Author Archives: celtic

Here We Again Were on the Road Again- Aberdeen Away Preview

Celtic had an early road trip this morning traveling north to face Aberdeen. The game kicks off at 12.15.

 

After the midweek heroics in the comeback win against Lazio, an early trip to play the Dons wouldn’t be the fixture of choice. Especially after the performance we put in against Livingston after the Cluj game. Hopefully the players have learned their lesson from that one and are right up for this one.

 

Aberdeen are sitting 5th in the league, seven points behind the league leaders. Motherwell and Killie are a point and two points ahead of them. Their record is W4, D3, L2. A good 3-0 win last weekend away to Motherwell brought them closer to The Steelmen in the league.

An Evening With Alan Thompson

 

 

Having played last week before Rangers, Celtic again have the opportunity to put a bit of pressure on them. Motherwell are the visitors to Ibrox.

 

Manager Neil Lennon is conscious of the fact we struggled after the Cluj game.

 

“We have looked at historical reports on Thursday to Sunday games and, in the main, when we make more than three changes, it can be detrimental to the result and the performance,” Lennon said in the pre match press conference.

 

“We played in Stockholm and then played Rangers on the Sunday morning and won, with one change. Then, after Rennes away, we made one change for Kilmarnock on the Sunday and we won.

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“Then we played Cluj and played well, and then made one change for Livinsgton and we lost, although the fact we were down to 10 men might have affected that as well, so obviously discipline is going to be important on Sunday also.

 

“With us not having Ryan  it’s a big loss, because he’s got 12 goals now and who knows how many assists, so he is bang on form. We love working with him and I think he’s really thriving on the responsibility that we’re giving him as well.”

 

It should be a tough game, expect Aberdeen to come flying out the traps but if we withstand the early pressure then we are always likely to score. It’s a crucial game for us in the league race.

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Mick Kane hails from Glasgow. He has been hooked on Celtic since he went to his first game when he was 7. Celtic beat Hamilton 8-3 at Celtic Park on the 3rd of January 1987. His favourite player at the time, Brian McClair scored four goals.

He started going regular as a 16 year old when Celtic played at Hampden for the season, being a Southsider it meant a short train journey to get to Hampden. From then he has had a season ticket travelled around Europe for games as Celtic became the dominant force in Scottish football again. A nice change from growing up during Rangers run to 9 in a row.

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Europa Nights & Disco Lights – Celtic v Lazio Preview

Europa League action returns to Celtic Park on Thursday as Italian giants Lazio travel to Glasgow.

This will be the first time both teams have faced each other in competitive action with the Celts looking to consolidate their position at the top of the group.

Celtic returned to winning ways on Saturday tanking Ross County 6-0, meanwhile Lazio came back from three goals down to draw 3-3 at home to Atalanta. They currently sit 7th in Serie A.

An Evening With Alan Thompson

 

The Italians got off to a dodgy start in the Europa League group stage going down 2-1 to Cluj in Romania. The won by the same score line against Rennes in Rome. Lazio made it to the last 32 of the competition last year being eliminated by Sevilla. They have lost seven of their last nine away games in the competition.

Italian opposition have proved difficult for Celtic to overcome, winning just five out of 25 matches, at home however we have a decent record, W4, D5, L3 and obviously our greatest ever result came against Italian opposition, Inter.

At the press conference, Neil Lennon said, “It’s almost like a Champions League game really, with the size of the two clubs and the prestige the game holds.
“A win would put us in a very strong position. But we’re going to have to play as well, if not better, than we have done in the previous two games and I think the players are capable of doing that.

Celtic Soul T-Shirt | Black

 

“Lazio have the leading scorer in Serie A, Ciro Immobile, and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is one of the best midfielders in Europe, so they are packed, going forward, with lots of quality.
“We’re not rookies. We have players with international experience. We are at home and we won’t allow Lazio to settle in and dictate the tempo. We want to play with our energy and get the crowd behind us.”

This game will be Neil Lennon’s 50th European match as Celtic manager and I have a good feeling about this. I am confident we can take 4 points from the double header against Lazio which would put the hoops in a great position to win the group.

