St.Johnstone V Celtic 24 01 2010

This was St.Johnstone's first league match of 2010 and the first since the 3-1 win on Boxing Day away to Motherwell. It was always going to be a tough game for St.Johnstone against a Celtic side that were not playing the greatest but who are still able to grind out the results.

There was a serious doubt about this match which was being televised live as the floodlights were not working at full power.

Celtic as expected came at the St.Johnstone defence and put them under pressure. St.Johnstone held of the Celtic attacks. Through a mixture of the team working hard for each other and some poor finishing by Celtic.

St.Johnstone did shock Celtic in the 12th minute when Kenny Deuchar played the ball in for Steve Milne who was bundled over by the Celtic defender Glen Loovens. Liam Craig was not put off by the Celtic fans behind the goal and he was able to make the Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc dived the wrong way.

Celtic were clearly rattled by this and again they kept putting pressure on the St.Johnstone defence and again the St.Johnstone defenders held firm and Graeme Smith pulled off some fantastic saves to deny Celtic.

Celtic had to make an enforced change when Glen Loovens's head hit the back of Kenny Deuchar's head and as a result he was knocked unconscious.

Celtic thought that they should have been level when a Zhen Zhi shot was cleared off the line by Jody Morris even though it was 70% over the line before it was cleared but as the referee said the ball had not fully crossed the line no goal was scored.

St.Johnstone defender Graham Gartland picked up a yellow card when he fouled Aiden McGeady.

St.Johnstone held out until half-time.

10 seconds into the second half St.Johsntone were reduced to 10 men as Graham Gartland was given a straight red card for a foul on Marc -Antoine Fortune. It was a bit harsh as it was an accidental clash.

Celtic brought on a couple of attack minded players as they sensed St.Johnstone's heads would drop and that they were there for the taking.

This proved correct when they kept firing shots in on the St.Johnstone goal and just like the first half the St.Johnstone goalkeeper Graeme Smith denied them but he was eventually beaten in the 64th minute when Fortune drove in from the right and scored a scorching goal into the top corner of the net which no goalkeeper in the world could have stopped not even a world class goalkeeper like Real Madrid's Iker Casillias.

In the 77th minute Georgios Samaras volleyed home from 12 yards and ran to the Celtic fans and he was booked for it.

Paddy McCourt saw his shot in the 81st minute saved by Smith but unfortunately for St.Johnstone Fortune was on hand to score his second goal of the match and his 4th against St.Johnstone this season.

The rout was complted just 5 minutes later when Paddy McCourt beat Gary Irvine out on the left & then he cut inside Dave MacKay and fired home.

St.Johstone had competed well with Celtic for most of the game despite the score line suggesting otherwise.

St.Johnstone now have to pick themselves up for a midweek derby against Dundee United at Tannadice.

St.Johnstone (4-4-2): 25) Graeme Smith, 2) Gary Irvine, 12) Dave MacKay, 3) Danny Grainger, 18) Graham Gartland, 7) Chris Miller, 4) Jody Morris (Captain), 20) Murray Davidson (Moon), 9) Steven Milne (Anderson), 10) Liam Craig, 17) Kenny Deuchar (McDonald)

Subs: 22) Fillipe Morais), 14) Kevin Moon, 16) Peter McDonald, 23) Andy Jackson, 32) Steven Reynolds, 24) Steven Anderson, 1) Alan Main (goalkeeper)

Manager: Derek McInnes

Booked: Gartland

Dissmissed: Gartland

Celtic (4-4-2): 1) Artur Boruc, 22) Glen Loovens (Caddis) 48) Darren O'Dea (captain), 2) Andres Hinkel (McCourt), 38) Josh Thompson, 27) Zhen Zhi (McGowan), 17) Marc Crosas, 14) Niall McGinn, 46) Aiden McGeady, 9) Georgios Samaras, 10) Marc - Antoine Fortune

Subs: 52) Paul Caddis, 29) Koki Mizuno, 20) Pat McCourt, 55) Paul McGowan, 34) Daniel Lafferty, 49) James Forrest, 24) Lukas Zaluska (goalkeeper)

Manager: Tony Mowbray

Booked: Samaras

Referee: Willie Collum - Fourth Official John McKendrick

Attendance: 7,743

 Goal attempts on target: St.Johnstone 2 Celtic 7

Goal attemps off target: St.Johnstone 2 Celtic 12

Corners: St.Johnstone 2 Celtic 11

Fouls: St.Johnstone 14 Celtic 8

Bookings: St.Johnstone 1 Celtic 1

Dissmissed: St.Johnstone 1 Celtic 0

Man of the match: St.Johnstone number 25) Graeme Smith

Last modified: 26/01/2010 10:58:28