MATCH REPORT: HIBS 0 CELTIC 1
PRE-MATCH COMMENT. A rather nervous drive through for the game in the knowledge that the other half of Glasgow would be reckoning that this game would be the best chance, outside of their own game, for Celtic to drop some points.
Was happy to see that JVOH would be back to lead the line (never thought I’d say that a few months ago!)
BORUC ….…….6 Pulled off a very important save in the first half when he came off his line and blocked a goal bound shot. Rec’d a yellow card for waving to the Hibs fans at the end of the game.
HINKEL... ….. 5 Didn’t get forward as much as I would have liked in the first 45mins but did come on to a more attacking game in the second.
CALDWELL….. 6 A steady enough game apart from a couple of shaky moments at the start of the game.
McMANUS…. …7 A difficult day as a result of the strong winds but Mick stood very firm in the center and made sure that the ball was cleared quickly out of the danger area.
NAYLOR….….….6 Brought his drought to an end with a very, very important goal.
McGEADY …. …..6 The Hibs full back was on top of Aiden to such an extent that he was told to switch wings. Gave the ball away a couple of times in the first half that nearly resulted in goals. However he never let his head go down and it climaxed in him sending over another wonderful cross for the second goal.
BROWN..…….. 7 MOM An important game for him, an opportunity to return to his old club and show why Celtic paid 4.5m for him. Well, he took a couple of important steps along that road. From the first moment he was determined not to come off second best in any tackle and he was also determined not allow the Hibs midfield time to settle on the ball.
DONATI …….. . 5 Whilst he sprayed some lovely passes around he did not follow Brown’s example.
NAKA…….. …… 6 The wonderful piece of vision and ball control which he created to start the movement for the second goal just highlighted the importance he is to the team.
McDONALD ….. 5 Found it difficult to have any real impact on the game.
JVOH 6 What a difference a couple of months have made to him. He fight for the ball, works for the team and lasts 90 mins.
SUBS ………….1. SAMARAS…… 6 Replaced McDonald. I played golf on Monday with a Man City fan who made the comment “He’s a great guy to come off the bench”. To-day Samaras did not disprove that theory. He took his goal so well.
..................2 HARTLEY....5 Replaced Donati
REF…………. 5 Brines made his usual nos of odd decisions and failed to protect McGeady.
THE GAME ……8 For the first 45 mins it was like an old cup tie with Hibs putting more effort in than Celtic but the half time talk worked wonders and Celtic took command by playing football.
GOALS ………. 1st I was sitting high up in the South Stand and had a great view of Naylor picking up the ball inside the Hibs half and start storming down the park. Myself and everyone around was screaming “give to McGeady!” but he just kept going, got a lucky ricochet, and sent a searing shot into the net, right in front of me.
2nd Mc Geady once again turned on the magic and supplied a great cross to allow Samaras head a great goal.
COMMENTS ….. 1 This was display similar to the Aberdeen game in which Celtic stood up and were counted. This is the type of display that will be needed against Rangers with Robson/Hartley/ Sno replacing Donati.
2. Another guy who played golf on the Monday does a lot of business with the football players in Scotland and said that Kevin McDonald from Dundee will be a Celtic player next January. He offered me 100/1 on it being fact.
2 comments:
Hi Martin
Genuine constructive comment intended. If you're going to give marks out of 10 I think they should be consistent. The aggregate of the first 11 achieving a 2-0 away win at one of the top 4 toughest away days is 3 less than the team that won 2-1 at home to ICT according to your scores.
I can't see a thing Boruc did wrong in 90 minutes. Did you mark him down by 4 for a non-descript incident after the game had finished?
"DONATI …….. . 5 Whilst he sprayed some lovely passes around he did not follow Brown’s example."
What example? He plays a different game, holds a more disciplined position and completes more passes. 5 out of 10 for a guy who had the Hibs midfield and their fans rattled?
"JVOH 6 What a difference a couple of months have made to him. He fight for the ball, works for the team and lasts 90 mins."
and this receive 6 out of 10???????
Martin, you need to raise your game. 4/10!!!
Kevin
I do admire your attempts at trying to understand my report!
I look at each game as an individual one, not in scale of importance. If Celtic beat Barca 3-0 on Tues my marks will reflect how the players played, not the result.
Boruc did do no wrong during the game but a goalkeeper is marked by what he does. He had one very good save and one good save, other than that he had an average game.
Donati does play a different game than Brown but what I was attempting to convey was that Brown gave a level of commitment that Donati would do well to copy.
JVOH: In the early part of the season I was marking him as low as 3 or 4. On Sat he was given a 6 (better than average)despite not scoring or assisting a score, so I must have been impressed by his commitment!
Don't worry you'll soon get the gist of it all :>)
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