2016-11-05: Celtic 3-0 Inverness CT, SP

Match Pictures | Matches: 2016 – 2017 | 2016-17 Pictures

Trivia

• Celtic top on 31pts with game in hand, although Sevco to play on Sunday.
• Celtic have an incredible +26 Goals Difference, more than rest of league put together!
• Lustig taken off due to injury from a bad tackle.
• Internationals next week, Scotland v England next Friday.
• Scott Brown announces he is to return to the national side (very short retirement).
• Green Brigade hold another annual food collection at Celtic Park. Wonderful gesture.
• Celtic Graves Society run a remembrance event for Patrick Gallaher.
• MSPs narrowly vote against Football Act as SNP suffers defeat. Opposition parties at Holyrood have united in favour of repealing laws aimed at tackling sectarianism in football.The motion lodged by the Scottish Conservatives, which calls for the repeal of the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act "as a matter of priority", passed by 64 votes to 63.The act criminalises behaviour and communications related to football matches which are offensive, threatening, or incite religious hatred, including sectarian behaviour. Heavily opposed by both Celtic fans and club board, so good news.
• Poppy season again and the poppy fascists are again on the attack against all, and the Sunday Mail panders to the worst of them.
• Tennis player Andy Murray make history as first UK/Scottish player to make no.1 in the world rankings (since introduction in the 1970s). Excellent and very well deserved.
• Rugby: Ireland’s team stamped their names into the history books as they dispatched New Zealand 40-29 in Chicago (USA) for their first win over the All Blacks in 111 years of trying. Congratulations.
• Kieran Tierney took to Twitter on Friday to confirm that an operation to repair his ankle ligament injury was successful.
• Brendan Rodgers said it was great to have left back Emilio Izaguirre at Parkhead, hinting that he could be in line for a new contract at the club.

Review

(jbj712 of KDS)
Excellent win given the exertions of mid-week in a proper competition against a team that played the game in the correct manner compared to a shower of hammer throwers. Especially decent given the performance of the MIB!
He warned their keeper about 4 times in the first half hour about time wasting, yet never showed a card all day. If he had been booked in the first half he would/should have been sent off for blootering the ball in to the Celtic end in the second half! You know the way Leigh Griffiths was booked at Hampdump against the zombies!
Their "tactics" were all worked out by their scummy manager so it was nice to see us score and sent the chunt in to paroxysms of rage on the touch line! GIRUY!
The only thing that will stop us in Scotland is the glut of games we have to play and the way the MIB officiate the game

(fatboab of KDS)
They're a bunch of highland hooligans, force fed a training diet of Braveheart and old Shinty finals. Referees should stop this thuggery now before someone gets really hurt. That's two weeks in a row we've faced a team determined to kick feck out us, knowing the ref will allow them to act with impunity. Get it stopped now ya bunch of cheating black suited Hun bastards.

Meanwhile, we improved vastly in the second half, and Stuart Armstrong had his best game for ages. The formation took a while to get settled, but we should have scored about six or seven.

Now, here's hoping both Brown and Lustig are sore enough to miss the internationals, but well enough to enjoy the rest.

(Murado of KDS)
Turgid first half with those hacking bastards getting away with murder – we should still have been at least 2 in front.

Glad we got the 3 points in the end and as soon as we went in front there was only gonna be one outcome. Good to get to international break so far ahead.

Hope Lustig is ok but he looked well distressed.

I was laughing at the size of the traveling supports but in reality would you want a 9 hour round trip to watch that shampooe. They offered absolutely eff all – terrible side.

Teams

Celtic

• 01 Gordon
• 23 Lustig Substituted for Izaguirre at 15'minutes
• 05 Simunovic
• 28 Sviatchenko
• 27 Roberts
• 08 Brown Substituted for Bitton at 62' minutes
• 14 Armstrong
• 42 McGregor
• 11 Sinclair
• 09 Griffiths
• 10 Dembele Substituted for Rogic at 70 'minutes

Substitutes

• 03 Izaguirre
• 06 Bitton
• 12 Gamboa
• 17 Christie
• 18 Rogic
• 24 de Vries
• 49 Forrest

Goals

• Sinclair (48' minutes),
• Griffiths (63' minutes),
• Rogic (83' minutes)

Inverness CT

• 25 Fon Williams
• 17 Horner
• 05 Warren
• 06 Meekings
• 22 McKay
• 08 Draper
• 16 Tansey Booked at 65mins; Tansey (Dismissed at 65' minutes)
  
• 20 King Substituted for Mulraney at 62'minutes
• 11 Vigurs
• 07 Polworth Substituted for Cole at 78'minutes
• 26 Doumbouya Substituted for Fisher at 62'minutes

