Post by Taxigirl on Dec 12, 2005 10:21:13 GMT
www.sportinglife.com/football/live/reports/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/05/12/10/SOCCER_Celtic.html
John Hartson decided a five-goal thriller at Parkhead to surely kill off Hibernian's championship hopes and keep Celtic on top of the Bank of Scotland Premier League.
The Welshman had given the Glasgow giants the half-time lead but the match turned on its head after the restart when Guillaume Beuzelin and Stephen Fletcher forced Tony Mowbray's youngsters ahead as they sought the victory which would have seen them move within four points of their opponents.
But just like last week at Aberdeen, Celtic produced an ominous response when going behind with Shaun Maloney pulling the sides level before Hartson forced the ball home after the youngster's shot had come back off the upright to seal three precious points.
Maloney was only in the side because of an injury to Maciej Zurawski while Chinese defender Du Wei was on the bench for the first time since signing for Celtic.
Mowbray also made one change from the side which lost at Dundee United with Fletcher coming in for Dean Shiels.
Shunsuke Nakamura looked in the mood throughout and he sent Aiden McGeady away with the outside of his boot in the third minute.
The youngster then played Maloney clean through but he failed to pick out Hartson alone in the centre, giving Gary Caldwell the chance to make the intervention.
Caldwell thwarted the home side again in the 23rd minute when Nakamura threaded the ball through to Stilian Petrov and he chipped the ball past Zbigniew Malkowski and towards the back of the net but the defender raced back to clear off his goal-line.
Hartson should also have done better in the 35th minute when Petrov's effort hit a defender and fell kindly to him but he was too slow to react and Gary Smith made the block.
Petrov lost his cool when he caught Steven Whittaker late and was rightly booked by the referee.
But Celtic did break the deadlock in the 40th minute and it was no surprise that Nakamura was the provider. The Japanese playmaker curled an inviting free-kick into the area and Hartson stooped to head past Malkowski from six yards.
Derek Riordan made Nakamura pay for that with a crunching late tackle which earned him a booking.
Mowbray made a change at the interval with speedy frontman Ivan Sproule coming on for Riordan.
And Hibernian hauled themselves level within the first two minutes of the restart.
Thomson swung the ball in to the near post and Beuzelin reacted quicker than the Celtic defence to get ahead of Paul Telfer and head the ball past Artur Boruc.
The home side responded with a Hartson header from 12 yards but Malkowski never looked in any danger as he saved low to his right.
Hibernian grew in confidence and they punished Celtic again in the 53rd minute, courtesy of a spectacular Fletcher strike.
Beuzelin picked his team-mate out close to the corner of the box and he looked up before planting a right-foot effort across Boruc and into the far corner.
The Celtic crowd were getting agitated as the visitors continued to pile forward but Maloney came to the home side's rescue in the 58th minute after Nakamura had been fouled just outside the area.
Hibernian expected the Japanese star to take it but up stepped the youngster to curl a right-footed shot over the wall and into the corner, leaving Malkowski flat-footed.
Celtic still looked nervous at the back an Stephen McManus was booked for a foul on Garry O'Connor, who then saw his shot comfortably saved by Boruc.
But in an incredible second half the Hoops forced themselves ahead in the 63rd minute through Hartson.
Nakamura crossed to Maloney, who watched his flick come back off the far post but the Welshman arrived in the right place at the right time to bundle the ball home.
Thomson was looking to emulate Maloney from a free-kick inside the 'D' but he got the ball over the wall and the crossbar.
Boruc kept his side ahead with a brilliant stop from Sproule's powerful shot in the 76th minute after the winger had cut through the Celtic defence at worrying ease.
Petrov could have eased the nerves in the 82nd minute but he fired into the side-netting from a tight angle.
Fletcher was booked for bringing down Ross Wallace before Jamie McCluskey came on for Beuzelin with five minutes remaining.
Hartson came desperately close to killing the game off and notching a hat-trick moments later when he dived to head McGeady's free-kick against the crossbar.
Ross Wallace needed Boruc to save him in the dying seconds after racing off his line to clear his under-hit back-pass and the final whistle brought much relief.
Teams:
Celtic Boruc, Telfer, Balde, McManus, Wallace, Nakamura (Pearson 90), Lennon, Petrov, McGeady, Maloney, Hartson.
Subs Not Used: Marshall, Virgo, Lawson, Thompson, Du, Camara.
Booked: Petrov, McManus.
Goals: Hartson 40, Maloney 57, Hartson 65.
Hibernian Malkowski, Whittaker, Caldwell, Smith, Glass, Scott Brown, Thomson, Beuzelin (McCluskey 84), Fletcher, Riordan (Sproule 45), O'Connor.
Subs Not Used: Simon Brown, Morrow, Hogg, Rudge, Shiels.
Booked: Riordan, Fletcher.
