| Match Pictures | Matches: 1998 – 1999 | 1998-1999 Pictures |
Trivia
- EuropeanCup, Preliminary Round
- Agg Celtic 2-0, (first leg0-0).
- The Premier Reserve League which had been operating the previous season was scrapped for this season and an Under-21 League operated in which a number of over-age players were entitled to play such as those coming back from injury. Similarly the Youth League was superceded by an U18 League. Dr Jo Venglos took particular interest in both sets of players and started off by going to see all the squads play.
- Brian McLaughlin was lining up a move to Bradford City. He had been out of the team pretty much the whole of the previous season and was recovering from a dislocated shoulder picked up whilst on loan to Airdrie the previous season.
- Stubbs was carrying an ankle knock for this game after coming off at half time against Tottenham; Stephane Mahe travelled but didn’t play after a recurrence of the previous season’s knee problem; Marc Rieper was still trying to overcome his back spasm problem; O’Donnell, Wieghorst and Johnson were long term injured, Hannah was still recovering from his hamstring strain
- Just prior to the game the Dept. of Immigration granted Celtic a work permit for Dr Jo Venglos enablimng him to work as Head Coach rather than sitting in the stands as a ‘consultant’.
Review
A far better performance was expected form the Bhoys.
What should have been an easy away game was given extra meaning following the poor 0-0 draw in Glasgow.
In the event the team turned up and put together a convincing performance.
Teams
St Patrick’s Athletic:
Wood; Clarke, Campbell (Doyle 45), Lynch, Hawkins; Osam, Gormley, Morgan (Russell 45); Braithwaite, Molloy; Gilzean (Reilly 75).
Subs not used: Moody, Devereux, Crolly, McKenna.
Celtic (3-4-3):
Gould ; Boyd , Stubbs , MacKay; McNamara , Lambert, Burley , Blinker (McKinlay 75); Jackson (Donnelly 68), Larsson, Brattbakk.
Subs not used: Annoni, Kerr, McBride, Burchill, Elliot.
Scorers: Brattbakk (12), Larsson (72)
Bookings: MacKay, Blinker (Celtic)
Referee: Mikko Vuorola (Finland).
Attendance: 8,929
Full Game. Highlights.
Articles
- Match Report (see below)
Pictures
Stats
| St Pats | Celtic | |
| Bookings | 0 | 2 |
| Fouls | 6 | 12 |
| Shots on Target | 1 | 8 |
| Corners | 2 | 13 |
| Offside | 1 | 2 |
Celtic clear first hurdle but have long way to go
The Scotsman 30/07/1998
St Patrick’s 0
Celtic 2 Brattbakk (12), Larsson (72) Celtic win 2-0 on aggregate
CELTIC moved to within 180 minutes of the Champions League last night with an ultimately comfortable yet unsatisfying victory over Irish part-timers St Patrick’s in Dublin.
Croatia Zagreb now stand between the Scottish champions and six games in the most lucrative club competition in the world, but Jozef Venglos’ new charges will have to greatly improve on the uninspiring yet professional performance which set up the home and away legs in August.
After being humiliatingly held to a goalless draw at Parkhead last week, the Celtic players had stated that only the result mattered in striving to avoid an upset last night and that is what they have brought home before the start of the league season on Saturday.
Any hope of another heroic rearguard action by the Irish was removed after 12 minutes when Harald Brattbakk, scorer of Champions League goals against Milan and Real Madrid for his previous club Rosenborg, notched a crucial away goal and the otherwise ineffectual Henrik Larsson doubled the tally with 18 minutes remaining.
The job was done, but it was against a team who offered little other than spirit and defensive organisation. A Celtic team lacking the right chemistry up front and bereft of the usual assuredness at the back in the absence of the injured Marc Rieper does not have its work to seek under the tutelage of Venglos.
The Slovakian coach had opted to replace Rieper with Malky Mackay while a recurrence of Stephane Mahe’s knee problem meant the coach retained the three-man defence successfully deployed against Tottenham.
With Jackie McNamara and Regi Blinker operating in virtual wing-back roles, both Brattbakk and Darren Jackson started the game alongside Larsson in positive mode.
The dichotomy between promise and reality within the Irish game was illustrated, though, by the facilities at the 10,000-capacity Tolka Park, the usual home of Shelbourne.
What the ramshackle ground did offer in abundance, though, was atmosphere with the audience apparently able to reach out and touch the team of famous internationalists gracing the stage. This proximity to the excited crowd undoubtedly contributed to a frenetic opening where Celtic were unable to impose their superior class within the hurly-burly.
Relief was to arrive after only 12 minutes, however, with the kind of error which differentiates between part-timers and highly-paid stars. Alan Stubbs clipped forward an angled ball from his centre-back berth only for St Patrick’s retreating left-back Paul Campbell to completely mistime his jump and allow the ball to drop into the path of Brattbakk.
The Norwegian took a touch before cutting inside the covering Colin Hawkins and unleashing a left-foot shot which squirmed home despite the goalkeeper, Trevor Wood.
The goal changed the entire complexion of the tie. Instead of being able to merely sit and soak up Celtic pressure, the hosts were forced to venture forward in an attempt to score twice, immediately creating gaps in front of their defence for Craig Burley, Paul Lambert and Jackson to flit into. After the lack of creativity displayed during the Parkhead stalemate, this time Celtic’s strikers were more mobile and constantly pulled off the back four to link with players coming forward at pace.
After 22 minutes, on a counter-attack, Brattbakk displayed his pace when latching on to a Blinker through ball but this time the forward shot weakly into Wood’s arms.
Despite their comfort, Celtic were reminded of the dangerous pace of winger Trevor Molloy when he burst clear of Mackay only to be hauled down by Celtic’s last defender after 35 minutes. Finnish referee Mikko Vuorola hesitated for a moment before awarding a free kick and then brandishing a yellow card at the Celtic defender when, according to the rules of the game, a red was required.
The final chances of the half fell fittingly to Celtic when Paul Osam deflected over Stubbs’ volley from a McNamara corner and then Larsson could only head over a Jackson cross.
Jonathan Gould was forced into his first serious save after 53 minutes when he fisted away a Jeff Clarke cross but Celtic were unlucky not to increase their lead after 59 minutes when, following a clever free kick involving McNamara and Lambert, Burley’s shot was deflected on to the base of the post by a Stubbs backheel. Blinker was then booked for a foul on Clarke and Simon Donnelly replaced Jackson before the contest was ended after 72 minutes. Blinker threaded a through ball into the inside left channel for Larsson to time his run past the home rearguard and round Wood before rolling home with his left foot.
Celtic introduced Tosh McKinlay down the left flank in place of Blinker before Celtic’s other substitute, Donnelly, set up Brattbakk for another drive, only for Wood to block. Brattbakk, Donnelly and Larsson could have added further goals in the closing minutes, but Croatia Zagreb will be a very different proposition.
PA Sport Match Report at sportinglife.com
- Manager Interview
Dr Jo Venglos, post match.
“I felt it was a good disciplined performance.
“They were well prepared, but this time we were able to find the final penetrating pass.
“The timing of the first goal was very important. Harald had a chance like that at Celtic Park and was unable to score. Tonight was different. Harald got his goal and I am sure he will score more.”
Pat Dolan, St Pat’s Manager.
“By giving away the early goal we made things very difficult for ourselves.
“We have lost a game on our own ground 2-0 and that disappoints me, but it has been a wonderful adventure and a fantastic experience.”