2012-01-02: Dunfermline Athletic 0-3 Celtic, SPL

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Trivia

• Celtic remain on top; Rangers win by 3pts v M'well (quell surprise with ex-Hun player McCall in charge)
• January transfer window opens.
• Cracking goals today.
• Emilio Izaguirre returns from injury with a hero's reception from the support who have really taken him to heart.

Review

(Onnie of KDS forum)
Good performance all round, everyone had the right attitude from the off and we killed the game in the first half not just through the goals but also our complete dominance.
Thought Wanyama was the main man today in the middle, seem to step up to the Kayal role, although Brown was good as well.
Also thought Mulgrew is really maturing into a good player. Always looking to receive when there is no room for midfielders and he played forward many good balls as opposed to lumping the ball up field. He's starting to look the kind of player who can play at a much higher level. He will make mistakes but he's a very decent ball playing centre half and that's no bad thing.

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Dunfermline 0 – 3 Celtic:

Emilio Izaguirre’s return caps a day on easy street for Celtic
The Scotsman

By Alan Pattullo, at East End Park
Published on Tuesday 3 January 2012 12:16

THOSE who feared that Celtic might succumb to a post-Old Firm victory hangover were given an emphatic answer yesterday at East End Park in front of a vociferous visiting support.

As well as having three goals to cheer, the Celtic fans could also hail the return of last season’s player of the year as Emilio Izaguirre made his comeback after breaking his ankle in August.

The full-back did little to disrupt Celtic’s attacking intentions and featured as much in the Dunfermline box as he did in his own half during a lively ten minute cameo at the end.

It was a wretched start to the new year for Dunfermline, who must continue to search out their first home league victory of the campaign. The on-going struggles being experienced by Hibernian does at least give them some hope in their battle to avoid relegation but they will have to stop conceding goals so freely at home. The tally now stands at 13 in their last four league games at East End Park.

The hosts were their typical generous selves yesterday as first-footers Celtic made it ten league victories in a row.

Dunfermline had no answer to their fire power, although, yet again, they made it harder for themselves. Any new resolution to tighten up at the back has already come unstitched.

The quality of Celtic’s goals can not disguise the carelessness with which they were conceded by Jim McIntyre’s side, particularly the second which saw Victor Wanyama allowed to volley home at the back post while unchallenged following Charlie Mulgrew’s free kick. All three goals had their source in set-pieces.

Anthony Stokes handed Celtic the lead with an outstanding finish following a corner and the in-form Mulgrew wrapped things up from a free-kick after 69 minutes.

The visitors’ game-plan was clear from the start. Gary Hooper was reunited with Stokes in attack but there was still also room for Georgios Samaras, who played wide on the left. On the opposite flank could be found James Forrest, who some regard as Scotland’s most exciting player at present.

It was difficult to see how Dunfermline could hope to cope with all this. The hosts had, after all, conceded ten goals in their last three home league matches, with Aberdeen and St Johnstone allowed to plunder three goals each.

McIntryre’s complaints have often centred on his defence and they had their work cut out again yesterday afternoon. The manager again lamented his side’s failure to clear their lines afterwards.

To be fair, Dunfermline looked limited in all areas. The away fans took the majority of the seats and the visitors dominated possession. The north stand’s turnstiles were unlocked for this particular game, supplementing the area behind the goal reserved for away fans.

This stand was closed earlier this season in a cost-cutting exercise. It allowed the Celtic fans to chorus back and forth to each other as they celebrated the lead given to them by Stokes after 17 minutes.

It was a delightful finish by the re-called striker, who controlled the ball with his left foot and then curled a shot into the top corner of the net with his right. The chance, if that is what it was, had come after a Mulgrew cross, from a short corner, had caused yet further problems in the Dunfermline box. Samaras played his part too, heading the ball down for Stokes. But the Irishman still had it all to do. It seems obligatory to mention Alex McLeish’s goal for Aberdeen in their Scottish Cup final defeat of Rangers in 1982 as a reference point, or, perhaps, Stokes’ compatriot Ronnie Whelan’s curled strike for Liverpool in the Milk Cup final against Manchester United a year later.

Although an exquisite finish, Wanyama had a go at bettering it just a few minutes later when thundering a 30-yard volley towards goal. Chris Smith managed to beat it away but it was yet another moment to make Dunfermline fret.

