August Review: Celts Start The Season In Style

Celts Start The Season In Style


August




The month ends in Champions League glory


The season could not have started any better for Celtic with the only objective at the start of the month being to secure their place in the group stages of the Champions League. By the end of the month that mission was accomplished and the Hoops were sitting on top of the SPL. The Bhoys were very much back in business.


Neil Lennon's charges were in action from the first day of the month as they took on HJK Helsinki in the Champions League third round. The first leg took place at Parkhead and the fans in attendance were given a nasty fright when the visitors took the lead just after the break thanks to a lucky break inside the Celtic penalty area which allowed the ball to fall kindly for Rasmus Schuller who slotted home.


The lead did not last long though as seven minutes later, the menacing Georgios Samaras sent a wonderful ball across the area from the left wing and Gary Hooper tapped home for an easy finish. Charlie Mulgrew then ensured the Bhoys would go to Finland with a lead when he found himself unmarked in the box to head home a Kris Commons corner.



Mulgrew in acres of space to head the Hoops into the lead


Three days later the SPL Champions raised the league flag in the opening game of the campaign at home to Aberdeen. It was an encounter in which the Bhoys were far from their best as they struggled to break down an organised Dons side on a sunny Glasgow afternoon. The win was perhaps gifted to the home side in the closing stages when Jamie Langfield completely misjudged Commons' hopeful shot from the wing as it skipped under him at his near post.


Nevertheless, the Hoops were up and running and got the three points that they craved ahead of a tricky trip to Finland. It promised to be a nervy encounter for the away side who could have eased those nerves had Scott Brown not squandered a glorious early chance when in on goal. It took until the second half before the opener was scored with Joe Ledley putting his side ahead in an unorthodox fashion as he bundled the ball home with his chest.


Those nerves resurfaced shortly after the goal though when Victor Wanyama saw red after picking up his second yellow card of the game which ruled him out of the first leg of the next round. Celtic ensured their name would be in the pot for the all-important play off round late in the game when Samaras curled into the bottom corner and set up a meeting with Swedish side Helsingborg.



'Sammi' takes the acclaim of the visitors following his late goal in Helsinki


Sandwiched between the Helsinki tie and a tricky trip to the Highlands to face Ross County, the Bhoys were bound for Philadelphia to take part in the Herbalife World Football Challenge where they faced Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid. The American Hoops and many travelling fans made the trip a great success that was soured somewhat by the nasty injury picked up by Dylan McGeouch who suffered a broken jaw while goals from Jose Callejon and Karim Benzema were enough for Los Blancos to win 2-0.


The Celts were brought back down to earth upon their return to SPL action in Dingwall as a lacklustre performance looked as though it would end in defeat with an injury-hit Celtic team securing a late draw. Richard Brittain's stunning curling free kick put the newly-promoted side ahead in the second half as Celtic twice hit the woodwork before Samaras was denied a clear penalty when he was clipped inside the area.


However, in true Celtic style and in an embodiment of the club's never say die attitude, an equaliser was secured deep into injury time when Tony Watt found space on the right and his low shot was parried into the path of an onrushing Commons who tapped home from close range and avoid a shock defeat.



The Scotland star pounces late to rescue a priceless point


From Dingwall, it was on to Helsingborg in Sweden, the home of Celtic's opponents to gain a place in the group stages of the Champions League and a certain Celtic legend. The memories of the class of Larsson in a green and white jersey must have rubbed off on the players who went ahead after two minutes when Samaras found space on the wing and sent over a fine cross that was acrobatically volleyed home by Commons.


From then it was up to Fraser Forster to shine as he made a series of crucial saves to keep Celtic in the contest before Adam Matthews prevented an equaliser with a last ditch tackle after his slack back pass had played his side into trouble. With the home side continuing to press for that elusive goal well into the second half, Samaras and Celtic hit them with the ultimate sucker punch as he headed home from an acute angle to give the Hoops a crucial win.


Upon the return from Sweden, it was back to the Highlands as the Hoops faced another tricky trip north, this time to take on Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Never an easy place to go, Celtic have seldom had such an easy time of it against Terry Butcher's side away from home as they coasted to a 4-2 win, a scoreline which perhaps flatters the hosts.



Tony Watt raises his arms in triumph against Inverness


Teenage striker Tony Watt made the most of his chance in the starting side as it was a much changed Celtic team who took to the field due to Lennon resting a number of key players ahead of the vital upcoming clash against Helsingborg at home. Victor Wanyama headed the Hoops into the lead in the opening minutes after rising highest in the Inverness penalty area to meet an Adam Matthews corner.


Midway through the first half, Watt latched on to a Filip Twardzik pass and kept his composure when running in on goal to coolly slot into the corner. Mulgrew added a third in the second half as the Hoops ran riot after Matthews was again involved as his free kick was played into the path of the Celtic centre back who drilled home.


It was the ever impressive Matthews who then cut the ball back for Watt to lash home another goal from close range to end the game as a contest. Slack Celtic defending in the closing stages allowed Caley Thistle to pull two goals back through Ross Draper but it was too little too late for the Highland outfit.



The players prepare for a massive 90 minutes


Helsingborg were greeted in Glasgow by an in-form Samaras who was once more at his best in a European game as he twice went close for the home side before Hooper opened the scoring. Brown's miscued drive from the edge of the area was flicked on by the Greek winger into the path of the former Scunthorpe striker who tapped the ball home despite marginally straying into an offside position.


Celtic's passage in the group stages was already secured before Wanyama put the icing on the cake as Celtic's number 67 scored in the 88th minute by heading home a beautiful Commons cross to put Paradise into the party mood. The following day that mood was increased as the draw paired the Bhoys against Barcelona, Benfica and Aiden McGeady's Spartak Moscow.


With morale already high, the Hoops fans were treated to three new signings on deadline day. Andre Blackman and Daryl Murphy left on loan deals for Inverness and Ipswich respectively before the new Bhoys arrived. Nigerian defender Efe Ambrose was signed on a three year deal from Ashdod before Nantes goalkeeper Lubos Kamenar arrived on loan with an option to buy as did Getafe striker Nicolas 'Miku' Fedor.


Celtic Results:

1/8/12 Celtic 2 - 1 HJK Helsinki Hooper, Mulgrew
4/8/12 Celtic 1 - 0 Aberdeen Commons
8/8/12 HJK Helsinki 0 - 2 Celtic Ledley, Samaras
11/8/12 Celtic 0 - 2 Real Madrid
18/8/12 Ross County 1 - 1 Celtic Commons
21/8/12 Helsingborg 0 - 2 Celtic Commons, Samaras
25/8/12 Inverness CT 2 - 4 Celtic Wanyama, Watt (2), Mulgrew
29/8/12 Celtic 2 - 0 Helsingborg Hooper, Wanyama


Player of the Month:​

Kris Commons - He was run close by Samaras' phenomenal displays in Europe but the Scotland man has truly recovered his finest form. He set up and scored vital goals in Europe as well as two crucial strikes on domestic duty to cap off a fine month. Quite why he has not made into the national squad, only Craig Levein knows.

Goal of the Month:​

Kris Commons v Helsingborg - A goal that stunned the home side in Sweden after just two minutes that earns the award for its beauty as much as its importance. Meeting Samaras' cross with a beautiful left foot volley, this goal put Celtic on their way to the promised land of the group stages.

P.W.
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