Substitutes

• 15Mulraney
• 18Fisher
• 19Boden
• 21Sutherland
• 29Cole
• 31Mackay

Referee: Crawford Allan
Attendance: 54,152

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Articles

Celtic 3 – 0 Inverness: Leigh Griffiths on the scoresheet
http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/teams/celtic/celtic-3-0-inverness-leigh-griffiths-on-the-scoresheet-1-4279033
Celtic's Leigh Griffiths celebrates scoring his first goal since the end of Septmeber. Picture: SNS/Craig Williamson
Glitz and glamour giving way to grime and grind is so often the way of it for Celtic at the end of a Champions League week. Yet against Inverness Caledonian Thistle yesterday, Brendan Rodgers’ changed side had enough sparkle to ensure there was no serious comedown from that rarity of a commendable away performance in club football’s premier tournament.
Scott Brown’s inability to play for more than an hour after taking a whack to his right foot in a first-half tackle with Greg Tansey might have provided the headline from a one-sided win. Little wonder when, after all the hoopla about his facing England at Wembley, the knock could result in the Celtic captain’s international comeback lasting all of a few days and not even covering a single game.
Brown joined Mikael Lustig and Liam Polworth as the casualties of a physical encounter in which the Highlanders couldn’t stand up to their opponents either in terms of football or force. It may have taken 48 minutes for Celtic to end their visitors’ resistance, but they were always going to do so. The wonder of it yesterday was that Moussa Dembele didn’t add his name to the list of scorers comprising regular net-ripplers Scott Sinclair, who claimed the opener, and Tom Rogic. A first goal in six weeks from Leigh Griffiths notably was sandwiched by the other two strikes, with Rodgers starting with a 3-5-2 that meant the Scot and Dembele playing alongside each other up front for the first time since the opening afternoon of the club’s league season brought victory at Tynecastle.
Since then, ten Premiership games have produced only one slip – Inverness’s late equaliser six weeks ago – but yesterday’s defeated manager Richie Foran doesn’t envisage there will be too many more. The Irishman performed a volte face, having said the other day he didn’t feel Celtic were so far ahead of the rest of Scottish football.
“I said last week I didn’t think the fear factor was at Parkhead like it was years ago. But maybe Brendan has created that. Some of our players played with fear and didn’t express themselves, which is disappointing. They didn’t express themselves.
“We had opportunities to counter but didn’t believe. I’m disappointed but maybe one of our better performances might not have been good enough for Celtic today – they dominated.
READ MORE: Rumour Mill: Barcelona eyes Billy Gilmour | New contract for Izaguirre? | Rangers targets Marcus Edwards
“The way Celtic played today I can see them going through the season unbeaten. It’s the firepower they have up front. It’s better than I’ve seen in the league. They have a great variety of player. [Stuart] Armstrong was magnificent and he’s one of their fringe players. He controlled the game.”
Armstrong did so from the right-back berth, having had to step back there after Lustig’s enforced withdrawal in the 14th minute led to Rodgers reverting to a back four. The “blond Cafu” his manager joked of Armstrong’s driving down the flank. “I thought he was brilliant today, Stu,” said Rodgers. “He adapted, no drama, played the position really well and should have scored.” A brilliant block from Owain Fon Williams prevented Griffiths striking with a first-half volley but goals were always destined to arrive.
The first, after 48 minutes, brought a redemptive moment for the excellent Callum McGregor following his miss to win it against Borussia Monchengladbach. He produced a lovely pass that split the visitors’ defence in 48 minutes and allowed Sinclair to dash forward and slide a low effort below the Welsh keeper. “There’s been a lot said about young Callum McGregor missing, but you should write about his pass, the improvisation and that ability that he had to flick it in between two defenders to set Scotty up. Once we got that goal, we started to move through the gears,” said Rodgers.
They were helped by Greg Tansey, already on a booking for persistent fouling, wiping out McGregor in ugly fashion as the midfielder played through Dembele for a curling effort on goal that Fon Williams pushed away, but only as far as Griffiths, who bashed in from close range.
For that last 25 minutes, it was all about adding to the scoreline for Celtic. Substitute Tom Rogic driving a cut-back from Armstrong through a crowd seven minutes from time was the only further damage inflicted, but Foran sees much more for those who face up to Rodgers’ – already – champions-elect.

BBC

By Chris McLaughlin

BBC Sport at Celtic Park

From the section Football

Leigh Griffiths celebrates scoring Celtic's second goal
Leigh Griffiths was given a rare start and scored Celtic's second goal

Celtic restored their 10-point lead at the top of the table after overcoming Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

Home manager Brendan Rodgers had changed to three at the back to allow Leigh Griffiths to play alongside Moussa Dembele up front.

But Inverness kept them at bay until Scott Sinclair pounced to fire home after the break.

Griffiths tapped in before Caley Thistle's Greg Tansey was sent off and Tom Rogic blasted home the third.

That second yellow card, which came moments after the second goal, well and truly ended Caley Thistle's hopes of frustrating Celtic for a second time this season.

And Celtic, whose only dropped points this season came at Caledonian Stadium, cruised to a sixth straight domestic clean sheet to stretch their lead over Aberdeen, who have also played one game more than the reigning champions.
Shape shifting

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers decided to change his much-recognised shape following the midweek Champions League draw in Germany.

He opted for a back three and a front two of Dembele and Griffiths, but it was an experiment that only lasted for 13 minutes due to injury.

Mikael Lustig hobbled off with a nasty looking ankle knock after a tussle with Josh Meekings.

Dembele and Griffiths continued to link up, but Stuart Armstrong was ordered to fill in at right back.

The tinkering looked to upset the Celtic rhythm and, at times in the first half, they looked to be operating within themselves.
Highland frustration
Celtic celebrate Scott Sinclair's goal
Scott Sinclair (centre) opened the scoring for Celtic

Caley Thistle manager Richie Foran said before the game that his side would press and frustrate the reigning champions and, for long spells of the first period, they did just that.

They closed Celtic down well and prevented them from finding the gear that would ultimately give them the lead.

But even the most pessimistic of the home supporters knew it was only a matter of time.

The chances were being created and the Inverness door was creaking.

The defences were breached early in the second half and the opening goal came courtesy of a now familiar and formidable name.

Sinclair latched on to a defence-splitting pass from Callum McGregor and blasted low past goalkeeper Owen fon Wiliams for his 10th goal of the season.

Griffiths was keen to impress in a rare start and he found the net after Dembele's effort was parried by Fon Williams.

Greg Tansey was given a second yellow card for a foul on McGregor in the build up and that killed off any slim hopes of a Caley Thistle come back.

Rogic came off the bench to add a third, but with Lustig and captain Scott Brown hobbling off, the win may well have come at a price.