If your going to the game don’t forget to pick up a copy of More than 90 Minutes Issue 105 can’t make it tonight you can still download the latest digital edition or order the print copy and we will stick in the post for you.

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Mick Kane hails from Glasgow. He has been hooked on Celtic since he went to his first game when he was 7. Celtic beat Hamilton 8-3 at Celtic Park on the 3rd of January 1987. His favourite player at the time, Brian McClair scored four goals.

He started going regular as a 16 year old when Celtic played at Hampden for the season, being a Southsider it meant a short train journey to get to Hampden. From then he has had a season ticket travelled around Europe for games as Celtic became the dominant force in Scottish football again. A nice change from growing up during Rangers run to 9 in a row.

 

 

 

CELTIC FC – IF YOU KNOW YOUR HISTORY- ON THE DOUBLE-DOUBLE IN 1908

 

The attention was today fixed on Celtic who were going for what might have been called a “double-double”. They had won the Scottish League and Scottish Cup in 1907, and last week in a spectacular demolition of St Mirren, they had won the Scottish Cup of 1908, and today a win over Rangers at Ibrox would guarantee them the Scottish League. They were in the happy position of having games in hand in any case, but it would be nice to do it at Ibrox, and in any case today April 25 1908 was the 40th birthday of the man who had done it all for them – Manager Willie Maley!

An Evening With Alan Thompson

 

 

Even though the two respective managers, Willie Maley and William Wilton were good friends, relationships between Celtic and Rangers had been far from cordial since the suspension of Jimmy Quinn last January, but Jimmy had come roaring back until he had been “derailed” by a septic toe in early 1908. But he had recovered by late February, and was now “back on track” in the words of a journalist who enjoyed railway metaphors.

Yet today Jimmy was shamefully targeted by Rangers defenders and by Jimmy Galt in particular, a rather brutal character who seemed to enjoy the nickname of “dirty Galt”. Quinn was injured several times in the first 15 minutes, was forced to play on the wing and then had to retire altogether.

It did not matter however, for Alec Bennett (who of course had played before in the centre forward position) took over Quinn’s place, compelling Rangers’ recent acquisition from Arsenal, James Sharp to go with him. “The Artful Dodger” won this particular battle, and it was he who scored the only goal of the game. The 1-0 score-line might have given the impression of a close encounter. It was anything but. McMenemy and Bennett were superb, and if Quinn had been in action, the score would have been a “horrendous” one. Behind them, the mighty troika of Young, Loney and Hay broke up anything Rangers offered them, sprayed passes and controlled things, “gobbling up everything that came down the middle” with Willie Loney earning the nickname “No Road This Way”.

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Full time came, and Jimmy Quinn, now watching the game from the touchline, had what in some ways was his greatest moment. He would have had every right to churlishly ignore the Rangers thugs who had persecuted and maimed him. No, Jimmy calmly got up, walked to the Rangers players and shook hands with them. This action marked Jimmy out as being a special sort of man, but everyone knew that anyway! And yet he walked and talked “just like an ordinary man”!

 

The Press rained down their plaudits on Celtic and Willie Maley. The Dundee Courier states that “the best fellowship had existed between player and player and player and Director and this had not a little to do with the success of the club”, and The Glasgow Herald says that “the players have been heartened and nursed as they would nowhere else have been”. Captain James Hay was a proud man as well, and it was true that every one of the Celtic players had been reared from the junior ranks. Even as early as 1908, people said that was “the Celtic way”.

The teams were:

Rangers: Newbigging, Law and Sharp; May, Taylor and Galt; Noble, McDonald, Campbell, Livingstone and Smith

Celtic: Adams, McNair and Weir; Young, Loney and Hay; Bennett, McMenemy, Quinn, Somers and Hamilton

Referee Mr J Faichnie, Falkirk

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Born in 1948, David Potter first saw Celtic at Dens Park, Dundee in March 29. It was a 3-5 defeat, which equipped him admirably for the horrors of the early 1960’s. He had “followed” Celtic for a few years before that and recalls having been called upon to impersonate Jock Stein and receive the family silver teapot which had to do for the Scottish Cup as it was presented on April 24 1954, after he and his father had spent a nerve wracking afternoon listening to the radio!  Since then, he has “followed” every Celtic game with bated breath, and has written extensively about the club in magazines and books. His favorite team was that of 1969 (which he rates marginally better than 1967) and his favorite player was Henrik Larsson.

