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Old Firm victory for Under 19s
Gregor Kyle
Scottish Premier Under 19 League
Wednesday April 13 2005
Excelsior Stadium, Airdrie
CELTIC… 3
(Finnbogason 12, O’Carroll 23, 60)
RANGERS… 2
(McCormack 37, Crooks 89)
IT WAS A long time coming, but the first Old Firm game of the Under 19 season finally kicked off this afternoon and ended in a 3-2 victory for Celtic.
This game was played at finally the sixth time of asking as Rangers had forced a series of postponements, citing a long and unmanageable injury list on each occasion.
The postponements will mean a backlog of Old Firm fixtures at the tail end of the season and today both clubs fielded strong sides at the Excelsior Stadium in Airdrie determined to gain an early advantage.
First half goals from Icelandic centre-forward, Kjartan Finnbogason and Irish strike partner Diarmuid O’Carroll saw Celtic take an early lead before Rangers clawed one back through Ross McCormack.
Looking back on this game Celtic will have much to thank goalkeeper Scott Fox for, as the young keeper pulled off a string of incredible saves before O’Carroll added to Celtic’s tally and Rangers then added a late second through Jason Coutts for a 3-2 final scoreline.
Fox has come into coach Willie McStay’s side following injury to the more experienced Sandy Wood. The youngster has had some assured performances between the sticks this season, but today must rank among his finest and he gave an early hint of what was to come, pulling off an outstanding save from McCormack in the 5th minute.
The chance for Rangers however came against run of play and Celtic had started this match brightly, forcing their opposition back into their own half and playing at a high tempo.
The response to this play had been a series of early fouls. First Brian Gilmour was warned for a foul on Simon Ferry that eventually forced the substitution of the young midfielder and then Alex McColl brought down Icelandic midfielder Teddy Bjarnason for a free kick at the edge of the area.
This free kick sailed wide of the target, but the next was to punish Rangers and put Celtic a goal ahead.
Midfielder Paul Emslie conceded the foul on Charlie Mulgrew in the 12th minute, picking up a booking and allowing Jim O’Brien to deliver an excellent ball into the middle of the six yard box. There it was met in the air by Finnbogason and Celtic were a goal to the good, with the big targetman grabbing his ninth goal in 10 games at this level.
The goal allowed Celtic to get into their rhythm and Ferry came close with a long range effort after Bjarnason won the ball well on the edge of the area and gave it to playmaker, Michael McGlinchey.
McGlinchey then showed grit to dispossess midfielder Steven Lennon and play it through to Finnbogason and Celtic were dominating at this stage, keeping possession and causing Rangers to lose their shape completely in the midfield.
It looked only a matter of time before Celtic added to the tally and when the goal did come it was courtesy of a spectacular finish from O’Carroll.
This was route one football at its finest, a long ball forward from another free kick, this time delivered by Mulgrew at the back and met in the air by O’Carroll.
The young Irishman took the ball on his chest, turned and sent a spectacular shot straight into the top corner from around 20 yards out.
But Willie McStay has often cursed his side’s tendency to give away cheap goals and Celtic would later thank Fox for defending their margin.
Rangers had shown signs that they were coming back into this game, first Bob Davidson sent a looping, speculative effort just over the bar from 35 yards out and then Gilmour actually hit the bar with a shot from the edge of the box.
Jordan McMillan then fired wide again from long range, but Celtic failed to heed the warnings and the defence was stranded as Ross McCormack tucked away what became a simple opportunity. Substitute Michael Gardyne was seconds on the park and perhaps caught cold in the driving wind and rain when he gave away the ball at the half way line to Davidson.
The striker threaded his pass through and gave McCormack a clear run on goal and Fox very little chance with the one-on-one.
Rangers then bombarded Celtic as the remaining eight minutes ticked away and Fox began to show some of the form that would light up the second half.
The clearest cut chance that Rangers failed to take came from a free kick into the box which found Steven Campbell unmarked five yards out. But the defender hammered it straight at the keeper and Fox touched over.
Then with three minutes to play Steven Lennon scooped his shot over the bar after Fox had spilled a Davidson effort and Rangers went in at the interval cursing the Celtic keeper and their poor finishing.
Perhaps this was what gave them the spirit to attack Celtic so vigorously straight after the restart. Gilmour tried is luck with a long range effort that was tipped away by Fox, Davidson saw an effort go wide, as did McMillan and then McCormack was denied by the young keeper, all within the first ten minutes of the restart.
Ten minutes had in fact elapsed before Celtic started to attack with any authority. Michael McGlinchey sparked the move, turning on the ball and feeding fit-again Ryan Conroy who took to the byline before sending a cross into the feet of Finnbogason.
There the big striker turned on the ball, squeezed between two defenders and sent in a low effort that was saved by Callum Reidford at his near post.
Rangers responded by breaking at pace, with Davidson setting up Derek Carcary, who was again denied by Fox.
This was an end to end, highly enjoyable game of football and although Celtic looked decidedly more nervy in the second half, they were the side who took full advantage of their chances and got their third goal in the 60th minute.
Finnbogason did well to hold up the ball forward and with his back to goal, turned on it and pushed it wide to Jim O’Brien. The winger then pushed his path through to O’Carroll who turned in the box, took a touch and sent it low beyond the keeper to put Celtic three ahead.
The goal signalled the start of the Scott Fox show proper as the young keeper denied the hard working pairing of McCormack and Davidson on numerous occasions.
A goal finally did arrive for Rangers however and Fox had little chance with this one as his defence took a snooze with just one minute of time to play.
The long ball forward was allowed to drop into the path of substitute Scott Agnew whose simple pass across goal found fellow sub Jason Crooks. Crooks had been allowed to run unchallenged into the six yard box and tapped in a simple finish at the back post.
This goal failed to set up a grandstand finish for Rangers as Celtic forced their rivals up the park and won a series of corners to slowly steal away the remaining minutes of injury time.
When the whistle did sound the player’s delight was very evident and this result will no doubt give McStay’s young team a psychological edge as they face a hard series of derby fixtures.
CELTIC (3-5-2) Fox; Reid, Cuthbert, Mulgrew; O’Brien, Ferry (Gardyne 34), McGlinchey, Bjarnason, Conroy; O’Carroll (Grant 89), Finnbogason (Riley 82).
Subs: Wood, Richardson.
RANGERS (4-4-2) Reidford; Lowing, McColl, Campbell, McMillan; Carcary (Agnew 68), Lennon (Jacmont 75), Gilmour (Crooks 87), Emslie; McCormack, Davidson.
Subs: Robinson, Woods.
