Celtic overcame a stuffy Dundee side to eventually run out 5-0 winners today at Parkhead, in a match which saw Joe Ledley and Anthony Stokes stand out and John ‘Bomber’ Brown in the Celtic director’s box.
Celtic made changes from the team which drew at St. Johnstone, Stokes and Hooper were up-front together, there was no Mulgrew or Commons, McGeouch and James Forrest started and Efe Ambrose was at right-back. Dundee – who this week sacked Barry Smith and appointed former Rangers…player John Brown as interim boss had Ray Farningham as manager.
Dundee almost took the lead in the first five minutes, as a Gary Harkins free-kick caught out Fraser Forster, but the goal was ruled out for offside as Iain Davidson was ruled to be interfering with play. Celtic then took the lead in the thirteenth minute, Rab Douglas making a hash of an Izaguirre cross and Joe Ledley coolly slotted home. There then followed a spell in which Dundee were probably the better side, Gary Harkins forcing Forster in a smart save and the same player hitting the bar from the resulting corner. Neil was obviously not pleased and he took off Efe Ambrose and replaced with with Victor Wanyama before half-time, and switched to a 3-5-2.
The second half was only a couple of minutes old when Dundee sub Matt Lockwood as Gary Hooper attempted to score from a James Forrest cross, he denied a clear goal scoring opportunity and had to go. Forrest made it 2-0 from the penalty spot. It was 3-0 after 57 minutes, as a brilliant Stokes cross found McGeouch who headed the ball home. The fourth came after 73 minutes and was a second for Ledley, good work again from Stokes setting up the Welshman who finished well. The final and best goal came from Gary Hooper, who ran on to a Ledley pass and smashed the ball home.
Neil Lennon will be pleased with the second half performance especially, he’ll also have learned that playing Efe Ambrose at right back is not a good idea. Gary Hooper will be relieved to end his run without scoring, but the best performers by far were Joe Ledley and Tony Stokes. Ledley played the player he hasn’t been for most of this season, making runs from midfield and scoring goals, whilst Stokes – more on him in the blog tomorrow – was effective as a creative player once more. All in all a good day for Celtic, as we move towards the week that will define our season.
great result, but whats the point if there is only half a ground of fans, disgusted,i paid a small fortune to travel over from cork,its not on,the other crowd are having a right laugh at us even if they are in the s!*t,come on lads .
Who cares what a 3rd division clubs fans think. They will need to laugh really loud so we can hear them when they stuck awaaayyyy dowwwwn there at the foot of Scottish fitba’s league structure.
This has been the sort of crowds we get when we play a team like a Dundee for years, especially when it’s a sunday televised game at early o’clock.
Whether it be 50k or 30k attendances it makes no difference to the atmosphere because the only folk who make any effort to create an atmosphere is the GB and they there hail, rain or snow, God Bless em.
I turned up for the game today thinking, Dundee, well going to be one of these games where it will have me bored, and spending more time instead tuning into the GB.
But no, I actually enjoyed most of the match today. I was impressed how Dundee approached the game today, they try to play football unlike some of these other Spl cloggers who just sit in with 2 banks of four booting lumps out of Celtic players.
I agree with Joe Ledley and Anthony Stokes being the stand outs, Ledley is a Celtic captain for me, does all the running and dirty work non stop covering every blade of grass, he is one of those players who doesn’t receive much recognition for his efforts but the work he does makes him an important part of the team. He was my MOTM today. Since he came to Celtic their hasnt been one negative story about the guy, he gets his head down and gives his all for the Hoops. Top player.
Today Stokes impressed me, there is areas of his game that have been lacking in the past like his link up play and his movement and timing of runs, today he was excellent, and I was also amazed at the amount of headers he was winning for flick ons, this guy has been putting extra work in on the training ground by the looks of his recent performances, he’s even curbed his moaning and whinging, that Bhoy is desperate for that contract extension 😉
Izzaguirre was another today who’s performances are getting back to that of the POTY Izzaguirre, if he keeps similar type performances up no doubt he will be the next player for the media to tout as the next £8 million pound player bound for the bright lights of the EPL.
I was thinking today when was the last time Lennon subbed a player in the first half, I think it was his first game in charge at Hampden, Ross County and he pulled of wee Nguemo 5 minutes before half time, that was for tactical reasons. In his after match interview today he used the excuse Ambrose was sluggish so brought him of to give him rest, 3 minutes before half time Neil? If that was the case keep him on and keep him in the changing room at HT.. there was more to it than sluggishness, where I sit in the main stand people where getting seriously frustrated with Efe pulling the hair out their head, including me, I am no fan of his. Ive started to notice the players are getting frustrated with him also, the big guy has got good qualities about him, but there Is also a mistake lurking when he involved. The big lad needs those mistakes coached out him quick otherwise he going to become the new whipping Bhoy.
The rest of the team put decent performances iin today, I’d like to see McGeoch getting mire game time as I think he can offer us more down that right, between him anf Forrest then McGeouch is my choice.
What about the young lad at the left back for Dundee, No18, don’t know his name, but was very impressed with his performance today, he looks like a player who could play at a higher level than Dundee, no disrespect intended towards the Dundee players, but with a better quality of player around him he could be a good un..
HH ?
Dundee No 18 Declan Gallagher. He was at Celtic but was released about 2 years ago. He played with Clyde before Barry Smith signed him.
Hopefully the good things from the Dundee match will be kept for the Motherwell match. Come on Celts!
No18 info – Cheers bud. HH