His ambition for Celtic is for them to keep on winning silver in Scotland and to be something in Europe once again. His other interests are cricket and drama. He is 70, a retired teacher of Classical Languages, married with three children and five grandchildren. He now travels on the Joseph Rafferty bus from Kirkcaldy. He also loves Forfar Athletic.

 

 

 

Celtic FC – The Kids Are Alright

Anyone who saw Celtic at the weekend will have been impressed with the latest young player to break into the first team Jeremie Frimpong his attitude and performance on Saturday was outstanding. Neil Lennon spoke about him in his interview with Celtic TV earlier this week and also mentioned some of the other young players waiting in the wings as Celtic build for the future.

I bumped into Willie McStay a few weeks back at Celtic Park during half time of Celtic’s League Cup quarterfinal v Partick Thistle. Willie who knows a thing or two about Celtic and the type of young players required after being instrumental alongside Tommy Burns in creating the youth system we enjoy at Celtic today and the continuing stream of players who break into the first team from the development squad.

The night before Frimpong made his debut one of those products from Celtic’s youth system, Kieran Tierney made his Arsenal debut after his £25 million transfer to the Gunners. If social media is to be believed then the Arsenal fans are happy no matter what he has wrote on his boots it’s what in the boots that matter to them and although we didn’t want KT to leave, results have shown he has not been missed and I’m sure Willie will be following his career closely, while keeping an eye out for more young talent on his scouting missions.

An Evening With Alan Thompson

MCSTAY STAYED

When KT signed for Arsenal, Celtic fans who vented their anger at him used Willie’s brother Paul as the benchmark of a true Celtic Man who stayed with us through thick and thin when Europe’s top teams came knocking, McStay stayed.

While another success story from our youth system, James Forest took his place on the bench that night about the same time Willie was taking his seat in the main stand for a look at the latest player that he recommended to the club a young Dutch teenager by the name of Jeremie Frimpong brought to the club from Manchester City late in the transfer window. A player I must admit I had never heard of and with the pool of talent at City I am sure some of the City fans hadn’t paid much attention to him and wouldn’t have blinked an eye when he left.

Willie must have been smiling as he walked back into the lounge in the main stand for a half time cuppa; the kid had done well and impressed everyone. When I spoke to Willie he was smiling, I asked him about the young players brought in during the transfer window and he seemed very happy as he modestly tells me “ I’m happy with the players I recommended” he recommended Frimpong along with Luca Connell, Lee O’ Connell and Jonathan Afolabi.

Willie is forever travelling around Europe for international underage tournaments and his word is trusted within the walls of Celtic Park and around Lennoxtown. I like chatting to Willie and lets hope we can get him into Malone’s this season again for Celtic AM to discuss the young players coming through at Celtic.

Andrew Milne started More than 90 Minutes in 2001. He has written for numerous publications and online about Celtic. One of his essays featured in Celtic Minded 2 and he is a former newspaper columnist with the Daily Ireland and the man behind celticfanzine.com. He is host of Celtic AM pre-match events at Malone’s in Glasgow on match days and follows Celtic Home & Away. He is a season ticket holder for Celtic FC and the Republic of Ireland. He is also P.R.O. of St. Margaret’s CSC, a member of the Celtic Trust and the Celtic Graves Association.

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Celtic Return to Paradise to face Ross County

Another long international break over, thankfully, with a return to league action at Celtic Park on Saturday.

 

Ross County will travel down from the highlands in a healthy 5th place in the league on the same points as fourth placed Aberdeen. They are coming off of a couple of draws and before that an away win against Motherwell.

An Evening With Alan Thompson

 

 

The hoops have a chance to remedy a couple of disappointing away results, a draw against Hibs and defeat to Livingston which took place either side of a good result at Celtic Park against Cluj in the Europa.

