Youth/Development Team Thread

Celtic Sub Jack Aitchison comes on for Theo Archibald.

 

Jack Aitchison on with 20 minutes to go

 

another chance for Celtic McIlduff breaks free into the box but McKenzie comes out to block the shot.

 

10 minutes left to go still 1-1

 

second hoops change Regan Hendry off, Mikey Johnston on.

 

Johnston scored a hat-trick at the weekend for the U-17s so hopefully he can grab a winner

 

This is tense stuff, come on Celtic!

 

still time for a Celtic goal 5 to play.

 

Johnston weaves his way towards the edge of the box but his left-footed shot creeps over the bar.





Crossan then fires wide after being set up by Johnston. Celtic going for it in the closing stages.

 

This go to replay or extra time?

 

all out attack from The Bhoys not long left.

 

another chance for Celtic saved again.

 

Its the league

 

Injury Time now.

 

Full Time Celtic 1 St Johnstone 1

Mark Hill with the Hoops Goal.

 

CELTIC were held to a 1-1 draw with St Johnstone at Cappielow in a game that saw both teams miss penalties and cancel each other out for large periods.
Both teams played entertaining football for much of the first-half but the visitors took the lead from the spot through Graham Cummins after Jamie McCart was harshly penalised for a hand-ball in the box.
The Hoops missed their own spot-kick moments later but were back level before the break thanks to Mark Hill’s excellent drive after PJ Crossan’s tenacious closing down of the St Johnstone defence.
The Saints were awarded another penalty after the restart but Ross Doohan palmed the shot away to keep the score even.
The Celts went on to dominate the second-half but couldn’t find the breakthrough against the well-organised Saints side, despite the best efforts of their three-pronged strike force of Jack Aitchison, PJ Crossan and Mikey Johnston, and were forced to settle for a share of the points.
The game saw the rekindling of a smouldering rivalry between Celtic and St Johnstone from last season after two of their clashes ultimately defined the Hoops’ domestic campaign. The Saints knocked Tommy McIntyre’s side out of the Scottish Youth Cup in January before the Bhoys claimed a 2-0 win against the McDiarmid Park outfit to clinch the Development League title three months later.
The summer break appeared to have done little to dampen either side’s appetite for victory with both teams starting on the front foot in their first encounter of 2016/17 and some decent football on display.
After a fairly even opening 25 minutes, Jamie McCart almost put the Hoops in front when he rattled the cross bar with a header after Mark Hill’s excellent corner but St Johnstone looked equally dangerous at the other end, although Ross Doohan had little to do.
That changed just minutes after McCart’s header, however, when the Celtic defender was harshly booked for a handball incident in the box, giving the Saints the chance to take the lead from the penalty spot. Graham Cummins obliged, sending Doohan the wrong way from 12-yards but the Bhoys were awarded the opportunity to equalise almost instantly when they won a penalty at the other end after the restart.
Hendry had burst free of the visiting defence and was unfairly hacked down in the box by Greg Page, earning the defender a yellow card and Celtic a chance to even the game. Hendry stepped up but Saints keeper Ben McKenzie dived to his left and palmed the shot away with two strong hands.
The Hoops took a moment to regain their composure after the missed kick before they forced another fine save out of McKenzie through Theo Archibald’s swerving shot.
Parity was then restored five minutes before the break when Hill smashed home a first-time shot after PJ Crossan had done well to win the ball out wide and cut-back into space. It was a precise strike from the midfielder and got Celtic deservedly back into the game with time to spare before the interval.
The start of the second-half saw the action continue to spill from end-to-end but another penalty was awarded in favour of St Johnstone after Wardrop was adjudged to have fouled Saints striker George Hunter in the box after Doohan had saved the forward’s initial shot.
Hunter took the spot-kick but the Hoops keeper was his equal, parrying the shot to safety with a well-timed dive to his right. The save spurred Celtic on and they almost went into the lead when Ralston won a free header at the back post but he sent his effort over.
The lively Crossan was unlucky not to hit the target with an angled shot from the left shortly before St Johnstone had a goal disallowed at a corner for a foul in the box.
With 20 minutes left Jack Aitchison entered the fray in place of Archibald, with Celtic going all-out for the win and St Johnstone moving further towards their own box. Substitute Mikey Johnston further bolstered the attack but the Bhoys couldn’t find their way past the visiting defence and were forced to settle for the draw and a share of the points in their second league-outing of the season.
The match was well-contested by both teams but the Hoops will now look to Saturday’s Irn Bru Cup clash against Livingston.

 

Cheers for the report Crow

Unlucky Bhoys but it sounded like a good close game. At least we didn't lose which is good.

 

no problem aye very unlucky tonight.

 

Ahhh grand thought it was iron bru cup. Cheers bud