The hosts did make advances up field but tended to panic when venturing near the Celtic goal. Martin Hardie side-footed an effort past the post after 37 minutes. But Celtic then extended their lead five minutes before half-time. Samaras won a free-kick and Mulgrew flighted in a tempting ball to the back post. Somehow, the cross made it there without being intercepted by a Dunfermline head and Wanyama sent a controlled volley into the net. To their credit, the home team found an immediate reaction, despite their dismay at losing yet another soft goal.

Just a minute later Paul Burns broke into the box but his angled shot was well saved by Fraser Forster. It was Dunfermline’s best chance of the half and was perhaps their last opportunity to haul themselves back into the game. Hardie did send another effort wide of one of Forster’s post after 67 minutes but, two minutes later, Celtic seized the goal that had been coming, though McIntyre will again despair at it having come from a distance of 25 yards. Mulgrew’s free-kick, following a tug on Wanyama, should not have beaten Smith. The swirling conditions did appear to contribute to the ball’s movement in the air but Smith was still angry enough with himself to beat his fists against the turf. The goalkeeper redeemed himself with some decent saves late on. One tip-over from Forrest was particularly memorable. Dunfermline’s day was summed up when substitute Joe Cardle’s goal-bound volley was blocked by his team-mate and fellow substitute Andy Kirk.

Dunfermline0-3Celtic

Page last updated at 17:01 GMT, Monday, 2 January 2012 By Martin Conaghan
BBC Scotland Celtic swept aside Dunfermline to retain their two-point lead at the top of the Scottish Premier League table.
Anthony Stokes fired in a stylish strike from 18 yards to open the scoring for Celtic on 18 minutes.
Five minutes before the interval, Victor Wanyama volleyed in a Charlie Mulgrew free-kick at the back post.
Mulgrew turned scorer in the 69th minute with a curling free-kick that evaded Pars keeper Chris Smith to seal the win.
The defeat means bottom side Dunfermline have yet to win a match at home this season, while Celtic have now taken 30 points from their last 10 outings.
Stokes came in for the injured Beram Kayal for the 100th meeting between the sides, with Emilio Izaguirre on the bench as he looked to make his comeback from a broken ankle.
Dunfermline made two changes, with Gary Mason and John Potter coming in as Joe Cardle dropped out due to illness.
Celtic gave the hosts a scare after six minutes with a Mulgrew corner that battered its way around the Dunfermline penalty area before being swept clear.
Moments later, Georgios Samaras delivered a cool ball across the face of goal, but none of his team-mates was on hand to profit.
Stokes opened the scoring in casual fashion after a Mulgrew corner came out to the edge of the Dunfermline penalty area and the Northern Irishman took a touch before lobbing the ball into the top right-hand corner of the net.
Wanyama almost made it two on the half-volley from 25 yards out with a blistering strike that Chris Smith tipped on to the bar and out for a corner.
Stokes and Samaras worked the ball into the Dunfermline penalty area but failed to make it count before Martin Hardie mistimed a shot that drifted wide of goalkeeper Fraser Forster's left-hand post.
Wanyama stole in at the back post to fire in a crisp volley from Mulgrew's inch-perfect free-kick to put Celtic two up.
Less than a minute later, Paul Burns forced a save out of Forster as Dunfermline tried to claw one back before the break.
Dunfermline emerged from the interval with keen enthusiasm but struggled to break down Celtic's resolute defence.
Gary Hooper dinked a header towards the Dunfermline goal from a Joe Ledley cross, but the ball drifted wide of Smith's left-hand post.
James Forrest blitzed his way past the Pars' defence and slipped the ball across the six-yard line, but no-one was there to knock the ball in at the back post.
An intense spell from Dunfermline saw Hardie fire in a shot from 18 yards out that inched past Forster's right-hand post.
The match was over as a contest when Mulgrew flighted in a curling free-kick from wide on the right that left Smith flapping at air in the Dunfermline goal.
Samaras forced a save out of Smith from close range, then Hardie sent a close-range effort over the crossbar.
Substitute Ki-Sung Yeung could have put Celtic four up with a low drive that drifted past the post.
A late shot from Stokes and an injury-time Mulgrew free-kick failed to find the target as Celtic left the Kingdom of Fife with their 10th successive league victory.