Youth/Development Team Thread

Calvin Miller makes it 3, Allan with the assist.

 

Calvin Miller makes it 3-0 early in the second half

 

4-0

 

4-0 on the hour, Jack Aitchison with the goal

 

no more goals please celtic, got 4-0 on!

 

4-1

 

* dundee united! 4-1

 

Ronny oot and sack the board

 

Haha, yeah man, get them all out! Cost me £2 on my 10/1 correct score

 

Another goal for Aitchinson... Big future ahead of him.

 

FT 4-1

 

Saw a guy on twitter who covers loads of Celtic youth football say a couple of weeks back that he is the best natural striker to come through Celtic Boys Club in the last 25 years

 

CELTIC’S Development Side swept aside Dundee United 4-1 at Lennoxtown this afternoon to extend their lead at the top of the table to 13 points and maintain their unbeaten league record this season.
Goals from Scott Allan and Stuart Armstrong put the young Hoops in charge at the interval after a dominant first-half display.
Calvin Miller and Jack Aitchison found the net early in the second half to seal the spoils, with Ali Coote’s reply for the visitors proving no more than consolation.
The result leaves the Bhoys in a commanding position at the league summit and they still hold two games in hand over closest pursuers Hamilton Accies.
Tommy McIntyre opted for a mix of youth and experience, with a number of his regular players away on international duty. In total, the Professional Academy Manager made six changes to his team following their last game – a 4-0 victory over Ross County.
Resuming competitive action following the postponement of last week’s fixture against Motherwell, the Bhoys had Leo Fasan back in goals in place of Conor Hazard, who had been called up to the Northern Ireland Under-19 squad.
Dan Higgins and Calum Waters returned to the defence in place of Sam Wardrop and Aidan McIlduff, while Tyler Blackett, Allan and Armstrong added experience to the starting XI.
Aside from Jamie McCart blocking a shot from Dundee United forward Coote, there was little incident of note in the opening exchanges as both teams settled into their rhythm.
But Celtic gradually took control and opened the scoring with their first meaningful chance of the game. Regan Hendry was the architect, driving a path through the middle of visitors defence and picking out Allan inside the box who flashed a first-time effort into the far corner.
United goalkeeper Joe McGovern was then booked for handling outside the box as he attempted to collect a ball over the top. Blackett fired the resultant free-kick over.
Allan was becoming more prominent in the final third, always looking to create, and he spotted Aitchison’s run into the box in the 20th minute but the 16-year-old striker saw his shot saved by McGovern.
Right-back Higgins carved out the next opportunity for himself, evading the attentions of Justin Johnson before shooting wide of the near post.
The young Hoops continued to make all the running and Allan was off target with two attempts in quick succession after being supplied by Calvin Miller, who was beginning to make inroads down the left.
Breaking from midfield, Armstrong was also causing problems for the away side and only a last-ditch challenge halted his progress after a mazy run. Hendry also tried his luck from distance but shot wide.
Just before the break Armstrong doubled the advantage for the dominant hosts. After pinning United back with a prolonged period of passing, Hendry rolled the ball across for the onrushing Armstrong who applied the finish.
The Tannadice side tried to respond as the second half got underway, forcing a succession of corners and showing greater attacking enterprise, but Celtic always looked likely to fashion further chances.
A neat turn in the box by Armstrong allowed him to deliver a dangerous cross into the mix but the Bhoys were unable to profit, with Miller’s final effort charged down.
But Miller wouldn’t be denied and he added numbed three in the 54th minute. Allan played him in with a perfectly-weighted pass and the winger buried a shot beyond McGovern.
Miller and Johnson had shots saved at either end, before McIntyre’s side inflicted further punishment. Miller turned provider, sending in an inviting cross from the left which was bulleted home by the diving Aitchison.
United continued to persevere, however, and Coote reduced arrears with a tidy finish from the edge of the area, moments after he had come close from a similar position.
The Hoops youngsters spurned chances to add to their tally in the closing stages, most notably when substitute Innes Murray shot wide after being played in by Miller, but it made no difference to the final outcome which reflected the one-sided nature of the contest.

