CELTIC eventually blew Austrian minnows SC Pinkafeld in the scorching heat this afternoon. The young Hoops side were shocked when Hazard spilled a long range free kick and presented Anze with a gift to open the scoring just after the half hour mark. It’s a goal he’ll be telling his grandchildren about in decades to come.
Leigh Griffiths though couldn’t miss shortly afterwards after a decent cut-back from Calvin Miller. And Griff should have given Celtic the lead shortly before the interval but his effort hit the post with the goal gaping.
It was a different story after the interval though with Celtic bagging 5 goals to give the Scottish Champions a well deserved 6-1 win. Mikey Johnston came off the bench at the interval and was given the captain’s armband by Neil Lennon who was rewarded almost immediately with the skipper for the second half giving Celtic the lead almost straight from the kick-off.
Lennon had changed things around for the second half to give as many players as possible game time with the team being Doohan, Savoury, Morrison, Welsh, Gutman, Dembele, Coffey, Robertson, Henderson, Johnston and Aitchison.
Liam Henderson made it 3-1 on 57 minutes with a long range shot as Celtic piled on the pressure. The skipper was denied a penalty shortly afterwards and later on an Aitchison goal was ruled out wrongly for offside. Not that it mattered much.
68' – Another water break in SC Pinkafeld…
Enjoying the second-half performance? ????
1⃣-3⃣ #TurnUpTheHeat pic.twitter.com/RJp6tFiyv8
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) June 26, 2019
A flurry of goals inside the last ten minutes made the score hugely impressive. Armstrong Oxo-Flex netted his first goal for Celtic in 84 minutes, before Jack Aitchison smashed home on 88 minutes to make up for goal he was denied. Aitchison then unselfishly set up Mikey Johnston for the sixth goal for the Hoops in the final minute.
That’s two team Neil Lennon fielded today, with very few first team regulars involved and still there was no sign of one of the highest earners at the club Marvin Compper. He still has only ever played 81 minutes for Celtic as he goes into his third season as a Celtic player.
Neil Lennon will have been pleased with this run out in the heat for so many of the young guns. We’ll see more of the first team perhaps at the weekend.
Six of the best from #CelticFC in their first 2019/20 pre-season match! ????
???????????? #TurnUpTheHeat pic.twitter.com/mcanVxzSji
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) June 26, 2019
