2010-10-02: Celtic 3-1 Hamilton, SPL

Trivia

• Celtic on top by 1 goal; Rangers won earlier in the day 2-1 v Hearts.
• Kayal reported out injured with hernia issue for 3mths.
• Maloney scores a cracking goal from a free-kick, likely our first clean goal from a free-kick since Nakamura.

Review

Celtic went behind early against Hamilton from a set piece but fought back in a slack display. Not the most convincing of displays and the midfield is not functioning.

Well we dug it out. Always encouraging to mount a turnaround when not playing well.

Lots of poor football though. Around 60 min mark was starting to get very worried.

Wonderful f/k from Maloney to settle us down finally, underlined importance of set-piece specialists as going by the flow of the open play we weren't particularly threatening and approaching the stage where panic would have set in both on the field and in the stands.

Good game from start to finish from the wee man actually.

Hooper's finish was classy and hopefully hints at real goalscoring potential.

Special mentions also to Ki and Sammy for their industry in the first half when so few were following their lead.

Forster had his busiest and most encouraging 20 mins in a Celtic shirt during the opening. Handful of top saves.

The rest were by full-time much the same as I said at half-time, strictly poor-to-middling.

Accies are an extremely poor side and we should aim for a far higher calibre of performance than that at home against their like.

Juarez and Brown failed badly to dictate the terms in midfield, as they well ought to in this kind of company.

Mexican predictably subbed, Broonaldo left to soldier on ineffectually.

Cha's running gives us an important option but his delivery is, shall we say, erratic.

Like Sammy, Ki and Maloney though feel he's worth a mention for his level of application today, whilst not operating at the same level as those three.

After an opening quarter-hour in which we looked utterly bemused, failure to break them down was more due to our own turgidity than any sustained pressure from Accies, as such the rest of the back four, Ledley, Majstorovic and Glenda, didn't feature much at all, few real scares for the remainder.

But 3 points the overwhelming priority and we got 'em with the few goal cushion we needed to go back top. Job done.

No mistake though we are in a proper scrap with the hun and will be for some time this season yet on that evidence.

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maloney makes it a magnificent seven for celtic Mark Henderson

celticfc.net

SHAUN Maloney plundered his 50th goal for Celtic as they fought back to beat Hamilton Accies 3-1 and continue their 100 per cent start to the season.

The 27-year-old struck a brace after Mark McLaughlin had given Billy Reid’s side a shock early lead. Gary Hooper added a third in the 71st minute to seal the three points.

Maloney was one of nine players who had retained their place in the starting XI from the previous week, with Georgios Samaras and Ki coming into the side in place of the injured Charlie Mulgrew and Anthony Stokes, who dropped to the bench.

Hamilton had set up to frustrate Celtic. However, with just 13 seconds on the clock, the Hoops found a way through their defensive barrier when Hooper chested a long ball down to Maloney who hit a crisp drive wide.

It has been a positive start from Neil Lennon’s side, but the home support were left stunned in the fourth minute when Accies took the lead.

Dougie Imrie swung a deep corner towards the back post. It was headed back across goal by Martin Canning and McLaughin was afforded the simple task of nodding home into the net.

Rocked by the blow of conceding that early goal, Celtic allowed the visitors another golden opportunity to score when Nigel Hasselbaink stole in behind Glenn Loovens and got a shot away, forcing Fraser Forster into action with an excellent block.

Forster was called into action again in the 12th minutes, pushing Imrie’s powerful drive past the post. And from the resultant corner, the keeper made another magnificent stop to deny Simon Mensing.

It had been an impressive opening from Reid’s side, who seemed full of confidence from their recent run of good form in the SPL. But gradually, Celtic began to drag themselves back into the contest.

In the 18th minute Samaras collected a throw-in on the left, turned away from his marker and rifled a rasping shot on target which Tomas Cerny was unable to hold. Luckily for the stopper, the rebound dropped to friend not foe.

Maloney then sent Ledley scampering down the left and his low delivery narrowly evaded Hooper and the other lurking Celtic players.

And in the 25th minute the Hoops’ increasing pressure bore fruit as they drew level. Ki’s corner was headed back into the danger area by Majstorovic and Maloney reacted quickest to nod the ball past Cerny.

Buoyed by the equaliser, Celtic started to dominate possession and pushed the Accies deeper into their own territory.

A driving run from Maloney took him to the byline but his cross was hoovered up by the Accies defence with Ledley and Hooper in close attendance.

That was the story for the remainder of the half, with Celtic well in command but unable to create any clear openings against a well-organised defensive shield.

And Hamilton gave a reminder that they were still a threat at the other end, with Flavio Paixio and Mensing both firing efforts over the bar just before the break.

Celtic were first to threaten after the restart. Ki’s corner was met by Loovens who headed over. Then
Maloney engineered a yard of space in the box and flashed a low shot on target which Cerny comfortably held.

Ki’s excellent deliveries from set-pieces had been the Hoops’ most potent weapon of the afternoon, and another corner from the Korean was glanced over by Majstorovic.

But with scores remaining level, Lennon withdrew Juarez and sent on Anthony Stokes. And just seconds after the change Celtic went in front.

Scott Brown was fouled 30 yards from goal. Maloney took aim before sending an unstoppable curling shot into the top corner. It was the forward’s 50th goal for the club.

It was one-way traffic now. Cha burst forward and collected Stokes’ return ball inside the box and drilled his shot wide.

And in the 71st minute, Hooper extended Celtic’s advantage with an excellent opportunist goal. After Imrie conceded possession, the striker fastened on to the ball in a flash and then buried a shot into the far corner.

That strike prompted Reid to send all his substitutes, but it had no effect as the Hoops continued to pour forward. Samaras had two chances to increase the Hoops’ advantage. First, he glanced a header over and then shot wide after embarking on a determined run down the wing.

The points were safe, though. And Marc Crosas and Daryl Murphy came on for the final 10 minutes as Celtic saw out the match comfortably to make it a magnificent seven wins on the spin.

Celtic survived an early scare before coming from behind to beat Hamilton and move back to the top of the league table on goal difference.
Accies broke the deadlock through Mark McLaughlin and the visitors spurned chances to extend their lead through Nigel Hasselbaink and Simon Mensing.
Shaun Maloney responded with a double, including a superb free-kick.
And Gary Hooper flashed a drive past Tomas Cerny as Celtic recorded their seventh straight league victory.

Story from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/9050011.stm

Published: 2010/10/02 15:54:15 GMT

© BBC MMX