 

With top place in the league having moved to the dark side of Glasgow, the champs have a chance to put some pressure on Rangers by winning on Saturday ahead of what could be a tricky away clash to Hearts for the Ibrox team.

 

As much as I expect Rangers to slip up on occasion this season it is imperative that Celtic get back to winning ways. The two recent away results have wiped out the result and momentum we gained from the win at Ibrox.

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We have several winnable games coming up in the league, the most difficult an away match to Aberdeen but with a heavy schedule, which also includes Europa league games and a semi final against Hibs. The players will need to be prepared to fight for every result.

 

The league, for me is the be all and end all this year, the chance to win 9 in a row and it will be a fine balancing act to maintain winning ways in every competition but if a priority has to be decided then its got to be the league.

Author- Mick Kane hails from Glasgow. He has been hooked on Celtic since he went to his first game when he was 7. Celtic beat Hamilton 8-3 at Celtic Park on the 3rd of January 1987. His favourite player at the time, Brian McClair scored four goals.

He started going regular as a 16 year old when Celtic played at Hampden for the season, being a Southsider it meant a short train journey to get to Hampden. From then he has had a season ticket travelled around Europe for games as Celtic became the dominant force in Scottish football again. A nice change from growing up during Rangers run to 9 in a row.

 

 

Issue 105 Digital Edition

 

 

Review: An Evening with Chris Sutton  – Malones Glasgow Friday 27 Sept. 

 

Before Celtic’s visit to Easter Road, it was a privilege to spend a sold out Friday evening in the company of Celtic Legend, Chris Sutton at Malones.

Sutton is a very humble character and before the night kicked-off he very happily took photos with supporters and chatted to them.

He is a figure that divides opinion not just within the Celtic support, but in a broader media context due to the work in which he does with BT Sport, The Daily Record and BBC.

Sutton was a central part of the side which Martin O’Neill built and joined the club in July 2000. He would go on to play a major part during his first season at the club, with Celtic winning there first Treble in 31 years.

During his 5 years at the club he scored some terrific goals with the highlights mainly being in Old Firm fixtures as well as European games. He fondly remembers the goal which he scored at Celtic Park in the dying minutes of the game to whitewash Rangers during season 2003/04. Speaking to host Andrew Milne, one of his only regrets from his time in Green and White Hoops is the side not performing as well away from home in European competitions. It would be fair to say that the team which he was an integral part of could have taken on any of Europe’s elite and given them a right good game.

With his friend and former teammate being in the hot seat at Celtic Park, he still thinks that Celtic will have enough to win the league this year but knows that they will face a challenge in doing so.

Next up at Malones is an Evening with Alan Thompson on 22 Nov. Tickets are on sale now and are selling fast. Click below to secure your ticket

An Evening With Alan Thompson

 

Declan McConville is currently a student studying Journalism and Politics at the University of Strathclyde. He helps to run the Maryhill Bertie Auld CSC and he follows Celtic home and away across Scotland as well as in Europe. Celtic is certainly much more than a football club and through it he has formed close bonds with a lot of fantastic people as well as some ex-players which is his absolute privilege.

 

Away Days- Livi v Celtic preview

Back to league action on Sunday for the champions as we travel to face Livingston for a 12.00 kick off.

 

Celtic currently sit proudly top of the SPFL and our Europa League group after gaining revenge against CFR Cluj on Thursday night. Celtic were well worthy of their 2-0 score line and could have had more if Jullien had better placed a trio of headers. Next up in the Europa is a double header against Lazio.

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Livingston started the campaign well, they were undefeated throughout the league cup section and first month of the league however their last win was against St Mirren on the 31st August and they have been beaten every game since. Last weekend Hamilton beat them 2-1. Livingston are sitting in 6th in the league on 8 points, with a record of two wins, two draws and three defeats.

 

So far this season there has been no European hang over for Celtic, with them winning every game on their return to league action and its crucial Celtic win away to Livingston after drawing away to Hibs last week. That gave sevco the chance to move a point behind. We have a chance to put a bit of pressure on them ahead of their game at Ibrox, which in all honesty they should win, it’s against Hamilton.

 

After tomorrow it’s another international break so the players will be travelling all around the world, hopefully they will all stay injury free.

