Glasgow Cup – 21 February, 2023 – at the Lennoxtown Training Centre
Celtic1-0 Clyde – (Carse 45+1)
With Celtic fighting across three fronts this week, Celtic B got the week’s fixtures off to a flyer with a Glasgow Cup win over Clyde at Lennoxtown yesterday evening. Setting us up nicely for Celtic FC Women’s SWPL1 Glasgow Derby at the Excelsior Stadium on Friday night – and of course the men’s team and their upcoming defence of the Scottish League Cup final against theRangers on Sunday afternoon.
A Mackenzie Carse goal in first half injury time separated the sides, with a fine strike which ended up in the top corner, for what would ultimately be the goal which separated the sides.
Celtic got off to a good start in this one with Joey Dawson unlucky not to score inside the first five minutes, whilst good performances in wide areas from the likes of Davidson and Quinn led to Clyde having to defend their area stoutly from accurate cross balls.
Clyde had their chances in the opening 45 minutes, particularly when heading off target from a corner-kick with thirty minutes on the clock, and probably thought themselves well set to get in at the break and regroup.
However Celtic and Carse in particular had other plans, as he took control of the ball at the edge of the box and fired and unstoppable effort past Bradley-Hurst in the Clyde goal with the referees whistle due to blow.
The start of the second half was a cagey affair lacking in incident, however Celtic did create further chances as the game opened up, with the impressive Dawson once again coming close to scoring after rounding Bradley-Hurst only to see the Clyde defence block the route to goal with a desperate goal line clearance.
Dawson then followed up with a strike from long range, something Tsoanelo Letsosa also attempted but was similarly foiled in his efforts, meanwhile the Celtic backline held firm against a side from the league above the Lowland League dwelling Hoops.
In the end Mackenzie Carse’s goal was enough to give the young Celts a fine Glasgow Cup win and sets them up nicely for Friday’s 2pm Kick off against Hearts B in the Lowland League.
That game has an afternoon kick-off to accommodate Fran Alonso’s Celtic FC Women’s team who play theRangers, in an SWPL1 fixture later that evening, and one that could have a massive bearing on the outcome of the League title race.
But it was Celtic B who got this week’s football action off to a flyer with a fine Glasgow Cup opener against League 2 opposition, and it will have been a pleasing result for Darren O’Dea and Stephen McManus as they look to prepare Celtic’s youngsters for the demands of first team football.
It’s now down to Fran Alonso and Ange Postecoglou to keep the wins coming in a massive week for Celtic.
Niall J
