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Trivia
- First game of, preseason matches underway.
- Match in Austria.
- Neil Lennon confirmed as permanent Celtic manager.
- Easy victory, Celtic to play soon in early round of European Cup soon in July.
- Opponents collpased in second half.
- Griffiths return after very long time and scored. Good news.
- Many young & reserve players played and some got debut goals.
- European Cup won by Liverpool with ex-Celt Van Dijk the man of the match, and ex Celtic youth Andy Robertson rated as world class from this match.
- Ex-Celt Liam Henderson in Italy helps Vernona to Serie A. Verona were two goals down from the first leg but overturned the deficit in some style, winning 3-0
- Celtic have been drawn against Sarajevo of Bosnia in the Champions League.
- Ex-Celt Roy Keane has left Nottingham forest after only 5months as assistant to Martin O'Neil.
- Reports of Tierney to Arsenal and McGregor to Leicester.
- Women's World Cup being played. Scotland women qualified, but lost 2-1 to England in their group game. Always an uphill struggle, and didn't qualify out of group stage.
- Cricket World Cup on at moment but no Scotland or Ireland in the tournament.
- Transfer:
- Closing in on the signing of French defender Christopher Jullien after reportedly agreeing a deal to sign him from Toulouse.
- Celtic in process for £3m transfer of David Turnbull from Motherwell, Norwich lose it. Next thing reports that transfer may fall through due to medical, which has delayed the completion of the deal.
Review
However, Celtic were behind 1-0 for a lot of the first half, but fought back. Second half was one-way.
Too much heavy play from the Austrian side.
Teams
SC PINKAFELD… 1
(Pahr 29)
CELTIC… 6
CELTIC: Hazard, Ralston, Simunovic, Welsh, Hayes, Coffey, Christie, Oko-Flex, Miller, Griffiths, Sinclair.
Subs: Doohan, Gutman, Savoury, Morrison, Henderson, Aitchison, Johnston, Dembele, Robertson.
Goals: Griffiths 36, Johnston 46 & 90, Henderson 53, Oko-Flex 86, Aitchison 88
Referee:
Attendance:
Articles
- Match Report (see end of page below)
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Articles
Leigh Griffiths makes scoring return to Celtic first team
Leigh Griffiths scored against Pinkafeld. Picture: SNS
Leigh Griffiths scored against Pinkafeld. Picture: SNS
Angus Wright
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Published: 20:13 Wednesday 26 June 2019
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/celtic/leigh-griffiths-makes-scoring-return-to-celtic-first-team-1-4954934
Leigh Griffiths marked his Celtic return with a goal as Neil Lennon's champions got their pre-season preparations off to a winning start in Austria.
The Scotland striker had not featured since December due to a combination of injury and personal issues.
But he bounced back from his off-field problems to fire Celtic level as the Parkhead men recovered from losing a shock opener to thrash Austrian amateurs SC Pinkafeld 6-1.
Griffiths was joined in a youthful starting line-up by Ryan Christie, who was also making his comeback after suffering a horror facial injury in a clash with Aberdeen's Dom Ball during the William Hill Scottish Cup semi-finals, and captain for the day Scott Sinclair.
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Celtic started in determined fashion but with the temperature soaring it was no surprise when they began to flag amid the Austrian heatwave. Pinkafeld took their chance to grab a surprise lead on the half-hour mark as 21-year-old goalkeeper Conor Hazard spilled a long-range Dominik Sperl free-kick straight at Michael Pahr, who slotted home from close range.
But the hosts' lead lasted just six minutes as Griffiths grabbed his first strike since November.
Anthony Ralston freed Calvin Miller down the right and his cut-back left Griffiths with a simple tap-in as he got back to doing what he does best.
Hazard did better with a Florian Prochazka strike as he tipped over while Griffiths almost grabbed a second before he and eight members of the starting line-up were replaced at the interval, firing against the base of the post following good play by Miller and Armstrong Oko-Flex.
Youngsters Karamoko Dembele and Mikey Johnston were introduced as Lennon made his sweeping half-time changes and it was the latter who fired the Parkhead side ahead within 30 seconds of the restart as the 20-year-old steered home with a composed finished.
Teenager Ewan Henderson grabbed the third after 53 minutes as his strike from the edge of the box squirmed through Pinkafeld keeper David Kayer's hands.
And with Pinkafeld tiring, Englishman Oko-Flex got himself in on the action with six minutes left after producing a cute dink to finish off from Johnston's sublime through ball.
Jack Aitchison and Johnston then rounded off the scoring with another two goals late on.
Celtic return to action on Saturday against Austrian third division outfit Wiener SC.
Griffiths on target as Celts hit Austrians for six in pre-season win
Wednesday, June 26, 2019
Sportplatz, Austria
SC PINKAFELD… 1
(Pahr 29)
CELTIC… 6
(Griffiths 36, Johnston 46 & 90, Henderson 53, Oko-Flex 86, Aitchison 88)
CELTIC kicked off their pre-season matches with an emphatic 6-1 victory over Austrian side, SC Pinkafeld. Neil Lennon’s side actually conceded the first goal of the game, but Leigh Griffiths equalised for the Hoops.
Neil Lennon made wholesale changes for the start of the second-half, and a young Celtic team, inspired by Mikey Johnston, dominated proceedings, netting five goals without reply.
In the heat of the Austrian summer, it was Celtic who had the early chances, with Griffiths and Ralston coming close in the opening minutes. But despite dominating possession, it was Pinkafeld who opened the scoring just before the half-hour mark. Conor Hazard wasn’t able to hold on to Dominik Sperl’s powerful free-kick, and Michael Pahr fired home the rebound.
However, on 36 minutes Celtic were level. Anthony Ralston’s ball over the top found Calvin Miller down the right-hand side, and he controlled it before firing it across the six-yard box for Griffiths to tap it. And Griffiths was denied his second of the half just before the break when he fired an Oko-Flex cross off the post.
Mikey Johnston was given the captain’s armband for the second 45 minutes, and he gave Celtic the lead within 60 seconds of the restart, slotting the ball under the goalkeeper after being set up by Ewan Henderson. And Henderson then made it 3-1 on 53 minutes with a shot from the edge of the box that deceived the goalkeeper.
Celtic were relentless in their pressing, and Henderson came close to scoring again after latching on to a ball from Andrew Gutman. Aitchison was then denied by an incorrect offside flag after he was put through by Karamoko Dembele, and Johnston then had a shot which crashed off the post.
However, Celtic were not to be denied and they got their fourth goal on 84 minutes through Armstrong Oko-Flex, who produced an exquisite finish after being set up by Johnston. Two minutes later it was 5-1, and this time Aitchison’s goal stood, while in the last minute Aitchison set up Johnston to score his second and Celtic’s sixth of the game.
Now Neil Lennon’s side will take on Wiener SC at the Sportklub Stadium this Saturday, June 29 (KO: 5pm Celtic Park time)
CELTIC: Hazard, Ralston, Simunovic, Welsh, Hayes, Coffey, Christie, Oko-Flex, Miller, Griffiths, Sinclair.
Subs: Doohan, Gutman, Savoury, Morrison, Henderson, Aitchison, Johnston, Dembele, Robertson.