 

Celtic should have too much for Livingston and be looking to get back to winning ways in the league.

 

Prediction Livingston 0-4 Celtic

Mick Kane hails from Glasgow. He has been hooked on Celtic since he went to his first game when he was 7. Celtic beat Hamilton 8-3 at Celtic Park on the 3rd of January 1987. His favourite player at the time, Brian McClair scored four goals.

He started going regular as a 16 year old when Celtic played at Hampden for the season, being a Southsider it meant a short train journey to get to Hampden. From then he has had a season ticket travelled around Europe for games as Celtic became the dominant force in Scottish football again. A nice change from growing up during Rangers run to 9 in a row.

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Europa Nights -Celtic v Cluj Match Preview

Celtic have the chance for revenge on Thursday in the Europa League. Romanian champions CFR Cluj return to Celtic Park having knocked out the hoops in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League.

 

Having won 4-3 at Celtic Park in August, Cluj will be looking to silence Paradise once again however they face a different Celtic team to the one that night.

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Celtic, up until last weekend when we had to settle for a 1-1 draw against Hibs, have been in great form. Lessons have been learned from the Cluj game, in which Calum McGregor will probably not be forced to play left back ever again. Johnny Hayes has come in when required, scoring at Ibrox, while Bolingoli and Jullien have found the form which made Celtic purchase them.

 

Neil Lennon’s men will enter the arena hungry to show the Romanians what Celtic are all about.

 

Both teams started the Europa League campaign with good results, Celtic drawing 1-1 against Rennes in France, a game in which they had plenty of possession and could have won. On the same night, Lazio visited Romania where Cluj beat them 2-1.

 

Both teams will be confident which could see a good game. It might also mean we can expose Cluj on the counter as I feel they will come looking to win.

 

Prediction:

Celtic 3-1 Cluj

Mick Kane hails from Glasgow. He has been hooked on Celtic since he went to his first game when he was 7. Celtic beat Hamilton 8-3 at Celtic Park on the 3rd of January 1987. His favourite player at the time, Brian McClair scored four goals.

He started going regular as a 16 year old when Celtic played at Hampden for the season, being a Southsider it meant a short train journey to get to Hampden. From then he has had a season ticket travelled around Europe for games as Celtic became the dominant force in Scottish football again. A nice change from growing up during Rangers run to 9 in a row.

Issue 105 Print Copy

Away Days- Hibs v Celtic Match Preview

It’s an early kick off in the SPFL for the champions as they travel to the capital to take on Hibernian.

Hibs have been on a terrible run in the league so far and sit second bottom just ahead of St Johnstone on goal difference, and with a measly return of five points.

Last weekend Hibs took the lead at Easter Rosd against Edinburgh rivals Hearts only to lose 2-1, manager Paul Heckingbottom will be under enormous pressure to get a result against Celtic, otherwise he could be out the door.

Hampden Dress Rehearsal

They have however reached the semi final of the League Cup, where they face Celtic. Hibs overcome Kilmarnock on penalties to reach Hampden at the start of November.

Celtic travel to Edinburgh after a fringe XI comfortably booked their semi final spot, crushing Partick Thistle 5-0. Jeremie Frimpong, a transfer deadline signing from Man City, won man of the match and Neil Lennon praised the young Dutchman.

“He has an infectious personality and he’s infectious in the way he plays.” Lennon said at the press conference on Friday. “He should be really proud of his debut. Hopefully a small step in the right direction in having a career here.”

Injury Update

Lennon also gave an injury update, “I’m hoping Bitton and Johnston will join the squad training on Monday. Shved’s back in training. Bauer missed the game on Wednesday with an ankle injury but he’ll be fine and back in the squad. Looking healthy at the minute.”

One player who will still be missing is Leigh Griffiths as Lennon explained, “He’s injured at the minute. Not only is he out with a thigh strain, he’s got a bit of a virus as well.”

If Celtic play the way we have been then it should be a relatively comfortable afternoon in Edinburgh.

Prediction Hibs 0-2 Celtic

Mick Kane hails from Glasgow. He has been hooked on Celtic since he went to his first game when he was 7. Celtic beat Hamilton 8-3 at Celtic Park on the 3rd of January 1987. His favourite player at the time, Brian McClair scored four goals.

