Griffiths at the start of the second half, fired in a third.

The champions extended their domestic unbeaten run to 22 games and remain 14 points clear of Rangers at the top with a game in hand over the Ibrox men.

Hamilton, who had lost 1-0 at Celtic Park less than two weeks ago, held their own in the first half but Armstrong’s impressive strike effectively finished them off with the third goal simply angering the Accies support who booed and jeered boss Martin Canning at the final whistle.

Griffiths was one of four changes in the Celtic starting line-up with Armstrong and defenders Emilio Izaguirre and Erik Sviatchenko also coming in.

With less than four minutes played Sviatchenko got on the end of a corner from the Scotland striker to send a header powering towards goal but Accies striker Rakish Bingham headed against the crossbar before the danger was cleared.

From another Griffiths corner in the 12th minute, former Celt Massimo Donati almost put the ball into his own net in his attempt to clear but was helped by Accies keeper Gary Woods who made a fine reactive save before the ball was again scrambled clear.

The home side enjoyed their share of possession in conditions that made it difficult for both sets of players but put little real pressure on Celtic keeper Craig Gordon, who dealt comfortably with Dougie Imrie’s 20-yard drive in the 35th minute to end a swift Accies counter-attack.

It was with a Parkhead counter that Griffiths opened the scoring.

The Celtic striker latched on to a McGregor through ball after Hamilton defender Georgios Sarris kicked fresh air in his attempt to cut the pass out, before steering his left-footed shot past Woods.

Two minutes after the restart the champions were reduced to 10 men when McGregor, booked in the first half for a foul on midfielder Darian MacKinnon, was adjudged by Collum to have clattered McMann on the touchline – it did look as if the Parkhead player tried to pull out – and was despatched up the tunnel, with midfielder Nir Bitton soon replacing winger Patrick Roberts as the away side reshuffled.

Any prospect of a Hamilton comeback, however, ended in the 54th minute when Armstrong almost casually rifled a drive from 25 yards which sped past Woods on its way to the top corner.

Gordon did make a decent save from a Louis Longridge strike, Donati headed over an Ali Crawford free-kick and the Scotland keeper foiled a close-range effort from substitute Eamonn Brophy, on for Danny Redmond.

However, following a well-worked Celtic move Dembele converted a cut-back from substitute James Forrest, on for Scott Sinclair, to clinch the points.

BBC

By John Barnes

BBC Scotland at New Douglas Park

4 hours ago From the section Football

Stuart Armstrong hammered home a wonderful long-range shot
Armstrong hammered home a wonderful long-range shot

Stuart Armstrong scored a stunning goal as Celtic made light of playing with 10 men for most of the second half to earn their 13th Premiership win in a row.

Leigh Griffiths raced onto a Callum McGregor pass to shoot beyond Gary Woods shortly before the interval.

Two minutes into the second half, McGregor was booked for a second time for a high challenge on Scott McMann.

Armstrong then found the top corner with a thunderous strike, with Moussa Dembele stroking in the third goal.

With closest challengers Rangers also winning, Celtic's lead remains 14 points.

Just as a rainbow appeared over New Douglas Park in the fourth minute during a break from the effects of Storm Barbara, the visitors almost broke the deadlock.

Erik Sviatchenko rose to head a Griffiths corner but was denied by a terrific clearance from Rakish Bingham. The Hamilton striker stretched high enough to head the Celtic defender's effort onto the crossbar before the ball was knocked to safety.

Griffiths provided another opportunity from his next delivery from a corner. This time it hit the shoulder of Massimo Donati at the front post, with Woods making a fine stop low to his left and bravely ensuring Scott Brown's follow-up was not converted.

Bingham was inches away from connecting with an Ali Crawford cross from the right, and Dougie Imrie blasted a strike from the edge of the penalty area straight at Craig Gordon as Accies threatened.
Leigh Griffths celebrates his opening goal
Griffths celebrates his opening goal at New Douglas Park

Cristian Gamboa was fortunate not to concede a penalty as he rashly challenged Imrie in the act of shooting. But the Celtic full-back showed better composure at the other end as he fired a 30-yard strike only inches wide.

Griffiths would only play 45 minutes because of a calf injury, but that was enough to make an impact with his 13th goal of the season four minutes before the interval.

Georgios Sarris mis-kicked as he tried to intercept McGregor's pass, and Griffiths latched on to it 18 yards out before dispatching a shot into the bottom right-hand corner of the net.

McGregor was on the park for only marginally more time than Griffiths as he was sent off by referee Willie Collum. Having been booked for pulling back an opponent in the first half, he was shown a second yellow card for a high challenge.

Any thoughts Celtic being reduced to 10 men would have an adverse effect were wiped out when Armstrong increased their lead seven minutes later. The midfielder claimed his seventh goal of the season with a terrific strike from 25 yards.

Eamonn Brophy had two chances to get Accies back in the game but the substitute failed to take them.

And, with six minutes remaining, Dembele scored his 18th goal of the campaign by side-footing fellow substitute James Forrest's cutback from the left beyond Woods.

Brendan Rodgers' dislike for artificial pitches was well documented this week but the Celtic manager will be happy his side left Lanarkshire with their domestic unbeaten record increased to 22 games. Accies have now gone nine games without a win.