Scottish Premier League: Celtic 0 St Johnstone 1
IT was the night that Aberdeen were supposed to do Celtic a favour by beating Rangers allowing the Parkhead side to go top of the table. Unfortunately for Dr Joe Venglos’s side St Johnstone were not in the mood to be sacrificial lambs.
That’s not to say they caused Celtic a lot of problems but they did show how to take a chance.
Celtic began the game without Mark Rieper and Phil O’Donnell.
They were replaced by Paul Lambert and Harold Brattbakk but this was a disjointed Celtic performance which only briefly threatened to produce even a draw in the second half.
The Celtic fans did not even get the chance to see new signing Vidar Riseth.
St Johnstone seemed happy to concede ground allowing Celtic to come at them. However they did know how to take their chance when it came. Craig Burley conceded a free on the left edge of the box and Paul Kane rolled the ball across the face of the box allowing Nick Dasovic to score.
Celtic huffed and puffed for the rest of the half without ever troubling the visiting keeper.
Only Larsson looked to have the guile needed to make a breakthrough.
Celtic departed to the resounding boos of 55,000 not very happy people.
Celtic: Gould, Boyd, Mahe, Stubbs, Larsson, Burley, Brattbakk, Donnelly, Lambert, Jackson, Hannah.
Subs: Annoni for Boyde 67 mins, Burchill for Hannah 61, McKinlay for Donnelly 81.
St Johnstone: Main, Dasovic, Kernaghan, O’Neil, O’Boyle, Kane, McMahon, Bollan, McCluskey, Dodds, Lowndes.
Subs: Preston for Lowndes 23 mins, Grant for O’Boyle 57 and Griffin for McMahon.
Referee: Michael McCurry – Glasgow.
Scottish League, Premier Division Table
Rangers 7 2 1 0 1 2 1 12 6
Kilmarnock 7 3 0 1 0 3 0 12 4
Hearts 7 3 0 1 0 2 1 11 1
St Johnstone 7 1 2 0 2 0 2 11 -1
Celtic 7 2 1 1 0 2 1 9 4
Aberdeen 7 1 2 0 1 1 2 9 -1
Motherwell 7 2 2 0 0 1 2 9 -2
Dunfermline 7 1 2 0 0 3 1 8 -3
Dundee 7 0 2 2 1 0 2 5 -4
Dundee Utd 7 0 3 0 0 1 3 4 -4
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THE coalition of Antrim minor football selectors is believed to be leading the chase for the vacant senior management post in the county. Their position has been strengthened by the confirmation that Andy McCallin and former manager John Morrison, did not attend interviews staged on Monday evening at Casement Park.
Last night Ray McDonnell, who managed Antrim during the 1997 and ‘98 championship campaigns, said he felt “a new man” may be leading football aspirations in the new season.
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PETER Hutton last night completed his return to Derry City in a deal worth £30,000 to Portadown.
The former Brandywell skipper has signed a three-year contract taking him back to the club after a disappointing spell at Shamrock Park. Prior to the move last season Hutton openly admitted that he did not want to leave his hometown club.
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THE four Antrim representatives on the Ulster U17 experimential rules panel are asked to link up with the squad over the next two Saturdays in Carrickmore. The four footballers are Brian Close, Sean Kelly, Damien McStocker and Gerald Larkin.
DERMOT Donnelly confirmed last night that he is to switch his athletics allegiance from Great Britain to Ireland.
Donnelly returned from Kuala Lumpur yesterday with the rest of the Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games squad on the day when he turned 28.
Another of the Northern Ireland track & field representatives, 400m runner Brian Forbes, has also decided to opt for the Republic following the games.
It comes after Donnelly was disgracefully overlooked by the British selectors for both the World Cross-Country Championships and European Championships this year.
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