Goals: Beuzelin 47, Fletcher 53.
Att: 59,895
Ref: K Clark (Scotland).
John Hartson decided a five-goal thriller at Parkhead to surely kill off Hibernian's championship hopes and keep Celtic on top of the Bank of Scotland Premier League.
The Welshman had given the Glasgow giants the half-time lead but the match turned on its head after the restart when Guillaume Beuzelin and Stephen Fletcher forced Tony Mowbray's youngsters ahead as they sought the victory which would have seen them move within four points of their opponents.
But just like last week at Aberdeen, Celtic produced an ominous response when going behind with Shaun Maloney pulling the sides level before Hartson forced the ball home after the youngster's shot had come back off the upright to seal three precious points.
Maloney was only in the side because of an injury to Maciej Zurawski while Chinese defender Du Wei was on the bench for the first time since signing for Celtic.
Mowbray also made one change from the side which lost at Dundee United with Fletcher coming in for Dean Shiels.
Shunsuke Nakamura looked in the mood throughout and he sent Aiden McGeady away with the outside of his boot in the third minute.
The youngster then played Maloney clean through but he failed to pick out Hartson alone in the centre, giving Gary Caldwell the chance to make the intervention.
Caldwell thwarted the home side again in the 23rd minute when Nakamura threaded the ball through to Stilian Petrov and he chipped the ball past Zbigniew Malkowski and towards the back of the net but the defender raced back to clear off his goal-line.
Hartson should also have done better in the 35th minute when Petrov's effort hit a defender and fell kindly to him but he was too slow to react and Gary Smith made the block.
Petrov lost his cool when he caught Steven Whittaker late and was rightly booked by the referee.
But Celtic did break the deadlock in the 40th minute and it was no surprise that Nakamura was the provider. The Japanese playmaker curled an inviting free-kick into the area and Hartson stooped to head past Malkowski from six yards.
Derek Riordan made Nakamura pay for that with a crunching late tackle which earned him a booking.
Mowbray made a change at the interval with speedy frontman Ivan Sproule coming on for Riordan.
And Hibernian hauled themselves level within the first two minutes of the restart.
Thomson swung the ball in to the near post and Beuzelin reacted quicker than the Celtic defence to get ahead of Paul Telfer and head the ball past Artur Boruc.
The home side responded with a Hartson header from 12 yards but Malkowski never looked in any danger as he saved low to his right.
Hibernian grew in confidence and they punished Celtic again in the 53rd minute, courtesy of a spectacular Fletcher strike.
Beuzelin picked his team-mate out close to the corner of the box and he looked up before planting a right-foot effort across Boruc and into the far corner.
The Celtic crowd were getting agitated as the visitors continued to pile forward but Maloney came to the home side's rescue in the 58th minute after Nakamura had been fouled just outside the area.
Hibernian expected the Japanese star to take it but up stepped the youngster to curl a right-footed shot over the wall and into the corner, leaving Malkowski flat-footed.
Celtic still looked nervous at the back an Stephen McManus was booked for a foul on Garry O'Connor, who then saw his shot comfortably saved by Boruc.
But in an incredible second half the Hoops forced themselves ahead in the 63rd minute through Hartson.
Nakamura crossed to Maloney, who watched his flick come back off the far post but the Welshman arrived in the right place at the right time to bundle the ball home.
Thomson was looking to emulate Maloney from a free-kick inside the 'D' but he got the ball over the wall and the crossbar.
Boruc kept his side ahead with a brilliant stop from Sproule's powerful shot in the 76th minute after the winger had cut through the Celtic defence at worrying ease.
Petrov could have eased the nerves in the 82nd minute but he fired into the side-netting from a tight angle.
Fletcher was booked for bringing down Ross Wallace before Jamie McCluskey came on for Beuzelin with five minutes remaining.
Hartson came desperately close to killing the game off and notching a hat-trick moments later when he dived to head McGeady's free-kick against the crossbar.
Ross Wallace needed Boruc to save him in the dying seconds after racing off his line to clear his under-hit back-pass and the final whistle brought much relief.
Teams:
Celtic Boruc, Telfer, Balde, McManus, Wallace, Nakamura (Pearson 90), Lennon, Petrov, McGeady, Maloney, Hartson.
Subs Not Used: Marshall, Virgo, Lawson, Thompson, Du, Camara.
Booked: Petrov, McManus.
Goals: Hartson 40, Maloney 57, Hartson 65.
Hibernian Malkowski, Whittaker, Caldwell, Smith, Glass, Scott Brown, Thomson, Beuzelin (McCluskey 84), Fletcher, Riordan (Sproule 45), O'Connor.
Subs Not Used: Simon Brown, Morrow, Hogg, Rudge, Shiels.
Booked: Riordan, Fletcher.
Goals: Beuzelin 47, Fletcher 53.
Att: 59,895
Ref: K Clark (Scotland).