Fourty Five Minutes Enough for Celts

By: Matt | September 14th, 2008

On the strengths of a flawless first half, Celtic powered to a 4-2 victory over the other team from the SPL still in Europe. As both teams begin their European duties this week, both can take something positive from the game and hopefully translate it into European glories. Celtic played a near perfect first half, putting the proverbial boot to the throat early and often. In a case of putting my foot in my mouth, Gordon Strachan sent out a squad chocked full of changes. Lee Naylor, Scott McDonald, Barry Robson, and Marc Crosas all got starts this weekend, with Crosas getting his first nod in the Celtic Starting XI. It was not the changes on the field but rather who was left out, with Aiden McGeady, Shunsuke Nakamura, and Andy Hinkel starting on the bench, but the changes payed off. Shaun Maloney opened up the scoring in the fourth minute with a tap in from a good Scott Brown cross. Four minutes later, Georgios Samaras continued his campaign as Celtic’s top scorer when he busted through the middle of the Motherwell defense and put the ball past the keeper for goal number 2.

Scott McDonald also got his first goal of the year after turning the Motherwell defender inside out off a thrown in. Skippy took the ball and slotted it home. Celtic might have saved the best for last , with perhaps the goal of the year so far. Some good one-two balls between Lee Naylor and Shaun Maloney and then a clever lay off ball from Scott McDonald to Georgios Samaras and the big Greek was able to net his second goal of the day. It was all Celtic would need on the day, though in the second half Celtic insisted on testing out that idea. Perhaps it was Celtic taking the peddle off of the gas or perhaps Motherwell turned it up, not wanting to get embarrassed at home but some dodgy Celtic defending saw the ‘well get two goals back. Yet, it wasn’t enough and Celtic escaped with three points.

Questions remain about the centerbacks, including Captain Stephen McManus who had another howler of a game. Yet going into the Champions League home match against Aalborg, Celtic fans should feel better about the team than the previous week’s debacle against Rangers. Georgios Samaras continues to score goals, which is all you can ask for a striker. If Marc Crosas was a pubescent Jewish boy, the game in Motherwell would be his Bar Mitzvah. “The Next Xavi” showed why he was dubbed so, controlling the game in the middle and putting together some great passes. After a humbling by Rangers, a comfortable win is just what the Dr. ordered and hopefully will build confidence for the Champions League.