2019-11-10: Celtic 2-0 Motherwell, SP

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Review

(Etims on twitter)
Football highlights today Eddie twinkletoes then perfect passes Hayes’ overall game Ntcham ability to play a 1-2 with Mohamed Elyounoussi by simply shielding the ball from a Well player long enough for Mo to collect his own pass and run on without Ntcham touching it

(33 rpm of KDS)
t's been a pretty exceptional period between the last international break and this one. Back on top of the league, into the final of the League Cup and into the knockout stages of the Europa League, with seven straight wins. Outstanding

Teams

Celtic

• 67Forster
• 30Frimpong
• 2Jullien
• 35Ajer
• 15Hayes
• 8Brown
• 42McGregor
• 49Forrest· Substituted forChristieat 67'minutes

• · 21Ntcham
• · 27ElyounoussiSubstituted forMorganat 86'minutes

• 22Edouard

Substitutes

• 1Gordon
• 3Taylor
• 6Bitton
• 13Bauer
• 16Morgan
• 17Christie
• 18Rogic

Goals

• Edouard (19' minutes),
• Tait (54' minutes og)

Motherwell

• 20Gillespie
• 4Grimshaw
• 31Gallagher
• 2Tait· Substituted forHyltonat 67'minutes

• · 24Mugabi
• · 19Polworth
• · 15Maguire
• · 6Campbell
• · 3Carroll
• · 44Cole· Substituted forScottat 80'minutesBooked at 87mins
• · 9LongSubstituted forSeedorfat 68'minutes

Substitutes

• 1Carson
• 8Sloth
• 11Seedorf
• 12Manzinga
• 14Hylton
• 17Scott
• 25Semple

Referee:
Alan Muir
Attendance:
57,137

Articles

• Match Report (see end of page below)

Pictures

• Match Pictures

Forum

• Pre-match
• Match
• Post Match

MOTM

• Voting Thread
• Result Thread
• Winner –

Stats

Home Team
Celtic
Away Team
Motherwell

Possession
Home58%
Away42%

Shots
Home16
Away5

Shots on Target
Home7
Away0

Corners
Home8
Away5

Fouls
Home7
Away12

Articles

Celtic 2 – 0 Motherwell: Champions maintain slender lead at the top
Odsonne Edouard opens the scoring for Celtic in their victory over Motherwell. Picture: SNS
Odsonne Edouard opens the scoring for Celtic in their victory over Motherwell. Picture: SNS
Stephen Halliday
Email
Published: 17:18 Sunday 10 November 2019
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/celtic-2-0-motherwell-champions-maintain-slender-lead-at-the-top-1-5043032It may have lacked the drama and lustre of their epic Europa League triumph in Rome three days earlier but Celtic secured a routine Premiership victory over Motherwell which, it its own way, was no less valuable or gratifying for manager Neil Lennon.

Odsonne Edouard’s 13th goal of the season set the Scottish champions on their way before Motherwell defender Richard Tait gave them a helping hand when he slammed the ball beyond his own goalkeeper in the second half.

Celtic’s perfect home league record was never seriously threatened by Stephen Robinson’s men who, while gritty and well organised, were unable to force home ‘keeper Fraser Forster into a solitary save all afternoon.

The margin of victory could have been greater for Lennon’s side but it was sufficient to keep them at the top of the table on goal difference, a single strike ahead of rivals Rangers who remain in hot pursuit.

It was an afternoon when Motherwell would have been nursing the hope they might face opponents still feeling the effects of their considerable exertions in defeating Lazio on Thursday night.

But there was no lack of energy or attacking intensity from Celtic for whom the retention of their league title remains the top priority this season.

The visitors’ defence, without captain Peter Hartley who called off with illness on Sunday morning, were quickly and fully occupied in dealing with the clever movement and variation of Celtic’s play.

There was an early and optimistic shout for a penalty from the hosts for handball against Devante Cole when the Motherwell striker blocked a free-kick from Jonny Hayes but referee Alan Muir was unimpressed.

Edouard, receiving the ball from Callum McGregor on the edge of the penalty area, was denied by a smart reaction save from Mark Gillespie in the sixth minute as Celtic began to establish control.

Robinson was also missing the services of his top scorer Liam Donnelly through suspension but, as when they lost narrowly at Ibrox a fortnight earlier when deploying a similar 3-5-2 system, his team were occasionally enterprising on the counter-attack.

Some slackness at the back from Celtic provided the first indication of a potential threat from Motherwell when Chris Long set up Cole for an effort from distance which slid just wide of Fraser Forster’s right hand post.

It required a brilliantly timed penalty box intervention from Declan Gallagher to deny Mohamed Elyounoussi a simple scoring opportunity after he had been played in by McGregor.

Motherwell responded with another decent raid which saw Allan Campbell unable to connect cleanly with Liam Polworth’s inviting cross in the 16th minute but just as the visitors were growing in confidence, they fell behind three minutes later.

Elyounoussi threaded a pass into the feet of James Forrest just inside the penalty area and in at attempt to clear, Gallagher saw the ball bounce off him straight into the path of Edouard. The striker didn’t need to be asked twice as he sent a rising shot beyond Gillespie.

To their credit, Motherwell didn’t appear too fazed by the setback and came agonisingly close to an equaliser in the 25th minute when the stretching Long was just inches away from converting Jake Carroll’s superb low cross from the left.

But despite that scare, Celtic were now in the ascendancy and only wastefulness in front of goal prevented them from adding to their lead before half-time.

Christopher Jullien saw a header deflected narrowly over from a Hayes corner, then Edouard should have done better when he scooped a shot over from close range after fine link-up work from Oliver Ntcham and Forrest.

