Celtic make statement on flag day with rout of Killie second string Scottish champions may be on course for another title after victory
DUNDEE UNITED boss Jim Goodwin said yesterday’s draw at home to city rivals Dundee “felt like a defeat” as he lamented his side’s missed opportunity to mark their return to the William Hill Premiership with a victory.
The newly-promoted Terrors led 2-1 through first-half goals from Kristijan Trapanovski and Miller Thomson either side of Seb PalmerHoulden’s equaliser.
And they had a golden chance to stretch their lead in the 57th minute when Trapanovski went clean through on goal and clipped the ball over goalkeeper Jon McCracken, only to see Lyall Cameron race back to stop it crossing the line.
It proved pivotal as Dundee hit back to claim a point through a late Luke McCowan penalty after Ross Graham brought down Simon Murray.
“We’re disappointed, particularly when you look at that big moment at 2-1 where we caught Dundee on the counter-attack from their set-play and Trapanovski was through one-on-one,” said Goodwin.
“I’m not going to be over-critical of him because I thought he had a terrific game. The goalkeeper was about 18-20 yards out, so I would have preferred had he knocked the ball by the goalkeeper and rounded him and tapped it in, but he went for the audacious chip.
“It nearly came off but I suppose you have to give credit to the defending Dundee player for not giving up on it and getting back to clear it off the line just in time.
“If that goes in, it’s 3-1 and Dundee would have had a big mountain to climb. I think it gave them a lift that it didn’t go in and they threw everything at us in the second half. Over the piece, when I watch the game back later on, I’ll probably be thinking a draw was possibly a fair result.”
Goodwin also said that coins were thrown at him from some of the 3000 Dundee fans who were seated in the main stand.
“I’ve had three or four chucked at me throughout the game,” he said. “I spoke to the security guys downstairs and no doubt they’ll stick a report in to the SFA.”
CELTIC made an early statement of intent on flag day as the champions marked their opening-day party with a convincing win over a rather makeshift Kilmarnock outfit. Lisbon Lion Jim Craig did the honours before the match, unfurling the championship flag to a rapturous reception around Celtic Park, where a tifo display proclaimed “We’ve won the league again, fly the flag”. On this evidence, the Celtic supporters might want to tuck it away for this time next year too.
Killie came into the game with an unfamiliar defence in particular on the back of their Europa League defeat to Cercle Brugge, and Celtic took full advantage. It might not have made much difference in any case.
First-half goals from the imperious Reo Hatate and Liam Scales had the game all but won by the interval, but a deflected Nicolas Kuhn effort and a late Anthony Ralston strike made certain in any case.
The mood music around this half of Glasgow could hardly be more different to that on the other side of the city after Rangers dropped points at Tynecastle to kick off their own campaign, with Brendan Rodgers’ side looking well-equipped even at this early stage to dominate domestically once more.
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New Celtic keeper Kasper Schmeichel had his famous dad in the stands to witness his competitive bow for the champions, and they could perhaps have stuck Peter in goals for this one even at the age of 60.
The Danish No.1 only had one shot on target to deal with, as Matty Kennedy fired a volley at him from the edge of the box that was struck true enough, but right down the keeper’s throat. He dealt with that in routine fashion, as he did with everything else that was asked of him in terms of his handling and distribution.
There will be sterner tests ahead, but there was no such opportunity for Robby McCrorie to ease himself into Premiership action with Killie for the first time. He made impressive saves from Kyogo Furuhashi, Hatate and Kuhn in the first half alone, and could do little about the goals they conceded despite getting his fingertips to Hatate’s opener.
The former Rangers stopper had enjoyed two clean sheets against Celtic when he was at Ibrox, but that was never likely here, despite his best efforts.
It has been a test of patience for the Celtic support this summer, with the impressive on-field performances of pre-season doing little to quell anxieties around a lack of fresh blood in the squad. Indeed, Schmeichel was the only new signing on display against Killie. Paulo Bernardo returned on a permanent basis this week of course, and took up a place on the bench, but while the lack of early Champions League qualifiers has afforded the club a little grace from fans in conducting their transfer business, Rodgers will want bodies in sooner rather than later.
What would happen, for instance, should their only recognised striker, Furuhashi, pick up an injury in this early part of the campaign? Rodgers would have loved to have had Adam Idah to call on here to share the workload, but the club have yet to prise him away from Norwich City, despite the forward’s own best efforts.
The squad looks more than capable of picking up wins on the home front in its current guise regardless, but reinforcements will certainly be required not only for the step up to
the Champions League, but to cope with the volume of fixtures in the long season ahead.