 

CELTIC Academy coach Tommy McIntyre was pleased with his side’s cohesive performance in their comprehensive 4-1 win over Dundee United on Tuesday.
With much of his regulars off on international duty, the Development Squad coach was forced to pull together a squad of youth prospects and experienced first-team stars, but the players put on a confident display to extend their unbeaten run in the league to 23 games.
Scott Allan and Stuart Armstrong got the side off to a winning start with goals in the first-half before youngsters Calvin Miller and Jack Aitchison sealed the win with fine finishes inside 15 minutes of the restart.
The Terrors scored a late consolation through Ali Coote but it mattered little to McIntyre’s side, who looked in control all afternoon, and the coach said he was pleased with his team’s performance.
“It’s always good to get a win but the performance was also good,” he said. “We brought the game up to Lennoxtown on the astro and it’s a really good surface. We wanted to get the ball down and play and we had some good football that was entertaining and good to see.
“We had one or two first-team lads getting a bit of game-time as well with youngsters up front and a young back four so it was good.
“We had the opportunity to reschedule the game because so many players are away on international duty, which is great for the club and great for the players to represent their countries, but it gave us the opportunity to bring in one or two young players and see how they performed. It was a really good exercise for us.
“We played Regan Hendry on the right-hand side and he was dangerous in the second-half and Calvin Miller, again, had a good second-half and a great delivery for young Jack Aitchison’s goal.
“When they come in they bounce off the first-team players as well and it gives them a lift. It’s also good for the first-team lads to help the young players as well.”
Celtic’s fourth and final goal of the game came from a link-up between two of the Development Squad’s many rising stars, Miller and Aitchison, with the former supplying a sublime cross from the left to find the head of Aitchison in the box to put the icing on the cake.
McIntyre said he was pleased with the performance of the 16-year-old striker but said it is important for his players to remain grounded as they continue their progression at the club.
“Jack’s doing really well at training and has trained a couple of times with the first-team as well,” he said. “He keeps his feet on the ground and he’s a good young prospect for us.
“He has good potential but we just need to nurture it and make sure we look after him and don’t over play him. Medical and sports science have been great at that and looking after all the players and making sure we balance their work load."
The Bhoys now face a nine-day wait before their next fixture, away to Inverness Caley Thistle in Dingwall, but McIntyre added that he is happy to have the coming week to rest his players ahead of a busy end to the season.
His side sit 13 points clear of second-placed Hamilton Accies, with three games in-hand over the Lanarkshire outfit, and boast a record of 21 wins and two draws in 23 games so far this season, but the Celtic coach said he is taking nothing for granted.
“We’ve got a lot of games,” he said, “something like 10 left to play so that itself is a problem because it’s such a short space of time so we’ll look at giving the players one or two days off to recover and then they’ll go in to that game and it’ll probably be two games-per-week after that.
“The unbeaten run is a good habit but it will come to an end sometime. As long as they’re enjoying their football and playing well and getting experience of playing with first-team players as well then it’s a good education for them.”

 

[ame]http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tvBPv3B8jN8[/ame]

 

I love the way they've bounced back from losing the league last year by annihilating everything in sight this season.

 

said already there's a hunger about them this season and it shows on the park.

 

Miller to be the next break through

 

Doohan; Higgins, Kelleher, McCart, McIlduff; Hill, Thomson; Murray, Hendry, Archibald; Miller.



subs: Hazard, Lafferty, Kidd, Kerr.

 

Goalkeeping coach Colin Meldrum tests Ross Doohan as the Hoops keeper is first out for the pre-match warm-up.



The rest of the Bhoys warm-up ahead of their SPFL Development League match against @ICTFC.



manager Tommy McIntyre watches on as the players go through a one-touch passing drill.