Job Done As Celts Ease Past Part-timers

Job Done As Celts Ease Past Part-timers​

Celtic 3-0 Lincoln Red Imps: Hoops set up trip to Kazakhstan

Brendan Rodgers rung the changes after the first leg and it quickly looked a shrewd move. Celtic signaled their intentions early on as they instantly put pressure on their part-time opponents.

With Roberts and Forrest impressing in the opening stages, the hosts moved the ball around quickly and cranked up the pressure on the Red Imps.

A controversial decision within the first 10 minutes saw the referee back out of his decision to award Celtic a penalty, with replays showing the foul was made inside the box.
Further frustration came when Callum McGregor's deflected drive crashed off the crossbar as Rodgers' men continued to look for an opening. There was another penalty claim moments later, with Griffiths going down as he tried to collected a lofted pass.

The break through midway through the first half, as Mikael Lustig reacted quickest to a loose ball in the box to fire a left foot finish into the corner.

The second came just minutes later, with Griffiths turning and firing into the corner from just outside the box after more good work from the lively Patrick Robers.

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Celtic had the tie out of sight after a gorgeous goal from star of the show, Roberts. The man on loan drifted in from the right and played a clever one-two with McGregor before curling a first-time finish into the corner of the net.

The tempo noticeably dropped thereafter, but Celtic continued to create chances, with both Griffiths and Dembele wasting several chances to give the scoreline the dominant look the performance merited.

The signs of pre-season rust were evident as the match wore on, but the tempo and intensity the side showed in the first half certainly highlights plenty of positives ahead of the upcoming ties.

With a long trip to Kazakhstan to face Astana on the horizon, Rodgers' will be keen to ensure the squad is as sharp as possible ahead of the next round.

MOTM: Patrick Roberts