He started going regular as a 16 year old when Celtic played at Hampden for the season, being a Southsider it meant a short train journey to get to Hampden. From then he has had a season ticket travelled around Europe for games as Celtic became the dominant force in Scottish football again. A nice change from growing up during Rangers run to 9 in a row.

 

 

Teenage Fan Club

Hampden will be green and white when Celtic take on Hibs in the semi-finals of the League Cup on the first weekend in November and no doubt tickets will be in demand unlike last night’s quarter final. We will not have to wait long for the dress rehearsal when Neil Lennon takes Celtic to Easter Road the home was his former employers.

 

There were plenty of empty seats last night at Paradise on a night when Celtic fans inside and watching on Celtic TV ( it’s a pity that Irish & UK based subscribers can only get audio and have to wait till the game is over to watche delayed coverage) were treated to a 5 star performance.

 

Everybody expected to see Celtic win and go 29 domestic cup games unbeaten but it was how they did it turning on the style in the second half but fair play to Thistle they came and gave it a go but the gap in class was there for all to see.

9IAR Season

The fixture list has been packed since we started our European journey back in July and with so many important games still to play in Europe and in this 91AR season, the strength of the opponents gave the manager a chance to blood Jeremie Frimpong and a chance for some fringe squad players to get some playing time and to push forward a case for themselves to be included on a regular basis.

 

A quick look at the team sheet showed that we have strength in debt for a domestic assault on all three fronts within the squad. Gordon, Bayo, Hayes,  Morgan, Rogic, Nthcham, Elyounoussi, Frimpong, Elhamed, Ajer, McGregor all took their place in the huddle as the new lights shone a single star over them to remind us all and those across the city of our greatest victory in 1967.

 

While first team regulars, Forster, Brown, Edouard, Bolingoli and Forest took their unfamiliar seats on the bench alongside forgotten players Scott Sinclair and Jack Hendry. Although the manager rang in the changes he was taking no chances, if Partick had upset the apple cart he had plenty of match winning options to spring off the bench.

FIRST HALF

After 14 minutes with Celtic dominating Bayo hammered home the first and I thought here we go but Thistle held out with until half time only one goal down. Bayo’s goal brought the stadium to life and the Green Brigade were in top form helping to create the atmosphere, a very loud cheer went around the stadium when Scott Sinclair emerged from the dugout to jog down the side-line towards the Jock Stein stand to warm up. The warm reception was much appreciated by Scott. Still a fans favourite even though he has not been in and around the first team much so far this season.

 

I had not even plonked myself on my seat or took a sip out of my Bovril before Tom Rogic scored the second within a minute of the second half kick off. Rogic had been quiet enough in the first half and I’m sure Lenny had a few words in his ear along with Ntcham another player with buckets of talent who maybe wasn’t fully tuned into the game in the first half.

 

However the French man was involved in everything in the second half and scored two absolute crackers from outside the box. Scott Brown replaced McGregor, Jack Hendry replaced man of the match debut bhoy Frimpong who was embraced by Neil Lennon as he left the pitch and Lennon also turned around to him when he was announced man of the match over the tannoy to congratulate him.

THE RETURNING SCOTT

One of the biggest cheers of the night went up once again for Scott Sinclair when he came off the bench to replace Mo Elyounoussi and when he scored the fifth and Celtic’s final goal he celebrated as if he had scored the winner in the dying seconds against The Rangers. I’m sure it was a celebration of mixed emotions as he released his frustrations while thanking the fans for the earlier support and applause.

 

The performance has given Lenny food for thought ahead of Saturdays visit to Edinburgh and will keep the first 11 on their toes.

 

Man of the Match: Jeremie Frimpong

Honourable Mention: Olivier Ntcham

Bench Watch: Scott Sinclair the fans miss you

Away Fans: Celebrated the disallowed goal but had little else to cheer about.

Away Players: Former Celtic player Scott Fox kept the scoreline down. Another former Celtic player Kenny Miller led the line with no success and came closest to the ball when substituted and the ball was smashed into the visitors dugout.