Motherwell were struggling to contain Forrest at this stage and the winger set up another gilt-edged chance for Elyounoussi who lacked poise at the crucial moment as he blazed over from around 12 yards.

Gillespie did well to keep out a powerful snapshot from Hayes as Celtic finished the first half firmly on the front foot.

Any prospect Motherwell had of regrouping and then recovering was effectively ended by the self-inflicted wound of Tait’s own goal nine minutes into the second half.

Edouard held the ball up well before slipping a pass to Hayes who, for the umpteenth time, had overlapped down the left. The full-back fired over a low cross which Tait got to first and appeared poised to clear the danger. But he got his angles all wrong and could only divert the ball into his own net.

Jeremie Frimpong enjoyed another eye-catching outing for Celtic and the 18-year-old right-back saw a shot blocked by Carroll before Ntcham passed up the chance to add to his midweek heroics, the Rome match-winner tamely directing a shot at Gillespie after brilliant set-up play from Edouard.

A third goal eluded Celtic but this was a more than satisfactory day at the office for Lennon ahead of the latest international break.

BBC

By Tom English

BBC Scotland at Celtic Park

From the section Scottish Premiership

Highlights: Celtic 2-0 Motherwell

Celtic remain top of the Scottish Premiership following a routine victory at home to Motherwell.

Odsonne Edouard slammed the champions in front when the ball broke his way in a busy penalty box.

The visitors improved after the break as Celtic's tempo dipped but Richard Tait knocked in an own goal from a Jonny Hayes cross.

With Rangers winning by the same scoreline at Livingston, Neil Lennon's side stay ahead by a one-goal margin.

Celtic have now enjoyed seven successive wins in all competitions since losing at Livingston in early October, while this was a fourth clean sheet in a row in the league.

Motherwell, who sit fourth, were well-organised and aggressive, with Declan Gallagher a stand-out in defence during the first 45 minutes, but never threatened home goalkeeper Fraser Forster.

As it happened & reaction

Visitors retain pride as hosts continue to fly

Stephen Robinson, the Motherwell manager, has been much talked about this week, the Northern Irishman being linked with not just one job or two jobs, but three jobs. He's been mentioned in dispatches for the vacant positions at Hearts and Hibs and now there's an opening with his national team following on from Michael O'Neill getting the Stoke role, he's been linked with that position as well.

He brushed all that chat aside in the minutes before this game. Robinson, more than most, knows the scale of the challenge when you fetch up in the east end of Glasgow. He had enough on his plate without yakking about what life might be like on distant pastures.

Motherwell haven't beaten Celtic in four years – in the time since they've shipped four goals twice, five goals three times and seven goals once – and as a good as their season has been so far nobody would have held out much hope for them bringing that run to an end here.

Back from Rome with a win over Lazio, a second victory in recent weeks against the Italians, the champions are flying right now. They might have taken a little while to hit their straps, but there was a sense of inevitability about it all.

The visitors shouldn't be disheartened. They dug in. At no point did their spirits drop. They're a confident team and they should move on from this quickly. They had one of the best players on the park in Gallagher, a centre-half who covered the ground wonderfully, who tackled and blocked and defended manfully. The fact he was involved in the concession of the first goal was cruel on him. Gallagher was a big leader for Motherwell.
League table

They had a few moments in attack – Allan Campbell had a back-post volley, Jake Carroll fizzed one across the six-yard box – but those moments have to stick when you're playing a super confident Celtic.

Having scored the winner in Rome, Olivier Ntcham was impressive again in the heart of Celtic's midfield. Up front, Edouard looked exactly what he is – a striker with great movement, a great touch, loads of intelligence and too much ruthlessness. Celtic weren't at their free-flowing best but they were good enough.

Edouard got the opener when Mohamed Elyounoussi cut in from the left and tried to link with James Forrest. Gallagher was on the scene and in an attempt to clear it he merely helped it on to Edouard who finished with aplomb, his swift execution soaring beyond Mark Gillespie.

Celtic continued to dominate possession and Motherwell continued to defend stoutly. Edouard fired over as did Elyounoussi. Hayes lashed one at Gillespie but the goalkeeper beat it away at his near post.

The second goal duly came early in the new half when Edouard played it wide to Hayes whose cross from the left was turned into his own net by Tait.

There was talk during the week that Leigh Griffiths might make a reappearance for this one, but there was no sign of him. Lennon said that his fitness is still a little off. Scott Sinclair was not in the squad either. Lewis Morgan was on the bench ahead of him. Mikey Johnston was absent as well. So many good players and yet so little need for them.

Ryan Christie started on the bench but came on in the second half just when Celtic's threat started to grow again. Gillespie earned his corn in the latter stages. Christie had two efforts saved by the goalkeeper. Hayes put in a sumptuous cross that Ntcham came close to turning in. Jeremie Frimpong tested Gillespie twice while Edouard looked to have set up Ntcham only for the midfielder to direct his shot straight at the busy keeper.
Man of the match – Odsonne Edouard
Odsonne Edouard knocks in the opening goal at Celtic Park – his 13th of the season
Odsonne Edouard knocks in the opening goal at Celtic Park – his 13th of the season

Motherwell had two contenders in Gallagher and Gillespie. Hayes was excellent for Celtic, as was Ntcham.

Edouard gets the award for scoring the first and displaying an all-round quality that marks him out as an outstanding footballer.
'Fantastic & magnificent' – reaction

Celtic manager Neil Lennon: "It's another fantastic performance after Thursday. Since the Livingston defeat we've won all our games in all competitions so the response has been magnificent."

Motherwell manager Stephen Robinson: "I'm pleased with the performance but not the result. If you come to Celtic Park and lose with two goals like that then you've done something right. There was a lot of positives to take from a young side."